Novel Review: manicpixiedreamgirl by Tom Leveen

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: April 2013

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sometimes the most dramatic scenes in a high school theater club are the ones that happen between the actors and crew off stage.

Seventeen-year-old Tyler Darcy's dream of being a writer is starting to feel very real now that he's sold his first short story to a literary journal. He should be celebrating its publication with his two best friends who've always had his back, but on this night, a steady stream of texts from his girlfriend Sidney keep intruding. So do the memories of his dream girl, Becky, who's been on his mind a little too much since the first day of high school. Before the night is over, Ty might just find the nerve to stop all the obsessing and finally take action.

The Cover:

I really, really like this cover. I love the collage of pictures, like on Leveen's other books. It's pretty, it gives a good feel of what the book is going to be like, and gives an array of impressions of what is going to be in the book. This one works well for the book, and it's really pretty to look at.

Review: 

This was not quite what I expected, although to be fair I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I liked Tyler. He’s not quite sure what he wants, but he’s figuring it out. I liked his interactions with his friends, and his sister; they were entertaining. And I really liked his feelings toward Becky; he was so adorable. I felt really bad for Becky, and a bit bad for Tyler, given how he’s always there for her but not sure what to do.

The ending was really good, though. I liked where Tyler and Becky were at, where they both grew to and took the step toward. The ending really had me smiling, at one point. It was pretty satisfying for me.

I liked this book, and have liked both of the previous books I’ve read by Leveen. I really like his writing, and character development. I look forward to whatever he releases next.