Novel Review: FML by Shaun David Hutchinson

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: 2013

Spoilers?: No.

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

Teaser Tuesday. Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

There’s more than one way to get the girl in this fun and fast-paced novel about one epic party and a kiss that could change everything.Tonight’s the night: Simon’s big chance to finally get with Cassie. Cassie, who he’s loved for ages. Cassie, who is newly boyfriend-free. Cassie, who just happens to be throwing the biggest party of the year. Simon’s plan is simple: He’ll go to the party, she’ll fall in love with him, they’ll make out like crazy, and the night will be a complete success.

But things don’t ever go as planned…especially when it comes to Cassie.

In two alternating plotlines, Simon goes after the girl of his dreams and stumbles toward his destiny. It’s one night, one party, and a thousand ways for things to go wrong…but a million ways for them to go right.

The Cover:

I quite like this cover. I think it fits the feel of the book well, and I like how similar it is to the cover for Party by Tom Leveen. It's eye-catching, and fitting.

Review:

“Sometimes love hurts, but it shouldn’t be so damb hard.” (Paperback, pg. 247)

“We’re all imperfect people looking for perfect moments to share with other imperfect people.” (Pg. 275)

Simon has been in love with Cassie for years, and tonight is the night that he’s going to go for it. She’s throwing a party, and he has to choose whether to go and win her over, or attempt going out with someone who actually knows he exists. From there, we follow Simon on two possible time lines, where he goes straight to the party or where he tries to hang out with Natalie instead.

Simon is very stuck on Cassie for this entire book. He’s a little hard to handle at times, how blind he is to everything else. It makes his friends’ reactions very understandable. And about halfway through (more or less, depending on the timeline), we meet Stella. She’s eccentric, funny, understanding, and curious though inexperienced. The banter is immediate, and the attraction is obvious, but Simon ignores it for a long while. I loved her immediately, honestly.

I did actually quite like the way that the two timelines worked, how things developed separately but very similar. I actually got confused a few times on which time line was which, because they were so similar, just different because events moved in a different way. I quite liked how it all wrapped up, though; I think it worked out well, and I liked how it all pulled together in the end. 

This was a fun book, and I enjoyed it.

Teaser Tuesday[209]: Fml by Shaun David Hutchinson

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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Fml by Shaun David Hutchinson

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: 2013

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

Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

There’s more than one way to get the girl in this fun and fast-paced novel about one epic party and a kiss that could change everything.Tonight’s the night: Simon’s big chance to finally get with Cassie. Cassie, who he’s loved for ages. Cassie, who is newly boyfriend-free. Cassie, who just happens to be throwing the biggest party of the year. Simon’s plan is simple: He’ll go to the party, she’ll fall in love with him, they’ll make out like crazy, and the night will be a complete success.

But things don’t ever go as planned…especially when it comes to Cassie.

In two alternating plotlines, Simon goes after the girl of his dreams and stumbles toward his destiny. It’s one night, one party, and a thousand ways for things to go wrong…but a million ways for them to go right.

Excerpt:

“‘We had a deal,’ I said. ‘She’s never kissed a guy before, so I promised to find her one. And in return, she agreed to help me with Cassie.’” (Paperback, pg. 99)

What are you reading right now?

Wishlist Thursday[123]: Violent Ends by Various Authors

Violent Ends by Shaun David Hutchinson, Neal Shusterman, Brendan Shusterman, Beth Revis, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Courtney Summers, Kendare Blake, Delilah S. Dawson, Steve Brezenoff, Tom Leveen, Hannah Moskowitz, Blythe Woolston, Trish Doller, Mindi Scott, Margie Gelbwasser, Christine Johnson, E. M. Kokie, and Elisa Nader

Genre: Realistic YA

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: September 1, 2015

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

It took only twenty-two minutes for Kirby Matheson to exit his car, march onto school grounds, enter the gymnasium, and open fire, killing six and injuring five others.

But this isn't a story about the shooting itself. This isn't about recounting that one unforgettable day.

This is about Kirby and how one boy—who had friends, enjoyed reading, played saxophone in the band, and had never been in trouble before—became a monster capable of entering his school with a loaded gun and firing on his classmates.

Each chapter is told from a different victim's viewpoint, giving insight into who Kirby was and who he'd become. Some are sweet, some are dark; some are seemingly unrelated, about fights or first kisses or late-night parties.

This is a book of perspectives—with one character and one event drawing them all together—from the minds of some of YA's most recognizable names.

Why?:

School shootings seem to be a popular topic lately, which I can understand why. And I like what this anthology is showing, with so many points of view and a different time-frame. There are a lot of authors on this list that I like, too. I’m intrigued for this book.

What’s on your list?

Wishlist Thursday[10]: fml by Shaun David Hutchinson

fml by Shaun David Hutchinson

Genre: YA Contemporary

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (Simon Pulse)

Publish Date: June 25^th, 2013 (in paperback and hardback!)

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

There’s more than one way to get the girl in this fun and fast-paced novel about one epic party and a kiss that could change everything.Tonight’s the night: Simon’s big chance to finally get with Cassie. Cassie, who he’s loved for ages. Cassie, who is newly boyfriend-free. Cassie, who just happens to be throwing the biggest party of the year. Simon’s plan is simple: He’ll go to the party, she’ll fall in love with him, they’ll make out like crazy, and the night will be a complete success.

But things don’t ever go as planned…especially when it comes to Cassie.

In two alternating plotlines, Simon goes after the girl of his dreams and stumbles toward his destiny. It’s one night, one party, and a thousand ways for things to go wrong…but a million ways for them to go right.

Why?:

This pretty much just sounds like a good book to me. It’s Hutchinson’s first, I believe. And it sounds and looks like Tom Leveen’s novel Party, which I enjoyed. And it seems like, to me, it’ll be a book that I enjoy, one that’s somewhat lighthearted, and quick, and above 3 stars. I’m looking forward to reading it when I get the chance, though, and finding out.