THE LOWDOWN:
For Kellie Brooks, family has always been a tough word to define. Combine her hippie mom and tattooist stepdad, her adopted overachieving sister, her younger half brother, and her tough-love dad, and average Kellie’s the one stuck in the middle, overlooked and impermanent. When Kellie’s sister finally meets her birth mother and her best friend starts hanging with a cooler crowd, the feeling only grows stronger.
But then she reconnects with Oliver, the sweet and sensitive college guy she had a near hookup with last year. Oliver is intense and attractive, and she’s sure he’s totally out of her league. But as she discovers that maybe intensity isn’t always a good thing, it’s yet another relationship she feels is spiraling out of her control.
It’ll take a new role on the school newspaper and a new job at her mom’s tattoo shop for Kellie to realize that defining herself both outside and within her family is what can finally allow her to feel permanent, just like a tattoo.”
FIRST IMPRESSION:
*Where are you? I need you. (If you have time.)*
I shove my phone into my pocket instead of responding to the very unlike-my-sister text Sara has just sent. My best friend is in emergency mode, and I am best-friending.
—ARC paperback edition
SNAPSHOT:
With the simple, easy-to-read narration, sixteen-year-old Kellie’s story slowly unfurls in a way that will appeal to reluctant readers. Her comments on her daily life range from outright snarky to unwittingly funny. Between growing apart from her best friend, starting a new extracurricular with the newspaper, becoming friends with the overachieving Adelaide, growing relationship with college boy Oliver, and her sister abandoning her birth family, the crux of Kellie’s problem is how difficult it is for her to open up about her emotions to others. At one point, her sister Sara even calls her out on how she is “allowed to feel”.
Kellie’s secondary cast is wonderfully well-rounded, coming in a wide range of morals, life-goals, and maturity. The author leaves room for each character to have flaws, make mistakes, and deal with the consequences. Kellie is imperfect, like all of us. Her realistic reactions and choices may make her a positive role model–which she may very likely learned from her very positive and strong mother, who followed her heart to start a new career, leave a relationship that was stifling for her, and tried new things. The relationship between Kellie’s mother and stepfather is effortlessly respectful and loving.
Today’s modern teens and guardians may graetly appreciate the sex positive attitude that Kellie takes, allowing herself to feel awkward and unready at times and to want to explore further–even while feeling silly that she feels so uncomfortable, because she never wanted to be a person who made a big deal out of sex. No one is shaming Kellie for her sexuality, and other characters, like new friend Adelaide, actively encourage her to do what she wants. The lack of slut-shaming is refreshing, and readers may wish to further discuss this topic.
Appropriate for ages 13+. Mild language, emotional situations, sexual situations. Deals with first love, family and chosen family, friendships ending and beginning, self-esteem, and identity.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…
– Enjoy quick read slice-of-life stories
– Are drawn to humorous leading ladies
– Know that first loves aren’t necessary last ones
– Have ever felt disconnected from your family and friends
THE ESSENTIALS:
Contemporary YA
Paperback & Ebook, 285 pages
Published December 3rd, 2013 by Entangled Teen (ISBN 1622660404)
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/ink-is-thicker-than-water
(Review copy provided by Heather Riccio at Entangled Publishing.)