Kassiah

3-1/2 stars.

Getting Over Garrett Delaney tells the story of Sadie, a high-school sophomore, who's been pining for BFF Garrett since she first laid eyes on him two years ago. Sadie's crushed when she isn't accepted into the prestigious writing camp that she hoped to attend with Garrett and is even more heartbroken when he tells her that he's fallen in love with a girl he meets there. She decides that's the last straw and begins her journey to independence, getting a job, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, and trying out all kinds of new things.

While I didn't necessarily like Sadie's personality, I could identify with her. Her near-obsession with all-things-Garrett seemed realistic, and I felt her pain when she found out about the girl he'd fallen for. Overall, I'd say this was a fun story with authentic portrayals of what it's like to be seventeen.

Now for what I didn't like: I didn't like that Sadie went from being all about Garrett to letting her friends tell her that he was toxic for her. IMO, it Garrett's fault that they weren't together--she had never said anything, either, but her revelation that he didn't really care about her seemed contrived and just there to further along the "I DON'T NEED A MAN" message. Who cares that Garrett introduced her to some of the books she read and the music she enjoyed? Isn't that true of pretty much everything? The fact that she suddenly realized that she hated everything she thought she loved wasn't real to me. I absolutely hated that when Garrett came home, he was a douche to her. He didn't ignore her or treat her like a silly pet before he left. The potential romance that was presented at the end seemed out of left field for me (as far as Sadie's character goes). Why hadn't she ever noticed him before?

I agree with Bri's review that this book would be great for teenagers to read--it does have a great message. I just want all those girls to know that it's okay to like what you like, regardless of anyone else's opinion, whether that be your potential love interest or your BFF.