Author: Sydney Salter
Publisher: Graphia
Release Date: April 5, 2010
Received From: ATWTIt’s the summer before senior year and Polly Martin has sworn off boys. Who needs the hurt and confusion? Five recent breakups have left her with an unnatural knowledge of NASCAR, the ultimate hiker’s outfit, a student council position, the sixth highest score on the Donkey Kong machine at the mall, and a summer job at Wild Waves with ex #2 Sawyer Holmes.
Success seems a sure thing when Polly’s grandmother, the syndicated advice columnist, Miss Swoon, moves in for the summer. Polly almost doesn’t mind sharing a room with her little sister, Grace. Think of all the great advice she’ll get!
Everything is going according to plan except... Miss Swoon turns out to be a man-crazy septuagenarian! And then there’s Xander Cooper. If only he wouldn’t keep showing up at Wild Waves with his adorable cousins every afternoon — and what is he writing in that little notebook?
No advice column in the world can prepare Polly for the lessons she learns when she goes on a group camping trip (with three too many ex-boyfriends). Polly is forced to see people for who they are — a blend of good and bad qualities that can’t be reduced to a list or a snappy answer in a Miss Swoon column.
This book was really cute! It made me long for lazy summer days, and summer romance. This was a really fluffy novel with deeper plot lines than are made obvious when you first pick up the book.
Polly was your typical teenage girl trying to find herself. She had become such a hodgepodge of different interests from all of the guys she had dated. This book was about her finding new love and learning not to compromise herself. Polly's grandma (Miss Swoon) was really funny and made me wish I had a grandma like that. (minus all the men) I also liked how all of Polly's previous boyfriends all had very different interests and personality. I did not get confused about who was who which I was afraid of. I also loved Xander he was by far my favorite part of the novel!
On another note I felt that this book was very stereotypical and I found myself wishing for a few more characters who were less stereotypical.
But besides that I really enjoyed this book and it makes me want to pick up Sydney's first book My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters. I hope to read more by Sydney in the future!
4/5
