Review: Maren Loves Luke Lewis by Jen Jones

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Four best friends plus one weekly tradition equals a whole lot of fun! Meet the Sleepover Girls: Ashley, Delaney, Maren, and Willow. Every Friday, new memories are made as these sixth-grade girls gather together for crafts, fashion, cooking, and of course, girl talk! Grab your pillow, settle in, and get to know the Sleepover Girls.
The Sleepover Girls just found out some MAJOR news. Teen pop star Luke Lewis is returning to his hometown of Valley View (which just happens to be their hometown as well) to hold a special benefit concert! Maren is the biggest fan, and she's dead set on winning tickets from the local radio station's contest. The challenge? Create a love letter to Valley View showing your hometown pride. Maren wastes no time enlisting the Sleepover Girl's help to make the most awesome scrapbook ever. Will her project hit the right note?

MY TAKE:
I'm a fan of The Babysitters Club, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and other similar books that celebrate friendships so I figured that this book would be right up my alley.

In Maren Loves Luke Lewis, the focus is on Maren, who is a huge fan of Luke Lewis, a pop star who used to live in their town. When Luke comes back to town for a concert, fans are given a chance to meet him and help present a key to the city. Maren is determined to win the contest and enlists her friends' help to make it happen.

Out of the four girls, I am most similar to Delaney. However, I do have that determined streak that Maren has, and since I've been a fan girl (of a basketball player, though), I definitely get where she is coming from. The girls' friendship is nice to read about because they all complement each other well and they stick with each other through thick and thin.

I thought that I knew exactly how this story would play out, but I'm happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised. There were some parts that were predictable, of course, but that's okay in the long run. The ending shows that you can have a happy ending even if things don't happen the way you want it to happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and Capstone Young Readers for the e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. The girls have a beautiful friendship.
2. Girls will most likely relate to Maren's determination to meet her idol.
3. The story has a few surprises up its sleeve.

THE BAD:

1. Some parts are predictable.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Ashley giggled. "Ahh, young love," she joked. "You know boys only tease the girls they like." My mom was always saying the same thing.

READ IT IF:

1. You like books celebrating friendship.
2. You have ever been anyone's #1 fan.
3. You would like to recommend a book to your daughter that she'll be able to relate to.

RATING:


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