The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Note: ARC received from NetGalley
I apologize in advance if this review becomes overly gushy and incoherent. I just finished reading it and there may still be some happy tears seeping from my eyeballs.
Devan’s dad just died, and she is shipped off to L.A. to live with her famous writer mother, Reece Malcom, who she has never met. Devan loves musical theater and aspires to perform for the rest of her life. One good part about moving to L.A. is her mother puts her in a performing arts school. Devan starts making friends and gets a role in the school musical. She even gets close to some really cute boys. However, where cute boys are concerned, there’s bound to be drama. Devan has to deal with that while also trying to figure out this new relationship with her mother.
I loved all the characters in this story. Devan was interesting and cool and relatable. Reece Malcolm was complex in a really realistic way, and her boyfriend, Brad, was just so awesome. Devan’s whole clan of friends each stood out on their own. And SAI… *swoon*… a boy that looks like Aladdin and sings amazingly and is a total geek? Yes, please. All the romance in the book was perfectly played out. All the romance bits were very realistic with all the awkwardness and confusion but also so much wanting.
Okay, I loved the romance bits. And I loved all the musical things (I was a theater geek in high school). But I have to say my favorite thing about the book was the Devan/ Reece relationship. Mother-Daughter things just get to me. It was just fascinating to read and had such a satisfying end.
Loved this book. Amy Spalding is definitely on my watch list now. If you like Stephanie Perkins or Gayle Forman or any other fabulous teen romance/drama author, do yourself a favor and read this book.
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