Teen Readers' Diary: 02/28/14

Friday, February 28, 2014

Review: Solving For Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans+ Giveaway

Title: Solving For Ex

Author: LeighAnn Kopans

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 300 pages

Expected Publication: Feb.11, 2014

Cover Designed: Hafsah Laziaf of Icey Designs

Blurb:

1 crush on your best friend +
1 gorgeous, scheming new girl +
1 Mathletics competition =
1 big mess

SIMPLIFY.
Ashley Price doesn’t have much in life after being bullied so hard she had to leave her old school to live with her aunt and uncle in Pittsburgh. But the camera she borrowed from her best friend and secret crush Brendan, and her off the charts math abilities, make things a lot more bearable. Plus, since Brendan is the captain, making the school Mathletes team should be easy.

But when gorgeous new girl Sofia rolls in and steals Brendan, Ashley's place on the team, and her fragile foothold on the Mansfield Park Prep social totem pole, it’s on. Sofia is everything Ashley left her old school to escape. The only thing Ashley didn’t count on is Sofia’s sexy twin brother Vincent.

Vincent is not only the hottest boy in school, he’s charming, sweet, and he’s got his eye on Ashley. He’s also not taking no for an answer. There's no real reason Ashley shouldn't like Vincent, but with the
battle lines being drawn between her and Sofia, Ashley’s not sure which side he’s on. Or which side she wants him to be on.

She does know Sofia is trouble with a capital T, and she’s determined to make Brendan see it.

SOLVING FOR EX is a YA contemporary romance that remixes Mansfield Park as Clueless meets Mean Girls in a crazy mix of high school society, mathletic competition, and teenage romance.

Buy the Book

Review

Though this is not the first time I've heard Leigh Ann Kopans name in the blogosphere or on twitter, because I have friends who've read her books--One & Two--this is the first book I've read a book by her and I must say it is a fresh and good start to know a author.

The whole idea of friendship turns into something more is one of my favorite concept in reading a book. Ashley and Brendan relationship as a friend was showed thoroughly in the whole story. Leigh Ann built their relationship with right amount of justice that doesn’t interfere with forming a different relationship between them.

What makes me love this book more is the math, well not the Math, because I don’t think I would ever love that (hehe) but the little snippet of math letters between Vincent and Ashley, was cute.

The geekyness of Ashley and Brendan was also cute, the point of being smart and witty at the same time is right for them. Vincent and Sofia was also not only a trouble, but they made the whole story more exciting. At some point I don’t know who Ashley would end up with because there’s Vincent, who’s perfect ;) and Brendan who I also really like for Ashley.

The ending of the whole story was good; I can’t say it was perfect because there are parts that I feel there should be more. And I felt that the conclusion of Ashley and Brendan feelings for each other were a bit hurried.

But all in all Solving For Ex is the right book for you if you’re into easy yet fun book to read. It will make you fall in love in the geekiest way ;)

Praise for SOLVING FOR EX by LeighAnn Kopans

“Amazing! If you like Sarah Dessen you will LOVE this.”

- Emma Pass, author of Acid and The Fearless (Random House)

"Putting a modern spin on a Jane Austen classic, Solving for Ex proves that brains can be sexier than brawn. In this complicated equation of high school drama, mean girls, mathletics, and romance, LeighAnn delivers yet another beautifully written young adult novel that authentically captures teenage emotions while also capturing the reader's heart."

- Nikki Godwin, author of Chasing Forever Down, American Girl on Saturn, and the upcoming Falling from the Sky

“Ashley is the kind of girl you want to root for, smart and capable and self-assured, despite of, or maybe because of, her vulnerabilities. And in Brenden, LeighAnn has crafted a boy worth of such a girl. Through all the heartbreak and angst of high school, their connection is undeniable and pressing. It's elementary, dear readers - Solving for Ex is one must-read romance.”

- Jenny Kaczorowski, author of The Art of Falling (Bloomsbury 2013)

“If you only read one book in 2014, make sure it's Solving For Ex! I sincerely doubt that you'd regret reading it; it's intelligent, hilarious, intense and touching…Honestly one of the most amazing books I have ever read.”

Luciana Scath, blogger at Figments of our Imagination

Author Bio

Raised on comic books and classic novels, Leigh Ann developed an early love of science fiction and literature. As an adult, she rediscovered her love for not only reading, but also writing the types of fiction that enchanted her as a teen. Solving for Ex was born of her love for Jane Austen’s classics, and how they taught her that love stories could be funny and wickedly smart.

Leigh Ann, her husband, and four children live in Columbus, Ohio. When she’s not immersed in the world of fiction, you can find her obsessing over the latest superhero movie or using her kids as an excuse to go out for ice cream (again.)

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