A Review of What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook

I know what you are thinking, "A review? That's practically an endangered species around this blog." And by thinking that you would be right. I haven't reviewed a book since February. That is disgraceful. I am sorry, I will try my best to get this blog back in order. I have been really busy and stressed out lately, but often blogging calms me down. I need to figure out a way to work it into my busy schedule. I need to blog for my sanity, so it's time I make time for it again. On to the review now.

Synopsis:

While juggling friendship issues (her best friend isn't speaking to her), a love triangle-turned-square (okay, maybe she shouldn't have kissed her best friend's boyfriend...but it was totally an accident!...sort of), and escalating mayhem in her small religious town (uh-oh...what would Jesus do?), Emma realizes she has to stop trying to please everyone around her and figure out what she wants for herself. It's time to start asking, "What would Emma do?"


I started reading this book on the plane ride to New York. I borrowed the book from Jordyn at Ten Cent Notes along with Two-Way Street. I was getting Two-Way Street signed for Jordyn while in NYC and thought I could send both books back in order to lighten the load in my luggage.

Well, I didn't get much time to read in NYC. Who woulda thunk it? For some strange reason I envisioned lots of time to sneak in reading at BEA. Boy was I wrong. It was go go go all the time. No time to read. But the airplane ride back, now then I had some time to read. But the funny thing was, I wasn't excited to read this book. I met a lovely woman from Missoula, Montana and we chatted the whole way back. Oh, and of course I asked her if she knew Hank Green. She didn't but it was lovely to talk to her anyways. So I put the book on the back burner. I didn't finish it until nearly a week after I got back.

I liked the character of Emma, but the whole plot set up was just insane. It was like the author said, "How many hairbrained crazy things can I fit into one high school?" I could tell that each character had a real personality deep down, but it was as if they were all the extreme stereo types of themselves. There's the preacher's daughter, Darci, who is popular and the leader of the Spirit Squad! but who is also a rule breaker and big bitch. (pardon my french) Then there's Joann, the girl who would do anything to be popular including fake a "deathly" illness and abandon her best friend. And of course there's Colin, the boy that Emma has been friends with for ages and suddenly kisses on winter break. Oh, and did I mention Colin is Joann's boyfriend? Yeah, that too. Enter Todd, the Jewish boy in a Christian school. He believes in the wrong religion, he must be a delinquent, right? Talk about drama drama drama! I mean only on Degrassi could something like this happen! *ponders* I bet Eileen is a Paige fan. I enjoyed the comic value these characters provided but I just had a hard time picturing this really happening. It's sort of a guilty pleasure, you know it's so wrong and fake but you can't look away.

Emma was the only one who stood out as sort of normal and she was the best part of the book. She dealt with these beyond crazy issues like a total badass! The best part about her? She didn't know what she wanted completely. She didn't know what to do about her feelings for Colin, much less Todd. She didn't know how to act around Johann after the whole Colin smoochfest, which by the way Joann's Mom had a front row seat to. She didn't know what in the world she should do about what she witnessed at "The Barn" when Darci & her clone were wasted. All she knew was that she needed that track scholarship so she could get out of that crazy town. But when things got so bad that innocent people were getting hurt Emma stepped in and came to their rescue. Sure it may have taken her all her life to finally stand up to the people telling her what to do, but at least now she doesn't have to wonder What Would Emma Do?

If you liked the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty or This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen I think you will like this book.

You can read the first chapter here.

While writing this post Korianne was listening to Mat Kearney.

Korianne Fun Fact: She has tried the "Monkey Biscuits" that they give to the monkeys at the St. Louis Zoo when she had a behind the scenes tour. They don't taste as bad as you would think.