Publication Date: April 10, 2017
Page Count: 285
Published by: Entangled: Crush
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Synopsis from Goodreads:
For most of her teenage life, CeCe Edmonds has been dealing with the stares and the not-so-polite whispers that follow her around Edgelake High. So she has a large scar on her face—Harry Potter had one on his forehead and people still liked him.
CeCe never cared about her looks—until Emmett Brady, transfer student and football darling, becomes her literature critique partner. The only problem? Emmett isblindsided by Bryn DeNeuville, CeCe’s gorgeous and suddenly shy volleyball teammate.
Bryn asks CeCe to help her compose messages that’ll charm Emmett.CeCe isn’t sure there’s anything in his head worth charming but agrees anyway—she’s a sucker for a good romance. Unfortunately, the more messages she sends and the more they run into each other, the more she realizes there’s plenty in his head, from food to literature. Too bad Emmett seems to be falling for the wrong girl…
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book involves one fiercely scarred girl who wants the new guy in town, the new guy who thinks he wants the new girl, and the new girl who really isn’t sure what she wants, and the misunderstanding that brings them all together. This modern Cyrano de Bergerac retelling will make you laugh, swoon, and fall in love.
Don't Kiss the Messenger was oh so cute and just what I needed to read right now. I tend to skip around in a few genres so I don't get burned out, and I enjoy reading YA contemporaries very much, so this was perfect for me.
CeCe was a great character. She was written as strong and confident, but I liked that she had to work through a few issues before she could truly be herself. Emmett was a bit of a mixed bag - football player and musician/composer. I liked that he wasn't a typical character, but he sure did think like a typical teenage boy at times. CeCe's roommates and her group of friends were a varied bunch, and they were all really likeable. I hope we get more of them in the future.
This was a bit frustrating to read at times, especially because Emmett wasn't smart enough to figure things out on his own. (I was sort of disappointed in him for that.) I did like Emmett's ability to look past CeCe's scar and see her for who she really was. At the same time, I wish CeCe could have been honest with him. Sigh. But then we wouldn't have a story.
I really loved the book, movie, and song references. Very creative. I'm older, so most were familiar to me. I also thought the song lyric texting was cute, and it made it easier for the characters to express themselves. (The only thing missing was a Joy Division mention... but Tuba did play a New Order song, so it's all good.)
Overall, this was quite an enjoyable book that I highly recommend. Don't Kiss the Messenger is Katie Ray's first book under this name. Her previous books have been published as Katie Kacvinsky.
4 Stars
This sounds like a super cute read! It's my first time hearing about it, so thanks for bringing it to my attention :) Fantastic review!
ReplyDeleteBrittany @ Brittany's Book Rambles
Cyrano retelling? Love it and will check it out!
ReplyDeleteJen @ YA Romantics