Title: The Boyfriend App
Author: Katie Sise
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Expected Publication: April 30th 2013 by Balzer & Bray
Format Acquired: ARC from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: The Book Depository | Amazon
Format Acquired: ARC from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: The Book Depository | Amazon
In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.
But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?
For my stop on the tour, aside from my review I'm also sharing Katie's tens list. I asked her for a list of the top ten guys she'd want to use The Boyfriend App on and here's what she came up with:
Katie's Top Ten App-Worthy Fictional Characters
1) Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson in Titanic
2) Brad Pitt as Tyler Durden in Fight Club (Where do you think Audrey gets her crush? :)
3) Leonardo DiCaprio as Richard in The Beach
4) Ryan Gosling in any movie he's ever made
5) Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy in The Departed. Even with all of his issues. Doesn't matter.
6) Matt Damon as Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity
7) Leonardo DiCaprio as Cobb in Inception. Whether in a dream sequence or real life: always app-worthy.
8) Chris Pine as FDR Foster in This Means War
9) Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby
10) Aidan Bailey in THE BOYFRIEND APP :)
Awesome, right? She definitely has a thing for Leonardo DiCaprio. Who doesn't? I also liked Chris Pine in This Means War. Very, very hot. Then again he looks great all the time. It's his eyes.... and those lips. *dreamy eyes*
ANYWAY!
My Review
I've been waiting to get my hands on this book for so long now. The cover looks cute, the premise sounds promising and best of all it involves nerds. Yes, nerds/dorks/geeks (or in this case) "trogs" have a special place in my heart because I'm one of them. I'm not the techie kind of geek but I'm pretty sure I am a geek. So to me any book that involves nerds/dorks/geeks is worth reading. Thankfully, The Boyfriend App wasn't short on geekiness.
I liked Audrey from the very start. She was into computers and programming and she hung out with the lovable nerd herd a.k.a. the Trogs. She wasn't the type who wanted to challenge the highschool caste system. She wasn't pining for the popular jock (although she was very attracted to one, but I'll get to that) because she had her sights on a fellow trog. She was basically herself - and she stuck to it till the very end. It's different from most YA contemporary books nowadays. Heck, the fact that she's into programming sets this book apart from the usual. Audrey's a fresh character who was believable. I didn't have trouble believing that she really was good with computer codes. I think part of the reason why is the backstory about her relationship with her father and how it was told. I also appreciate that Audrey had a very present parent in her life - which is pretty uncommon in books nowadays.
Audrey didn't want the popular jock, no, she had her sights set on a fellow trog: Aidan. Despite what using the app would entail, this book did not involve insta love - and that's another different route this book took. I loved how natural it was for them to fall for each other, them being friends and all. It was cute how the love story slowly developed as the story moved forward and it didn't feel forced.
There was another guy in the picture though - Xander. His presence was rather confusing. He was in the picture but not in her life. Until the very end Xander was very much present.... but not really. I'm so confused I can't even properly explain it. He could've just been there so Audrey had some way to get on Blake's (ex-BFF and very, very mean girl) nerves but in the end I was left feeling confused. What did Xander contribute to the story?
The plot itself was interesting. It had the typical highschool drama which at some point I thought was too much. I couldn't wrap my head around Blake's attitude problem. She was pure evil! She even picked on the handicapable. Who does that?! Evil people, that's who.
Let's talk about evil people for a while, shall we? Aside from Blake, Audrey had to face bigger bullies in the form of Public. Seriously, they got my blood boiling. They were so despicable! I kind of wondered if Katie enjoyed torturing Audrey. The girl can't catch a break!
Fortunately though all the drama was balanced by Audrey's journey to creating an award-winning app. I was very eager to find out how the app would work! Initially I thought the story was too predictable because I reckon with an app like that, it's bound to get awry - and it did at first, then it got uglier but totally not in the way I thought.
See, this book had a major twist that steered the story in a totally different direction. I think the shift brought the story to a whole different level because it turned it into something more than just a contemporary read. I don't want to spoil much but let's just say it got me thinking: is it really possible? It sounded so legit it kind of freaked me out.
*insert The X-Files intro song but no there are no aliens. Just wanted eerie music*
There were a few lose ends which are still bothering me till now. There's the Xander thing. And what happened after to the guys who were app-ed? But all in all, Katie Sise's debut novel The Boyfriend App was definitely enjoyable and out of the ordinary. It's a quick fun read that had everything in it - a little action, villains (for real), a cute romance, a lovable female lead and one heck of a plot twist.
My Rating
(Refer to rating system)
About the author
Katie Sise
Katharine has been profiled on dozens of online fashion and lifestyle outlets including Forbes.com, Elle.com, InStyle.com, People.com, Sweet, The Huffington Post and The New York Post. Her jewelry has appeared on television shows such as The View, Live with Regis and Kelly, E! News, Good Day New York, Full Frontal Fashion, Movie and a Makeover, The O.C., Brothers and Sisters and Gossip Girl. While Katharine was chatting with the ladies from The View, one of her necklaces broke on air and fell from her neck to her lap because she didn’t spend enough time getting the clasp right. That moment is preserved, forever, on a DVD at her parents’ house.
Katharine has designed jewelry for national campaigns like Vera Wang, Gap and Keds. In 2009, Target launched Katharine Sise for Target.
Katharine has worked as a fashion and lifestyle consultant, appearing on-air for networks like HSN, Oxygen, Discovery Channel, CNBC and ABC’s Good Morning America. For eighteen months, Katharine co-hosted a live monthly television show for The Home Shopping Network. She also appeared as The Daily Special’s resident style expert.
Katharine’s first book, Creative Girl: The Ultimate Guide for Turning Talent and Creativity into a Real Career (Perseus/Running Press) hit shelves in September of 2010. Creative Girl is written for every woman who wants to make her living in the creative world, whether in an office job or at the helm of her own business. The book is an encouraging and practical take on how to make a living doing what you love.
Katharine’s first novel, The Boyfriend App, will be published by HarperCollins Balzer + Bray on April 30, 2013. The Boyfriend App tells the story of a girl who, in order to win a scholarship offered by a secretly-evil global computing corporation, invents an app that makes any boy fall madly in love with her, with chaotic results.
Katharine has a BA in Film, Television and Theater from The University of Notre Dame. She lives in New York City with her family.
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