"Keeping You a Secret" by Julie Anne Peters

Every time I read one of Peters' books, I'm reminded by how great of a writer she is.  Holland pretty much has it made.  Great boyfriend, president of the student council, and a job she loves.  Her life is somewhat stressful as it's her senior year and she has a lot on her plate with school and college applications, but everything should be manageable, that is, until Cece enters the picture.  It's not a surprise that Holland begins to fall for Cece and isn't quite sure what to do about it (the title should give you some clue as to how the situation is handled).

I really enjoyed this book.  The characters felt so real and it was easy to feel for Holland and her less than pleasant situation.  There were times that I cheered for her and times that wanted to smack the people surrounding her.  There's a part of me that is angry at myself for not plowing through Peters' books.  However, there is a certain thrill knowing that there are still three or four books sitting on my bookshelf waiting to be devoured.

If you have yet to read something by Peters, you are truly missing out.  So far, everything I have read has been an absolute winner!

Happy Reading
-Melly

"It's Our Prom (So Deal With It)" by Julie Anne Peters

I have loved everything that I have read by Julie Anne Peters.  I am accustomed to her books being a bit groundbreaking and dealing with some topics that could be deemed nontraditional (loved Luna.  Loved, loved, loved Luna). I didn't quite get that same vibe from It's Our Prom (So Deal With It) though I enjoyed this book immensely.  Told from the point of views of Azure and Luke- this book tells the story of three teens trying to do the extraordinary at their school.  Azure is given the opportunity to restructure her school's Senior Prom so that it actually appeals to the entire student body.  She enlists her best friend Luke who manages to find time in between writing and directing the musical that tells the story of his coming out.  They also seek out help from their third best friend (and crush- yes, both Azure and Luke are crushing on the same girl), Radhika.  However, her overly strict parents have her on such a rigid and regulated schedule that her involvement is limited.  Throughout the novel the characters face the expected problems- how to pay for this extravagant prom, dealing with parents who aren't so okay with the plans, and that one student (and later teacher) that just isn't okay with the change in tradition.

I really liked how this book didn't focus on the fact that the two main characters weren't straight.  No one had a problem with the fact that the prom wasn't boy/girl couples only.  The parents were more concerned with the "piercing and tattoos" that were planned for the prom then with the fact the the girl leading the planning committee could possibly bring another girl to prom.  There were certain elements that I didn't care for as much.  I felt that the ending fell a little flat.  I didn't feel that there was enough of that particular story line for it to end the way it did (being vague here to avoid spoiling anything).  I really enjoyed the book up until the very end when things began to wrap up just a little too easily.  Maybe it was because I was beginning to realize that this book was a bit more generic than I expected.  Overall this was a fun book that I did enjoy.  There were no moments of real drama and nothing that left my jaw on the floor just a story of some very realistic teens striving to create the best prom and the best night possible.  

Happy Reading!
-Melly