The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney

Title: The Boy Recession
Author: Flynn Meaney
Series: N/A
Source: Payment for hosting Blog Tour
Publisher: Poppy
Publication Date: August 7, 2012

The population of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, is shrinking as families move to cities and towns with greener pastures, and the local high school is hurting: nearly all of the area's most eligible guys have moved or transferred schools.

With little competition, the remaining boys find their stocks on the rise, and even the most unlikely candidates have a good chance at making the team and getting the girl. Guitar-strumming slacker HUNTER FAHRENBACH has made an art of blending into the background, but now desperate coaches are recruiting him and popular girls are noticing his scruffy good looks. With a little help, Hunter might even by boyfriend material...

Down-to-earth KELLY ROBBINS has a simple wish for her junior year: "one normal, nice boy to crush on." Kelly and Hunter have always been friends, but is there something more to their platonic relationship? And can Kelly overcome the odds? After all, dating is hard enough without a four-to-one ratio.

I had several issues with The Boy Recession. That doesn't mean that I didn't like it, but, ya know, I had some issues. The biggest issue that I have with this book is that it's written in alternating point of view. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem for me. But Kelly and Hunter sounded way too much alike, so I usually ended up being confused, because I HONESTLY had NO IDEA who was narrating. It would have been helpful to have some kind signal, like, I don't know, a NAME AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE?

That was absolutely THE BIGGEST issue that I had. All of my other issues pale in comparison, but another one was that a TEENAGE GUY comes up with the term "Boy Recession". I mean, to be honest with you, I've never heard a dude say something like that. I suppose it doesn't mean that they don't, but seriously? I've never heard one.

Those were just a few of the many problems I had with The Boy Recession. But I can't honestly say that it was a total bust. Yeah, I wish that the characters had been a bit more fleshed out. They had the potential, but no one ever acted on it to make them so much better. I also wish that the romance had been a lot less...how to put this...insta-lovish? That isn't really correct, but it fits the best. There wasn't really any time for REAL feelings to develop between Hunter and Kelly. I don't know about you, but I LOVE reading relationships as they develop.

All in all, The Boy Recession isn't a total bust, but I didn't love it. It was cute, and kept me entertained for a few hours.

For a minute I thought my life was romantic and a guy wrote a song about me. Now I realize that my life isn't exciting or romantic-- my life consists of hiding behind a drumset and getting overshadowed by two mimes. ~ Pg. 116