Ugh, I wish it was easier to get international (to me) book because this one sounds right up my ally. I’m addicted to youth fiction (YA) and snarky/witty is the best part of all. I also think it would be interesting to see the take on the reality television culture since it’s hugely prominent here in the States.

Awesome review!
Michelle´s last blog ..Booking Through Thursday

*only struck

The funny thing is, neither of them were as entitled to speak at the funeral as say, his Mum, or other family members. Chloe actually knew Liam, and was friends with him *longer* than Courtney – little things like that onlstruck me after re-reading it recently and I realised that Courtney is far less innocent than I thought she was when I was writing her, and certainly more innocent than she thinks she is.

What’s surprised me about LOLA is that every time I re-read it, or at least, skim through it, before a speaking event, I discover another layer that completely alters my perception of Courtney. I put the sequel on hold because I just simply didn’t like her anymore. But I guess no fifteen-year-old would hold up very well under close scrutiny. And it’s also a good thing, it means she has a lot of growing up to do, which means I have a lot more to write about

As for the funeral scene, I think that it was the overt competition between Courtney and the other girl (I don’t have the book in front of me and can’t remember her name, sorry). It wasn’t so much that they were each trying to outdo each other, but the fact that they turned the service itself into their battleground. There was no mention of the family and the one-upmanship over which was entitled to speak at the funeral seemed insensitive.

I could see how it set up each of the characters and illustrated their relationships with each other, but it just left me feeling a bit uneasy. Just a personal thing, I guess. If I’d been at the funeral, I probably would have grabbed each of them and dragged them outside for a stern lecture on appropriate behaviour at serious social occasions. Just goes to show what an old stick-in-the-mud I am.

Despite this scene, I did want to read further to find out more about the characters. I especially liked the way the profiles were given for each character during this first chapter. Very TV script-ish and it fit in well with the sense of everyone being a cast member of the reality TV show.

Lots of people are turning on the funeral scene recently… what was it that irked you? Criticism’s good for the soul, so let me have it! Funnily enough, thought, it was actually the scene that scored me the book contract (and still my personal favourite scene). It’s the most autobiographical scene in the book (and is atually toned DOWN from real-life events, believe it or not), that’s why I laugh when it’s criticised for being wildly unbelievable

But yeah, thanks again for the review. Now, back to Book #2…

P.S. A Katie-centric book is definitely on the cards, but it’s very, very far away.