When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse. Then she marries her “husband”: Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer. Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.
Summary from Goodreads.com
I am sorry to say that I didn’t like this book. It has an average rating of 4.08 currently on Goodreads.com (of 180 reviewers), and I think of it as a 2.5.
I have to say, that I did like the premise of the story. I did like the wit and sarcasm. I liked some things about the main character Fiona: she was strong. She was not popular, yet she didn’t feel sorry for herself, or try to fit in. She did not apologize to anyone for being different, but stood her ground. I did not like that she was so aggressive. I would not have been her friend in high school, but I would still have respected her for her independence.
That being said, my main problem with the story was language and innuendo. I can stand a little swearing in YA literature, but when it starts appearing every few pages I get out my white-out (only on my own personal copies, of course). A Match Made in High School had language and sexual innuendo probably averaging one item per page. I know that swearing is out there, and for some people “a normal part of high school”, but I hated that the language was used in such a way to make it seem sassy and cool. After reading this story I found myself wanting to flick off my husband in response to something he said because Fiona made it seem playful and feisty. But if you really think about what that gesture is saying, there’s nothing funny about it.
Besides that, the story was promising, but did not live up to the expectations all of the high reviews had given me.
Stars: 2 1/2
Pages: 277 (paperback)
Released: February 4, 2010
Debut Author
I'm sorry to hear you didn't like it. Swearing is different for everyone. I have to admit that I can be a potty mouth, so I don't think that the swearing would bother me. I hope you enjoy your next book better!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jami. You're such a great support.
ReplyDelete