The Ex Games, by Jennifer Echols

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was another sweet Jennifer Echols Romantic Comedy from the Simon Pulse series thereof. Which I am totes getting into (trying to style the linguistic spirit of said series and all). This one kind of reminded me of that snowboarding episode of Rocket Power, if you remember that show, only now Reggie is all grown up, cute, and formidable on the slopes, but with boys (one in particular) still a betty (I'm mildly suspicious of the accuracy of the snowboard lingo in the clever chapter heads, but going with it for purposes of this review only). As I've come to find out and look forward to, JE's main characters are irresistable - tenacious, talented and tough, but with endearing vulnerability and warmth, often troubled by an event/crisis in the past which they are now trying to get past ("I realized that I was hurt four years ago, I just didn't realize how much until now."). One minor flaw, in my appreciative but critical view, was what jerks the boys in this book were, really without exception (younger brother and dads included). I can't help but wonder what the 3 girl characters see in them? Insensitive and crude, careless with things and emotions - I guess they must have been hot enough to overlook all that. But, those are the same things my fellow nerds and I on the literary journal used to wonder about real girls in high school, so maybe it's realistic. If so, it might be the only realistic thing about the denouement of this story, which is no less charming for its fantasy like happy ending. I realize that I seem to be saying some kind of mean sounding things myself now, but don't get me wrong, I loved this book, and the atmosphere and characters JE has created, She is really good at this, and I'll be coming back for more of her magic til the well runs dry.



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