Stand-Off (Winger #2) by Andrew Smith

* * * * *

Reviewed by Bel

It’s his last year at Pine Mountain, and Ryan Dean should be focused on his future, but instead, he’s haunted by his past. His rugby coach expects him to fill the roles once played by his lost friend, Joey, as the rugby team’s stand-off and new captain. And somehow he’s stuck rooming with twelve-year-old freshman Sam Abernathy, a cooking whiz with extreme claustrophobia and a serious crush on Annie Altman—aka Ryan Dean’s girlfriend, for now, anyway.

Equally distressing, Ryan Dean’s doodles and drawings don’t offer the relief they used to. He’s convinced N.A.T.E. (the Next Accidental Terrible Experience) is lurking around every corner—and then he runs into Joey’s younger brother Nico, who makes Ryan Dean feel paranoid that he’s avoiding him. Will Ryan Dean ever regain his sanity?

From the author of the National Book Award–nominated 100 Sideways Miles, which Kirkus Reviews called “a wickedly witty and offbeat novel,” Stand-Off is filled with hand-drawn infographics and illustrations and delivers the same spot-on teen voice and relatable narrative that legions of readers connected with in Winger.

Ryan Dean is now a senior at ripe young age of fifteen. Things are a bit different in the year since losing Joey. He and Annie are officially dating now; O Hall, his former dorm is closed, as a result he now has to reside on the first floor of a different dorm with a new roommate. Here’s the rub: this new kid, Sam Abernathy is only twelve. Not only does Ryan Dean have to bear the embarrassment of being the only senior on the first floor but he’s now stuck with a pre-pubescent kid! The powers that be thought it’d be a good idea for Sam to room with him since he himself was the youngest kid at the school. Ryan Dean has no interest in being friendly to him. He looks at Sam aka The Abernathy (also called a host of other ridiculous names he assigns him) as an outsider. Still dealing with the loss of his best friend, Joey last year, Ryan Dean has this constant dread looming over him that the worst is going to happen at any moment.

Rugby which usually provides some kind of solace for Ryan Dean has now become a weight on his shoulders. When his coach asks him to be the new team captain, replacing his former teammate and best friend, he’s reluctant to do it. How can he live up to that? Then he runs into Joey’s younger brother Nico, who he feels this desparate need to reach out to. Nico is probably the only other person who can understand the loss that Ryan Dean feels but he's reluctant to talk.

While I’ve been excited about Stand-Off for some time, I was also hesitant to read it. As phenomenal as Winger was, I was so shaken after reading it that I was afraid of what new turmoil might be awaiting me in these pages. However, as soon as I was done with the first page I felt an instant wave of affection for Ryan Dean. Some things may have changed but his humor and self-deprecation are very much intact. It’s impossible to not find his awkwardness and knuckleheaded moments endearing. And his doodles are as always, hilarious! What sets him apart is that he's experienced a tragedy that you wouldn't want befall on anyone. Otherwise, he’s like any goofy fifteen year-old with a wild imagination, a strange assortment of friends and a certain stubborness that lands him in some trouble. Believe me when I say that Ryan Dean and his antics have given me plenty to think of as I prepare for my own son's steps towards adolescence!

Fans of Smith's works will enjoy Stand-Off. Mind you I'm slowly making my way through his catalog and have read three of his books so far, including this one, but they all carry his unmistakable style and wit. For those who've read Winger, fell in love with it like I did and felt a need for some closure, I certainly found it here. Stand-Off is the perfect follow-up!

~ Bel

The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

* * * 1/2

A fun, romantic read, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti!

Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over a no-good ex-boyfriend. Graduate from high school without any more distractions. Move away from Orlando, Florida, where she’s lived her entire life.

But Matt—the cute, shy, bespectacled bass player who just moved to town—was never part of that plan.

And neither was attending a party that was crashed by the cops just minutes after they arrived. Or spending an entire night saying “yes” to every crazy, fun thing they could think of.

Then Matt abruptly left town, and he broke not only Ella’s heart but those of their best friends, too. So when he shows up a year later with a plan of his own—to relive the night that brought them together—Ella isn’t sure whether Matt’s worth a second chance. Or if re-creating the past can help them create a different future.

In alternating then and now chapters, debut author Lauren Gibaldi crafts a charming, romantic story of first loves, lifelong friendships, uncovered secrets, and, ultimately, finding out how to be brave.

The Night We Said Yes is a snapshot of two people’s relationship on two different nights, one year apart.

