My Life Undecided is a YA contemporary novel by Jessica Brody.
Fifteen-year-old Brooklyn Pierce is convinced that when faced with decisions, she always makes the worst one. She doesn't realize it at the time, of course - but eventually it becomes clear. In fact, she began life making stupid choices. It was nationally televised. Her name is still recognized for it. Obviously, her hopelessness has been imbedded in her since the toddler years.
But when she has a big party at her mom's model home, at the urging of her uber-popular bestie Shayne, and then proceeds to nearly burn the whole place down - while "under the influence" - well, she decides that she needs to take action. Brooklyn sets up an anonymous blog and poses every choice she is confronted with as a question to the readers and asks them to make her choices, because clearly it would be dangerous for her to continue to make her own...
My Life Undecided is awesome! The writing is full of life and bursting with humor, Brooklyn is a hilarious and sympathetic heroine - kinda hopeless, but likable all the same. And as she finds herself becoming a social pariah (I don't want to give too many details away, because it is all too great to experience when you're reading), her hurt has an honesty to it - it's interesting to see one of the "It" girls fall from grace.
Then we have the romance! Oooh! On one end of the spectrum we have the tasty, Southern, bad boy hottie that practically drips sex appeal and on the other end we have the nice, smart, and funny debate team "nobody" that may prove to be anything but!
This is a novel that is fast-paced, fun, and has heart - I was REALLY enjoying from start to finish!!! It's a great commentary on popularity and phoniness, without ever being a lesson really. It's pure entertainment with a dash of life experiences that help you grow. And then Jessica Brody brings us some heartbreaking moments near the end that cause genuine pangs to the heart, a rawness and sweetness that makes My Life Undecided all the more real.
And it's a stunner when you realize that there are more ways than polling blog readers to give up control of your life, to give up the decision making responsibility. There's an unexpected poignancy and an inspiration to My Life Undecided that gives the book more weight than a pure fluff story.
Not to mention that is has one of those big, romantic, blockbuster movie type moments at the end - and it totally works!!! Truly, truly awesome - and a book I recommend heartily!!!!!
***ALERT: Due to my continued bibliophile reading overdosing, I am still having 5 reviews a week through August. After that, I am absolutely returning to only 3 reviews a week in September and on. So, we'll just think of this as a summer special! Thanks for reading!!!
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