By the Book by Amanda Sellet
Summary: As a devotee of classic novels, Mary Porter-Malcolm knows all about Mistakes That Have Been Made, especially by impressionable young women. So when a girl at her new high school nearly succumbs to the wiles of a notorious cad, Mary starts compiling the Scoundrel Survival Guide, a rundown of literary types to be avoided at all costs.
Unfortunately, Mary is better at dishing out advice than taking it—and the number one bad boy on her list is terribly debonair. As her best intentions go up in flames, Mary discovers life doesn’t follow the same rules as fiction. If she wants a happy ending IRL, she’ll have to write it herself
I can’t remember the last time I connected so deeply with a fictional character. Mary is quirky, bookish, intelligent, and totally an outsider to her new high school. It was painful to watch as she was shunned by the person she thought was her best friend. The word that best describes this book for me is. Seeing Mary heartily connect with a new group of friends who appreciated her in all her quirky glory was a delight. Watching as the handsome Alex Ritter clearly found her as surprising and fascinating as she deserved to be found, even though it took her the whole book to realize it, was an equal delight. I love the fact that when everything fell apart, it was the idea that she lost her friends that was the greatest heartbreak to Mary. That felt very, very real. This book was a charming, surprising delight from start to finish.
BY THE BOOK is out now.
Kathy MacMillan 