Betas need not apply
The history I have with Lisi Harrison's ... creations is uneven. I read one of her Clique books from the middle of the series, which I pretty much despised. Then I watched a news report of Harrison and she came across as rather wise and much more realistic than her Mean Girl-middle school characters. Finally, I read the second in her Alphas series, Movers and Fakers, and was pleasantly surprised. Today, I'm reviewing its sequel, which boasts - among other things - a typically punny title.
At the super exclusive all-girls Alpha Academy, everyone has an exceptional talent - which makes outshining your classmates a nearly impossible feat. For Charlie (a tech genius) it comes easy; for Skye (a dancer) it's more of a struggle. But for Allie, it's even worse: after impersonating a famous young singer to get into Alpha, she has been discovered as a fraud and is scrambling to find her talent. Of course, there's boy trouble too, in the form of the Brazille boys (the sons of academy founder Shira, the rigid and harsh commander-in-chief). Charlie and Allie both have a crush on Darwin, who is also Charlie's ex; Skye is bored with uber-sensitive Syd, but dumping him means pissing off his mother. Charlie tries to find a way to win Darwin back while keeping Allie as a friend, setting Allie up with oldest son Mel. Meanwhile, Skye is forced to team up with the goody-two-shoes of the dance class, but the mutual dislike starts to melt away. And Allie's busy trying to find something she's good at - as well as endure standing in the shadow of singer A.J. (and being her punching bag).
For such a small novel (200 pages), it packs a lot of plot into it. Once again, we have a case of an author tossing in subplot after subplot in order to keep the reader's attention - instead of relying on character development and inventive story arcs. Harrison doesn't need to do this, however, as her characters are at least moderately interesting and generally fun to read. Of the three main girls, only Allie fails to make a huge impression. Charlie seems to be the heart of the story, and Skye's the most fun to be around. The friendship between the girls is a big attraction, and Charlie's happiness with Allie's friendship is sweet and makes her the most sympathetic. Skye's interactions with Triple (as in "Triple Threat," the resident Tracy Flick) reveal a new side of the boy-crazy snob. The boy characters - as well as the tormented love that Charlie and Darwin share (these are 14-year-olds, people) - are laughably unrealistic and terminally romantic. In other words, a teen girl's idea of the perfect boy.
There are a handful of times where our characters sink to pretty bad lows (you know what you did to A.J. to keep her from going to that concert, Allie), but overall the book is an enjoyable and frothy read. While it's not terribly good - the prose is especially grating at times - likable characters and a cool, tech-crazy setting make this a decent read. Rating: 3.5 Heartbreak Helper helmets out of 5.
For such a small novel (200 pages), it packs a lot of plot into it. Once again, we have a case of an author tossing in subplot after subplot in order to keep the reader's attention - instead of relying on character development and inventive story arcs. Harrison doesn't need to do this, however, as her characters are at least moderately interesting and generally fun to read. Of the three main girls, only Allie fails to make a huge impression. Charlie seems to be the heart of the story, and Skye's the most fun to be around. The friendship between the girls is a big attraction, and Charlie's happiness with Allie's friendship is sweet and makes her the most sympathetic. Skye's interactions with Triple (as in "Triple Threat," the resident Tracy Flick) reveal a new side of the boy-crazy snob. The boy characters - as well as the tormented love that Charlie and Darwin share (these are 14-year-olds, people) - are laughably unrealistic and terminally romantic. In other words, a teen girl's idea of the perfect boy.
There are a handful of times where our characters sink to pretty bad lows (you know what you did to A.J. to keep her from going to that concert, Allie), but overall the book is an enjoyable and frothy read. While it's not terribly good - the prose is especially grating at times - likable characters and a cool, tech-crazy setting make this a decent read. Rating: 3.5 Heartbreak Helper helmets out of 5.
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