The Best Reader:
How to Ruin series

How to Ruin My Boyfriend's Reputation by Simon Elkeles
Publisher: Flux (November 8th, 2009)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 257 pages
Series: How to Ruin #3
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
In the third book of this bestselling series, Amy Barak-Nelson misses her boyfriend Avi, who is in the Israeli army. Her grandmother convinces Amy to sign up for two weeks in a military training base. Not her idea of fun, but what's worse? Her team leader turns out to be Avi.

Review:

Nathan, Jessica, and Miranda are joining her and they get into quite a few hilarious situations. Amy isn't sure what to expect when she gets to the Israeli training base but she seemed to have no idea it would be so hard. The teens are treated like real soldiers and are forced to"rough it" just like everyone else.

The big surprise is that Avi is one of Amy's team leaders. They realize quickly that alone-time may not be possible on the base. And, while Amy may have thought Avi would be easy on her, she was wrong. He pushes her to do her best, while being absolutely adorable whenever she needs help. What is cuter than a tough team leader rushing to the aid of his girlfriend in front of all his friends? Nothing, I tell ya! So cute!

But, Avi made me angry in this book. Actually, very angry. I felt so invested in this story and Amy and Avi's romance that I really started mumbling things like"OMG how could he do that? That is so wrong! He'd better stop that!" LOL. Yes, I might be crazy, but I guess that's a good sign because I really connected with the story and cared about what they were going through.

There are a lot of physical and mental obstacles Amy and Avi must face in this story. Simone Elkeles really knows how to weave together a brilliant romance, laugh-out-loud humor, and serious moments throughout a story. I read this book in just a few hours and never even put it down. I am so sad to see it all end. *sigh* I'm glad we get the chance to get to know Amy's friends in this story and it all seemed to come together to show us the full picture of Amy's and Avi's experiences.

Recommended: EVERYONE. Pick up this series immediately. It's funny, romantic, and so well written. Start with How to Ruin My Summer Vacation so you don't miss a moment of Avi (and Amy, of course).

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How to Ruin My Teenage Life by Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Flux (June 8th, 2007)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 281 pages
Series: How to Ruin #2
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
In this sequel to How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, EVERYTHING in sixteen-year-old Amy Nelson Barak's life is going wrong! Her mom got married and moved to the suburbs, and now they are going to have a baby. Amy moves in with her dad in Chicago and signs him up for an online dating service. His first four dates are that night..
What else? Her dog Mutt impregnated her grumpy neighbor's prized poodle, so Amy will actually have to get a part-time job to pay for half the veterinary bill. And there's this totally annoying boy, Nathan Rubin, who just moved into her apartment building. Luckily, Amy has a cute boyfriend named Avi. Only he's more like a non-boyfriend considering Avi is in the Israeli army for the next three years.
What's a girl to do when everyone is conspiring to ruin her life?

Review:

Amy is now back in Chicago after her summer in Israel. She has little contact with Avi because he is now serving in the Israeli army and she isn't sure what to make of their dating status. She refers to him as her"non-boyfriend". On top of that, Amy's mom is now married and expecting a baby. Amy doesn't really feel she belongs in the house with her mother and stepfather. Instead, she moves in with her father so they can build a better relationship.

I really enjoy Amy's no-nonsense attitude but she did make a few silly decisions in this book. Signing her dad up for the dating service was one of them. He had no interest in dating and it only proved to get her into a lot of trouble. It did seem that while this was a heavy focus in the book, it was just thrown in without real meaning. I wanted to know more about Amy's school life, friends, and experiences.

There is a new guy in this book, Nathan, and he was a fun character. Amy isn't fond of him from the beginning and then he starts giving off some very mixed signals. She is confused as to what he wants from her and what she wants with him. After a huge surprise, things get even more complicated for her.

I liked that this book lets us get a better idea of Amy's new life. How she deals with her father, who is very strict, and how she deals with Avi being away. I feel that by the end of the book Amy really understands herself much better than she did before. Her and her friends were a fascinating group to get to know! This book has nearly as many laugh-out-loud moments as the first one. Now, I have to get my hands on How to Ruin My Boyfriend's Reputation! It sounds amazing! That review will be up soon… (update: soon as in, tomorrow).

Recommended: Contemporary fans who love Simone's writing. Be sure to read book 1, How to Ruin a Summer Vacation first.

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How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
Publisher: Llewellyn (October 8th, 2006)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 234 pages
Series: How to Ruin #1
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Moshav? What’s a moshav? Is it “shopping mall” in Hebrew? I mean, from what Jessica was telling me, Israeli stores have the latest fashions from Europe. That black dress Jessica has is really awesome. I know I’d be selling out if I go with the Sperm Donor to a mall, but I keep thinking about all the great stuff I could bring back home.
Unfortunately for 16-year-old Amy Nelson, “moshav” is not Hebrew for “shopping mall.” Not even close. Think goats, not Gucci.
Going to Israel with her estranged Israeli father is the last thing Amy wants to do this summer. She’s got a serious grudge against her dad, a.k.a. “Sperm Donor,” for showing up so rarely in her life. Now he’s dragging her to a war zone to meet a family she’s never known, where she’ll probably be drafted into the army. At the very least, she’ll be stuck in a house with no AC and only one bathroom for seven people all summer—no best friend, no boyfriend, no shopping, no cell phone…
Goodbye pride—hello Israel.

Review:

I do admit, the summary doesn't even come close to really telling what this story is about. I have never read a book set in Israel so I was a little worried it would be a bit of a shock, but Simone captured the setting brilliantly. Amy is somewhat forced to spend the summer with her father"AKA Sperm Donor" and meet his Israeli family. She does not look forward to this in the least. Then once she arrives in Israel she really gets a huge culture shock. She has no idea what anyone is saying or what to think of the family she never knew existed.

Then she meets Avi and a few of his friends. Plus, a cousin who does not want to welcome her to their home with open arms. I gotta say, Simone is creative with names. Cousin O'Snot, and her friends (Doo-Doo included). Hilarious!

Amy is a fun character. She's not nice or one to walk away from a fight. This made her great IMO because a lot of YA characters fall flat but Amy did not, at all! She could be cruel but at least she had a strong personality.

Her relationship with Avi is very love/hate. Avi knows how to push her buttons and he seems to enjoy it. But Amy really learns how to survive by watching him and his friends. They are hard workers and very loyal to each other. She really gets a good idea of how people can live with very little and still have a good time. This experience also gives her a chance to get to know her sick grandmother. It was nice to see Amy's true self come forward whenever she spoke with her grandmother.

After reading How to Ruin a Summer Vacation, I immediately read the next book, How to Ruin My Teenage Life and purchased book 3, How to Ruin My Boyfriend's Reputation. It was that good! I have learned never to doubt the powers of Simone Elkeles and her epic writing skills.

Recommended: Contemporary fans looking for something hilarious!

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