Ella first meets Matt at a party. He’s new in town and has joined her friend Jake’s band as the new bassist. Jake also happens to be dating her best friend, Meg. When the party is busted, Matt who wants to spend more time with Ella, suggests that rather than squander the rest of the night, the four of them should take the opportunity to just say “yes” to some new adventures. It’s a dare that allows them to feel free and uninhibited. Throughout that night, Matt and Ella fall harder for each other. They date for the next few months until he abruptly leaves town without an explanation to anyone, cutting of contact with all of them.

Fast forward a year later, they’ve graduated high school and are at another party. Here she unexpectedly comes face-to-face with Matt. It’s a very uncomfortable reunion for everyone and Ella isn’t so sure she even wants to share the same breathing space with him. After a few pleas on his part, Ella decides to give in and hear him out. This doesn’t sit well with Meg who feels that Matt should not be forgiven for how badly he hurt Ella and everyone else.  Despite her confusion and hurt feelings, Ella wants answers. She goes with her gut and leaves the party with Matt going against Meg’s opinion. This creates some friction between these close friends.

Gibaldi matches up the events from both nights very nicely with each chapter offering “before” and “now” details into how things unfolded. The backstory was very cute and I couldn’t help but smile as Matt and Ella flirted their way through the night. But I was more keen on their story in the present because of the changing dynamics. These were four tight friends and Matt leaving like that affected them badly. Ella was devastated, Jake was hurt that he’d lost his good friend and Meg had to help see them through the aftermath. Each of them has a different reaction to Matt’s return and whether they're willing to let him back in again. With differing opinions, they’re all forced to have it out about what they expect from each other. Now that they’re moving on to college, things are changing and with some new perspective in place, their friendships are evolving too.

The Night We Said Yes serves up nostalgia for that in between stage of graduating high school and moving on to college. You can't help but reminisce about this short time period where so much happens while you hold on to what's familiar as you put on a brave face to face the unknown. Here best friends grapple with these changes and realize that sometimes even close friends can keep things to themselves because they’re not sure how to share something so personal. And even with that discovery, it's about the friends and memories that are worth holding on to. 

~ Bel

   

     

    

Undone by Cat Clarke

* * * * 1/2

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it.

Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself.

Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down.

A searing story of love, revenge and betrayal from a bestselling author.

When I start to read a book like this, it’s usually with trepidation. There’s no way to know without reading through it how it’ll go, if by the end you’ll be shred to bits or filled with a glimmer of hope. I found out that Undone did both.

Undone begins in such a dark and grief-filled place with Jem so distraught and unable to bring herself to face life without her best friend, Kai. She relives their many moments as she’s holed up in her bedroom shutting off the world. She sees her best option is to off herself as there’s no point in going on without him. The day she decides to do it, she’s interrupted by Kai’s younger sister Louise, who was instructed by Kai himself to deliver a package to Jem. Within it are 12 letters, one for each month that Jem is directed to open on the 23^rd of every month.

As unlikely as it seems, this whole exchange between Jem and Louise is rather funny. It basically wakes her up from her long grief stricken stupor. Jem’s internal monologue drips with sarcasm and dry humor. First, she’s deciding between the pros and cons of a sandwich or ordering Chinese takeout as her last meal, then her disappointment with her suicide attempt being thwarted and Louise cutting into her valuable suicide time. It all caught me off guard and I loved it.

So Jem reenters the world and unexpectedly becomes part of the in crowd or as she calls it, Team Popular at school. It’s at this point that she hatches a plan to seek revenge for Kai’s death. Of course, it’s not quite that easy but in Jem fashion which would be snarkiness and social awkwardness, she makes some serious headway with plenty of goofy moments too. There are also the somber moments when she reads Kai’s letters, filled with unconditional love, affection and jokes that come with a lifetime of knowing someone so well, that may have you reaching for a tissue. But even his letters can’t deter her from The Plan, as screwy and misguided as it may be.

The story proceeds through the next few months and Jem makes progress in her own personal life but revenge is never far from her mind even as her relationships with certain members of Team Popular get complicated. It's ironic that during this entire time she's finally participating in life as opposed to watching on the sidelines like she used to do with Kai and it doesn't even register with her. No, she's still planning her impending death. By the end, things come to a serious head and Jem is faced with choosing between what she has wanted for the past year and the potential for a future that she has never allowed herself to contemplate.

Undone is written so well and there were a few moments where I was reminded of another of my favourite books, Saving June, also about the aftermath of a suicide.  Whereas the latter’s story is much more heavy, Clarke manages to relate Jem’s story with compassion and humor. Things do get serious toward the finish and I was absolutely stunned silent by the end. Whether or not Clarke intended to, my personal belief is that the end is open to interpretation which I appreciate because I am still going back and forth between what I think happened, what I feel the author wants me to think happened and what I hope happened.  

Read Undone. It's outstanding and well worth it!

~ Bel