DNF YA Review: Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys) *ARC*

Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys) by Amy Spalding, April 7, 2015. 320 pages. Published by Poppy. Source: publisher.

After catching their bandmates in a compromising position, sixteen-year-old Los Angelenos Riley and Reid become painfully aware of the romance missing from their own lives. And so a pact is formed: they'll both try to make something happen with their respective crushes and document the experiences in a shared notebook.

While Reid struggles with the moral dilemma of adopting a dog to win over someone's heart, Riley tries to make progress with Ted Callahan, who she's been obsessed with forever-His floppy hair! His undeniable intelligence! But suddenly cute guys are popping up everywhere. How did she never notice them before?! With their love lives going from 0 to 60 in the blink of an eye, Riley and Reid realize the results of their pact may be more than they bargained for.

First Sentence:

"This summer is a failure."

When I first received Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Boys) for review in January, I was excited because it sounded like a fun read along the lines of Elizabeth Eulberg's Better Off Friends (of which I adored). So, imagine my surprise when ten pages in I find myself extremely underwhelmed by this book. Seriously, I was looking forward to a smart, light and fun read. Not something read like it was originally marketed from 10-12 year old's and then edited to "appeal" to an older crowd.

Usually, I try to give a book around forty pages, yet, I was only able to last for twenty-five in this one. Kissing Ted Callahan really began to lose my attention when we got to Riley and Reid's list. My first problem arose with their list because they made it seem like "doing it" was the thing and it just read entirely like two kids trying for something they are in no way ready for. *gah* my brain hurts just thinking about how this book felt like it was looking down upon the readers ability to grasp things; also, I'm pretty sure that neither character was in any way ready for anything concerning love.

While Kissing Ted Callahan was a quick paced read and the writing just pulled one in, I just could not get into the actual story-line or the voice of the characters. On all levels, this book just did not work for me one bit.

I really can find nothing more to say on this one, so, I shall be ending this review here. Yet, I would like to know what you guys thought of this one, if you read it, or why you don't plan on reading it.

Final Verdict: Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys)-  While I occasionally enjoy contemporary reads, this one was not  enjoyable in the least bit. Here we have another, "It's not me, it's you," bookish split.

Kissing Ted Callahan (and Other Guys) earns

This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.