The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet is a funny, engaging book about a frustrated teen writer. Ellie Sweet is being ignored by the girls she thought were her best friends and she has a crush on a boy who thinks her name is Kelly.
She escapes through her keyboard to a medieval Italian court, where she is Lady Gabriella being wooed by a handsome prince.Ellie was a delightful, honest girl who had to navigate the tricky waters of high school. As an adult, I could relate to her, but the story also had a humor and lightness to it that captured the fun of being a teenager. (Unlike much young adult fiction that gets so loaded down with issues that it becomes almost inappropriate for young readers.) I confess to developing a crush on Chase, Ellie's new friend, and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish the book.
In the sequel, The Unlikely Debut of Ellie Sweet, the new author sees her book in print - and her friends recognize their role. It becomes even more difficult for Ellie to figure out where she fits in when her older brother starts dating her former best friend. And things with boys are never easy.
Real-life author Stephanie Morrill encourages fresh voices through her blog GoTeenWriters. I'd recommend her Ellie Sweet books as bedtime stories for readers age 12 on up who can relate to someone who finds herself in an embarrassing situation and enjoys Christian fiction. Leave a comment to be registered to win an autographed copy of The Swaddlinhg Clothes by Amber Schamel.
Do you enjoy reading young adult novels?
~ Susan Mires
We have a small young adult section in our church library. So I get excited when I see more books written specifically for young adults..... and to think Nancy Drew started it all.
ReplyDeleteThanks for entering me in your giveaway.
Janet E.
von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com
Janet, these would be a great edition to the library!
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