Issue Three - Humor

We are super-excited to chat about A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker. This debut novel had us laughing out loud—literally.  Fiona is excited for senior year of high school. She’s confident that she and hottie Gabe—her lifelong crush—will finally get together. But on day one, at a school assembly, the principal announces that all seniors have a new requirement for graduating. They must marry a fellow senior for the entire year. They only way Fiona knows she’ll survive is if she’s paired up with Gabe, but tragedy strikes in epic fashion when she and her arch-enemy’s beau Todd are forced to take each other’s hand in marriage under the plastic arch. Todd and Fiona are at odds throughout the course and this makes for the most hilarious moments of the book. And just when Fee thinks life can’t get any worse, she finds out that her BFF Marcie has been secretly seeing Gabe for months.  With help from an unlikely friend, Fiona is forced to reevaluate her self-centeredness and find a way to make her marriage last before she becomes another divorce statistic.

Kerry: so…it's really hard for me to find a book that actually makes me lol, but this one had me on the floor!
Jill: yeah, I almost never "lol" when I read books, but I certainly did for this one!
michelle: some VERY funny parts *giggle*
Jill: like Fiona's parents...hilarious!
Kerry: I think the pranks between Fee and Todd were the highlights for me
michelle: loved Fee's parents...like my marriage
Jill: really? that's awesome!
Kerry: Yes, M, it was like you and your hubby!
michelle: for me their banter
michelle: what was your funniest part?
Jill: for me, definitely their plays on each other, and their nicknames
Kerry: the nicknames were the best!
michelle: i loved....
Jill: funniest part...hmm...I loved it when she crowned him him with the epic "slacks" nickname at the dance...
michelle: when Fee accused Todd of washing with her soap carved elephants!!!
michelle: still cracks me up!
Kerry: hilarious
Kerry: Jill, that was the first time I LOL'd
michelle: the scenes with the guidance counselor made me laugh
Kerry: what a doofus she was. who does that?
Jill: yeah, I wanted her to go down BAD!
michelle: lol
michelle: but I loved the idea of the "trying the knot" program
Kerry: ya know...I really like it too
Jill: no! I hated it!! I would have been leading that picket line!
Kerry: I think it would have been fun
michelle: not for a whole year...but for awhile
Kerry: a semester is enough, but it should not have been a requirement to grad
michelle: to get the feel for what it's like
michelle: exactly!!!
Kerry: My bro did a project like that but it was more of a live alone, pick a job, find an apartment...
michelle: look how much it changed Fee
Kerry: he said he'd live close to home and eat with the rents 3 times a week to save $
Jill: but the parents had a good point when they said something like, "it's not real life. they're not even letting you choose your mate," or whatever. which is true
michelle: right. my son had to do a marriage one
michelle: your bro is funny
Kerry: yeah, sucks to not pick your own
michelle: it's true...about the not picking
Kerry: I'd prolly get stuck with a thug
michelle: well -- but the thugs weren't necessarily the bad choices
Jill: exactly. I mean, it worked out well for Fiona and even for Marcie...but poor Amanda! divorce for sure!
Kerry: but, in a way, it shows how careful you really need to be
Jill: uh, YEAH
Kerry: Gabe was obviously hot, but a loser
michelle: exactly!!
Jill: yeah, he was a kind of weird one in the book. like, if everyone else knew he was a jerk, how come Marcie and Fiona didn't?
Jill: you think they would have heard it, but maybe not, who knows?
Kerry: they never ran with that crowd so I believed they wouldn’t know
michelle: loved when Fee decided --- you should marry someone who lets you be the kind of person you are inside
Jill: yeah. that list Fee made was super cool
Kerry: totally!
Jill: that's true, Kerry. especially if it was a big school
Kerry: Fee did change a lot in the book. she was so real to me
Jill: yeah, and Marcie was right…Fee was selfish
michelle: Fee? very real
Kerry: COMPLETELY
michelle: and selfish
Kerry: I didn't see her as selfish at first bc it's from her point of view
Jill: really? I did not like her, but I kind of liked hating her
Kerry: but by the end, when she realized things in her own time--with Marcie's nudging--I loved her even more
michelle: it became more apparent
Kerry: I thought Marcie was selfish for not telling Fee for so long
michelle: oh -- I liked Fee! I even felt bad for her when Marcie had been dating Gabe!!!
michelle: Jinx, Kerry!
Kerry: Jinxxxx on that thought M!
michelle: lol
Jill: really? not me. like Marcie said, "Fee should have known."
michelle: Marcie needed to come clean since Fee was her BFF
Jill: she tried to, though, and wanted to!
Kerry: I didn't get enough clues to show that Fee should have known.
Kerry: Marcie didn't try to tell her until months later
michelle: i knew it was going on...but Marcie was trying to keep it a secret!!!
michelle: that wasn't nice either
Kerry: wanna know my first thought?
michelle: Marcie says she'll be back and then goes making out under the bleachers?
