Out With The In Crowd

Today's review is of a new book that Revell Books publishing company gave me for free in exchange for a review!
Thank you Revell!

#1 - Out With The In Crowd by Stephanie Morrill, Revell, 2009
Genre: Realistic
Target Audience: Girls 16+
Subject: Teen pregnancy, divorce, dating relationships - including petty games of boyfriend stealing, fashion, school, friendships, trying to live as a witness to non-believers, forgiveness of those who've hurt her, there's alot in this book!
Summary: How can I trust? My parents promised to love each other and look where they're at!
That's what this book all boils down to. Skylar doesn't know how to open up to her boyfriend, how to trust him when the girl who stole her last boyfriend starts making moves on Connor too. And Skylar doesn't know how to decide anything. Her mom says not to arrange her life around a guy - look where it got her. Yet, Connor is the one who's been there for her through all this mess. How can she leave him? And that's just what her mom wants: Skylar to leave - move to Hawaii with her. Skylar just wants to be a teenager, but refereeing with her parents, parenting her younger sister who is pregnant, preparing for her sister's baby, trying to change herself into someone who is responsible with school and is kind to others, and trying to learn not to be obsessed with fashion, sometimes it's all just too much.
Notes: The key to this story is where Skylar is going to turn for answers. She makes attempts to turn to God, but doesn't seem to have the whole "give it all to God" thing mastered yet. She's really trying to balance it all on her own. And it clearly doesn't work. There's only so much one person, let alone a highschooler can handle. When we see Skylar shopping for baby clothes and diapers and car seats because her mom isn't there, her dad isn't doing anything and her sister just checks out when she's stressed, it's a pretty extreme picture. I'd recommend this book to any adult actually. It's an interesting look at how choices the parents can make impact the kids. The parents are trying to do what they think is right, but their choices have impacts far beyond themselves.
Recommendation Scale: 4 for a highschooler, 5 for a parent
Reviewer: J:-)mi