The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding- a review

ABOUT THE BOOK: (YA) Release Date February 5, 2013

Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

1. She graduated from New York University.
2. She lives in or near Los Angeles.
3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week.
4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon.
5. She’s my mother.

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything?

*************

REVIEW:

If I had to think of a word to describe this book, I would think “cute”. I thought the story was cute in the sense that it brings back a sense of nostalgia from your days in high school but packed with drama that reminds of a movie from the Disney channel.

So this book is about Devan Malcolm whose life takes a crazy turn upon her father’s death and is sent to her long lost mother’s house in California. While she is not close to her father and had a tension-filled relationship with her stepmother, Devan is filled with trepidation and anticipation on meeting her mother that has been absent her whole life. Her mother also turns out to a best-selling author, Reece Malcolm.

From beginning to end, Devan has an ongoing list of things she discovers about her mother from observations, stuff her mother’s friends and boyfriend says about her, and snooping through her room and office when she is out.

In the beginning, it is new and maybe awkward for Devan to adjust to her new life but it doesn’t take long her for to love her new school where she even finds a group of friends who are into theatre like herself, California and what it has to offer, and blends in seamlessly with her mother and her boyfriend, Brad. Things are great for Devan now compared to when she was living with her father; you would think she has a dream life.

In the midst of Devan getting along just well comes some of your petty high school drama. There is the whole couples breaking up, friends hating each other and then liking each other again, the usual in high school. Aside from the search on Reece Malcolm and her many secrets, the book likes to focus on this whole romantic tension that hangs in the air with Devan and Sai. Sai is what I would describe as Devan’s real love interest. He is described as very handsome but has his secret geeky side that really appeals to Devan. They have so much in common that it screams at you that they fit but it takes the whole book for Sai to realize that. No surprise for us girls since we all know guys are dense.

The story really gets really interesting when the Reece Malcolm search surprises Devan with a secret that shocks Devan along with the situation with Sai simultaneously blow up in Devan’s face.

I did end up liking this book while I felt like it was a tad bit slow to start but really got going once I would say when Devan meets Sai. This book is really cute but also is also jam packed with drama, mystery, and just intense. I found this book to be very funny and entertaining yet there are times you do want to cry or laugh with Devan. This book seriously feels like high school again; so if you feel like Disney channel, High School Musical and a drama rolled into one…this is your “Go-to” book right here. Two thumbs up over here.

LINKS TO PURCHASE: Amazon / Barnes and Noble/ The Book Depository /

Reviewed by Xtina

Copy supplied by publisher