Book Review: Generations by Lori Folkman

When I accept a book for review, I never really know what I'm going to get. Will it be badly written, will I hate the characters, will I wish I'd never agreed to review it ... anyone who does book reviews knows what I'm talking about. It's always a gamble. I have to tell you, I really, really liked the young adult novel Generations by Lori Folkman.

My Synopsis: Our main character is Kat, a sixteen-year-old girl who has a major crush on rockstar Ben Wilder. She has pictures of him all over her room, she loves all his songs ... it's pretty major. When Jackson, her best friend, wins a contest and gets to design the concept for Ben Wilder's new music video, she begs Jackson to get her on the set. She's just got to meet Ben. But Jackson can only bring family, so they invent a story - Kat is his step-sister. With this excuse, she comes on the set, meets Ben, and discovers that he's actually everything she'd believed him to be, and more.

Ben Wilder is used to having girls fall at his feet. He's rich, he's talented, he's mega good-looking. But there's something about Kat that draws him to her. She's pretty, but in a more wholesome way than the girls he usually sees. She's not out to dazzle him with makeup and jewelry and bling - she's just quietly herself, and he can't stop thinking about her. He's got so many things cluttering up his past, though, that he's not sure if he's the best person for her. After a while, though, it seems he has no choice - he has to be with her, even if it makes things difficult for his career.

This first book left me at a cliffhanger and I really wanted to keep reading. So, um, Lori, when you finish the second one, you're going to send it my way, right?

My Thoughts: This book was a lot of fun for me to read. I loved the author's voice and unique turns of phrase. The little side comments throughout were hysterical, snippets of humor I didn't expect but totally loved.

At first, I thought the plotline was perhaps something that's been overdone, but no, it hasn't. The voice of the story makes it unique, and then we learn that Ben is keeping some secrets of his own which take the story in a different direction. Then, right at the end, something else is revealed, and we realize that there's even more going on here than we thought. This book has a lot of layers and dimension, and you wrap it up in a package of quirky humor and deep emotion - it was great.

A minor thing - there were typos and formatting issues throughout the book, but nothing that pulled me away from my enjoyment of the story.

If you're looking for a fun story with a lot of humor, clean romance (with some really good kisses) and a plotline that will leave you wanting to keep reading long after you've turned the last page, I recommend Generations.

FTC: Hi, guys!! How are ya? You know me ... I don't accept bribes for good reviews. I got this book for free from the author, and if I hated it, I'd say so. There ya go.