Books like So Over It

Stephanie Morrill has done it again. All three books in her Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt YA series have impressed me so much that they have all made my top fiction lists. I think she is the only author that has managed to make my top fiction lists for 2009 and 2010. That's cool, isn't it? So how did she do it? Morrill wrote a group of stories that felt real. The issues weren't sugar-coated and the characters acted like real high school seniors, then graduates. There was no pretense, no Christianese, no flowery stuff to cater to what people think Christian teens need to read. This story was real in every way. Skylar was like most girls... indecisive when it came to boys, often gullible, and very misunderstood. Her sister's issues were well-portrayed as well, especially when it came to teen pregnancy and parenting. Never before have I read more realistic descriptions of backsliding behavior with new Christians. This series showed that better than any book out there, too. I loved that! I adored everything about this last book in the series. Like the first two books, the writing was flawless. The characters were so genuinely written that I forgot I was reading fiction. And let's face it, Connor was just the hottest Christian teen hero I've read about who happens to be a decent guy and friend to Skylar. It was his heart attitude that made him so lovable. That, and the fact that he wasn't perfect and willing to admit it. I loved that Morrill showed a flawed Connor who had a rescuer complex, so the reader had to sort through things emotionally along with Skylar. Again, the author knows how to write it like it really is. The guilt, the shame, the holding things inside, not trusting, etc. It's all very real emotional "teen" baggage. Given the way the majority of Skylar's friends were, too, she had every reason not to trust them. And the way they all at one time or another used a guy or girl to get over another relationship was realistically portrayed. The author did an excellent job of showing how wrong that is without saying it.The part where Skylar ran off to Hawaii was well done. It always seems easier to start over where no one knows you or about your past, but it's not the healthiest way to go about this and it's not an effective way to heal and grow as an individual. This story showed that very well. I loved the conclusion and how Skylar had to deal with the demons (figurative for painful memories) that haunted her for all three books. I loved how Skylar grew so much over the course of this series. There were so many things to like about it, I could go on all day. If you are looking for realistic teen fiction with characters that could easily be your friends (or the friends of your kids,) and and if you want honesty in novels but with a faith curve, you'll love this series. Highly recommended.