Jill: yes, Kerry!
Kerry: when Gabe was on the bleachers at the dance and Fee was eavesdropping?
Kerry: I thought he was with another guy—I didn’t get that it was Marcie at that point!
Jill: ha ha ha!
michelle: lolol
Jill: that would have been one serious twist!
michelle: nah -- I knew it was Marcie
Jill: I knew it was Marcie, but I was like, "wouldn't Fee recognize her BFF's voice?"
Kerry: I swear I almost sent you guys an email saying, "Ha, I figured out one of the plot threads!"
Jill: then again, not if she didn't suspect it, right?
michelle: lol
Kerry: The author was very careful to let us know the music was too loud to hear the voice
michelle: you know what I really loved
michelle: the idea of verbal sparring
Jill: between Fee and Todd?
michelle: yep
Kerry: that was what kept me reading
michelle: the idea that verbal sparring keeps things exciting!
Kerry: it was perfect and totally entertaining!
Jill: yeah, they had a very charming relationship towards the end
michelle: that is what Todd liked about Fee
michelle: did he have that with Amanda?
Kerry: he didn't expect Fee to be so quick witted
Jill: yeah, I'm glad they didn't get together, though. glad Fee saw the light with Johnny
Kerry: but Todd and Fee were actually a good married match
michelle: i liked Todd and Fee
Kerry: though they weren't real boyfriend/girlfriend
Jill: maybe, but no attraction. better friends
michelle: i thought they could have been
Jill: no!
michelle: jmo
Kerry: I liked near the end of the book when Fee questions things. she says, "So, is there really a true love for everyone? And how do you know when you've found it? Does it make you all blissed out to be in it? And totally destroy you when you're not? Is it easy to indentify?"
Jill: yeah, this is a great moment
michelle: love grows with time and experience
Kerry: I never had an "it" moment with hubby. it was mos def a gradual (five years of gradual, lol) thing.
michelle: my hubby is my BFF
Jill: hmm...not me. I guess that's why I got married after knowing him for three months. LOL!
michelle: and verbal spar partner!
Kerry: Wow, Jill! Sweet Michelle!
Kerry: yeah, hubby and I spar too, at times
Jill: I know. I'm a mover and a shaker! :)
michelle: that's fast!!!!!!!
Kerry: sparring keeps life interesting
michelle: hahahaha
Jill: but, just goes to show you that love grows different for every couple
Jill: just like it did in their project
michelle: yep
Kerry: Fee goes on to say, "Is it more subtle? If it sneaks up and just stands there next to you, and you don't recognize that it's true love until you turn and look at this thing that's always been right there with you all along, and you realize that you never want to be without it."
Kerry: that was me for sure...with hubby I mean.
michelle: for me -- that's it!!!!
Jill: that sounds beautiful...I like the idea of it
Kerry: I'd love to poll people on that.
Jill: I know, right?
michelle: in hs it would more often be the bliss answer… probably
Kerry: 4 sure!
Kerry: ya know, we've over looked 2 key people in the book
Jill: Johhny?
michelle: who? Sam???
Kerry: I have to say, Sam was one insightful little girl!
Jill: yeah, Sam was amazing
Kerry: Sam's line about forgiveness blew me away. And she was only 11 years old
michelle: yeah...the babysitting scenes felt amazingly real!
michelle: Sam = 1 cool kid
Jill: I love how Sam says she loves Fiona, because she's real, and because she tells the truth, not really caring what anyone else thinks. And then Todd says that's the quality that Amanda is jealous of, too
michelle: it's true
Jill: Fiona didn't know that people admired her for things....very cool
Kerry: right
michelle: and she was always herself
Jill: (not sure if that was ALWAYS a good thing)
michelle: so...johnny?
Kerry: Didn't we all know a guy like Johnny in HS?
Jill: hmm...
Kerry: loved that he took a hit for Fee
michelle: i knew a guy like johnny in college
Jill: I think I did, now that you mention it
Kerry: when Fee returned from cheer competition and the bus pulled away...there was Johnny and his car waiting for her. So Sixteen Candles!
michelle: yeah...he was a good, good guy
Jill: I love how he participated in the prank! Such good friends!
Kerry: I wanted to smack fee for dissing him so many times though
michelle: I agree she coulda been A LOT nicer!
michelle: jmo again, but johnny = friend
Kerry: not more than that?
Jill: really? even when she notices he has hot biceps?
Kerry: I think it goes back to "growing" in love
Jill: yeah, totally
michelle: to johnny...i wasn't feelin it
Kerry: I think that was on purpose
michelle: great guy...no spar!
Kerry: but they do make great friends, no matter
michelle: i agree
Jill: yep
Kerry: great book girls. can't wait to do this again next issue. Stay tuned…