He's So Not Worth It by Kieran Scott-OPTIONAL

Scott, Kieran, He’s So Not Worth It. Simon and Schuster, 2011. Pgs. 360. Language: R (160 swears, 35 “f”s), Violence: PG-13, Sexual Content: PG-13

At her birthday party, Shannen and her friends, including Ally’s boyfriend Jake, played a prank on Ally. They humiliated her in front of almost all of the junior and senior classmen by showing them a video of Ally’s estranged father. Now it’s the beginning of her summer before senior year and Ally isn’t sure she wants to go to the shore where her tormentors will be hanging out. Her father’s made a reappearance is her life, but her mom is getting serious with a Crestie, the Orchard Hill  town equivalent of a millionaire subdivision/where Shannen’s group lives. Picking the lesser of two evils, Ally goes to stay with her mom and her boyfriend at the shore. Much to her happiness, Jake got grounded for the summer and is stuck at home, but much to her chagrin, fate deals her a cruel blow and now Ally is forced to stay in the same house as Shannen. Seeking solace with a local boy named Cooper, Ally starts heavily drinking, staying out late, and hanging out with a crowd who gets in trouble with the law a lot. Despite her best efforts, however, she can’t help missing Jake. Meanwhile, Jake is at home missing Ally and seeking solace from Chloe, another Shannen groupie. Will the two get back together? Will Ally make the best of her summer without getting into some serious trouble?

The swearing gets old fast. The characters seem to be shallow at first, but then grow on you and seem to experience growth. The plot is simplistic and, at times, shallow, but readers who enjoy realistic fiction with a lot of teen angst will enjoy reading this book. HS. OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.