HOW TO TAKE THE EX OUT OF EX-BOYFRIEND

Author: Janette Rallison ISBN: 0399246177 6/2007 YOUNG ADULT Publisher: PUTNAM

Boyfriends are supposed to be loyal, caring and handsome.  Giovanna's boyfriend Jesse may have the last two down, but he's seriously lacking in the loyalty department.  When her twin brother, Dante, runs for student body president, Jesse campaigns for the opponent.  In the heat of the moment, Giovanna dumps Jesse and becomes Dante's campaign manager.  But she almost immediately regrets her decision.  Beating the mayor's son at school politics and winning her boyfriend back are going to take a lot more risk than Giovanna ever dreamed she'd take.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I don't get to read young adult romances very much. My daughter's grown and my grandchildren are too young right now, so I haven't had the compulsion to delve into that particular area of romance. But I'm very glad I had a chance to read HOW TO TAKE THE EX OUT OF EX-BOYFRIEND from Janette Rallison, because it's cute with snappy dialogue and has some very timely and worthy subliminal messages within its storyline. Just the type of young adult book to entertain a teen without having them realize they're actually learning a valuable lesson or two at the same time!

Gio's a bit of a rebel who tends to deal with life by being on the overly emotional side. That in itself has gotten her into trouble more times than she can count. Dante, her twin, is more the "let things slide, be as they will and I'll get by" type of guy. Neither is a member of the upper clique at school; however, Gio's boyfriend Jesse is, but unlike the others he's actually a laid back and likeable fella. Trouble begins to brew between Gio and Jesse when Dante decides to run for class president. When Jesse decides to campaign for his friend on the opposing side instead of for Dante, Gio, torn between loyalties, impulsively breaks off their relationship. But it doesn't take long for Gio to learn a few very valuable lessons when, acting as Dante's campaign manager, she tries to garner votes for her underdog brother while trying to un-ex her exboyfriend.

Let's face it, we've all been through those awkward high school moments—trying to fit in or bust out of the clique tier, facing the peer pressure, developing puppy love crushes that went unrequited, or just trying to cope with the everyday, normal angst that comes with being a teenager. Add in the challenge of balancing the demands of maintaining or rebuilding family relationships, and that is more than most high schoolers can handle. Rallison presents all these challenges through the antics of Gio, Dante and their friends (as well as foes) by using a mix of light drama, plenty of humor and funny moments involving characters who are just plain entertaining and fun. There's never a dull moment with this eclectic mix, I can tell you.

I heartily recommend this fun and lively offering from Janette Rallison to anyone with a teenager who is thirteen years or older. And no mistake: Grownups are included in that age group, as well!

Nancy Davis