Wednesday, September 2, 2009

The Black Sheep by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout and Contest Time!

The Black Sheep by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
Publication Date/Version: June 2008/Paperback
Publisher: Hyperion Paperbacks
Pages: 348
Age Group: Young Adult

Fed up with her parents and all their ridiculous rules (they keep a binder full of them), fifteen-year-old Kendra Bishop writes away to The Black Sheep, a reality TV show that offers the chance to swap families with another teen. But when the camera crew shows up at her Manhattan apartment, Kendra starts to have second thoughts.

Too late. Kendra is whisked away to Monterey, California, to live with the Mulligan family in a household that couldn't be more different from her own. Of course, when Kendra falls for Mitch, the Mulligans' seventeen-year-old son, it only complicates things further, especially since Mitch despises the reality TV show and everything it stands for. But given the chance, Kendra might just be able to juggle first love, her new stardom, and a pushy TV producer who will stop at nothing for higher ratings.

I got this from Paperback Swap. I've seen it here and there, but I've just now picked it up. And I'm glad I did.

The Black Sheep was a fun and cute book about a girl realizing who she really is, all while dealing with a nosy producer who doesn't know the meaning of privacy and a messy love life. There was always something going on, whether it was her switch to a new family or dealing with the otters. I found the pacing to be perfect. Kendra starts out as a somewhat snooty Manhattan girl, but throughout the course of the book she develops into a smart girl who isn't afraid to fight for what she believes in.

The plot itself was fun. It was definitely a book you'd read when you wanted a cute romance and plenty of drama. The characters only added to the story. I especially loved Mona and Max, Kendra's new parents, who tended to share just a little too much personal information. Those two always had me laughing. I could definitely emphasize with Kendra as she dealt with Meadow and Mitch (noticing a pattern here?), as they frustrated even me. I absolutely could not stand Judy and Maya, but that was the whole point. Ms. Collins and Ms. Rideout did a good job of creating characters you could connect with, as well as characters who could drive you crazy.

It was nice to see a girl who could stand up for herself -unless she was facing Judy, but then, who could? Although what Kendra did wasn't always right, she was generally trying to help out a cause she believed in. The Black Sheep would be a great book for tweens and teens of all ages.

Overall: The Black Sheep involved lots of family issues, drama, and crushes, making it the perfect summer read.

My Advice: Pick up a copy at your library over the summer. Maybe even pick up a copy at your local book store so you can read it again next summer.

Cover: I think the cover is very cute. It portrays the story pretty well, and I enjoy the cartoon-like feel. I also love the lettering of the title.

Okay, I've decided to host my first ever contest! The prize will be a copy of this lovely book, The Black Sheep. In order to be entered in the drawing, simply answer this question: If you could swap with any family in the world, where would you want to swap to? For me, it'd definitely be Greece. :)

Here's a few ways to earn extra entries:
+2 for being a follower
+1 for becoming a follower
+2 for posting about this on your blog
+1 for putting this on your sidebar

This contest is open to US residents and will run until September 22nd. Please leave comments along with extra entries on this blog post. A winner will be chosen on September 23rd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you.

8 comments:

  1. I loved this one, too! In fact, I've read nearly all of the YA books written by these authors because of it. This book totally surprised me by how amazing it truly was. I agree: perfect for summer, it was very cute, funny, and addicting!

    Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooo I think I'd swap with Italy :)

    -suitejuju@gmail.com

    BTW Greece is a smashing choice.

    ReplyDelete
  3. +2 new follower

    I'd definitely want to live in Africa!

    Kelsey
    kelseythebookscout@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would swap with a family in the UK!!
    +2 for being a follower
    +1 sidebar
    http://anaddictedbookreader.blogspot.com/
    adrienne2093(at)comcast(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you could swap with any family in the world, where would you want to swap to? - I'd want to go to Japan!

    Here's a few ways to earn extra entries:
    +2 for being a follower
    +1 for putting this on your sidebar: http://paradoxrevealed.blogspot.com/

    paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I would swap with Egypt.

    jjameli (at) cableone (dot) net

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love this book.
    I would go to Amsterdam... because I have always wanted to go there. Or Mexico. So I can improve my spanish.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This was worthe every minute of reading this book! Lovley, chaarming, and not inappropriate. This book is easily one of my top 10 books! Great job!

    ReplyDelete

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