Review: By the Book by Amanda Sellet

Rom-com meets Masterpiece Theatre in a tale of

new friends, old books, first love, and second chances.

BY THE BOOK:
A Novel of Prose and Cons 
by AMANDA SELLET

Series: Standalone

Genre: romance, young adult

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: May 12, 2020

Synopsis:

As a devotee of classic novels, Mary Porter-Malcolm knows all about Mistakes That Have Been Made, especially by impressionable young women. So when a girl at her new high school nearly succumbs to the wiles of a notorious cad, Mary starts compiling the Scoundrel Survival Guide, a rundown of literary types to be avoided at all costs.

Unfortunately, Mary is better at dishing out advice than taking it—and the number one bad boy on her list is terribly debonair. As her best intentions go up in flames, Mary discovers life doesn’t follow the same rules as fiction. If she wants a happy ending IRL, she’ll have to write it herself.

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Praise for By the Book: A Novel of Prose and Cons:

"In this refreshing first novel, Sellet manages the large cast of characters well, while portraying the protagonist’s big family, her small circle of friends, and her first romance with considerable wit and insight. As Mary struggles with the practical and emotional troubles arising from her many mistakes, her rueful, self-deprecating narrative is sometimes impossible to read without laughing out loud. A smart, engaging romance."
—Booklist, STARRED review

"A sweet story with a focus on family and friendships."—Kirkus

"Put in the hands of readers who love a smart and precocious cast of characters, reminiscent of Amy Heckerling’s film Clueless." —School Library Journal

About the Author

Amanda Sellet has strong opinions about books, movies, and baked goods, which led to a previous career as a professional critic. Now she channels that saltiness into YA novels about smart girls who still have a lot to learn.

On the comedy/tragedy question, she is team comedy all the way.

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REVIEW

By the Book by Amanda Sellet
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was desperate to read this book the minute I saw it. I'm a sucker for bookish heroines so it seemed like this story had my name written all over it. Undoubtedly, Mary's love for books was her most admirable trait for me. She seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of classic literature characters, which is rare for someone her age. Though it's not beyond the realm of possibility, considering the fact that both of her parents are professors. She grew up going to a non-traditional school on her parents' campus where she was surrounded by academics. She'd always felt at home there, but her life is about to be turned upside down when her parents inform her that she'll be starting a new school for her sophomore year. At Melville High, she'll only know two people, but at least she has that to cling to. Until she doesn't. She gets "dumped" by her friends-publicly no less. To say she's off to a rocky start is an understatement.

Mary sees herself as rather unremarkable, without any talents or interesting qualities that would find her a clique to fit in with. She doesn't let it discourage her, and she isn't too hard on herself for having to figure herself out a little bit.

    Just because I wasn’t a theatrical impresario or star athlete didn’t mean I had nothing to offer. It was taking me longer to find my niche, that was all.

Everything turns around for Mary when she impresses a trio of girls who allow her into their fold. A chance meeting convinces them she would be a valuable new member of their group when she gives them inside information on Alex, whom she labels the most dastardly of roguish rakes. (i.e: a player) Her new calling is found: using her book smarts on classic lit characters and applying what she learned to real people. Unfortunately, people are rarely what they appear on the surface, and placing simple labels on people is doomed for failure.

    The purpose of the Scoundrel List isn’t to point out the obvious villains: guys who steal your inheritance or lock you in a tower or invite their mistress to move into the guest room. It’s about finding the ones who conceal their treachery behind a smiling façade. That’s the kind of nefariousness you have to watch out for.

The book is close to 400 pages, and I think condensing the page count would have been ideal. We see Mary enjoying life in the "popular world" and relishing new experiences. Going to a big party, cruising the mall, and socializing while on the hunt for the perfect dates for the winter formal. More focus was put on this rather than developing the romance arc. During this time, she struggles to maintain the pretense that she's a worldly girl with all of the answers. Her new friends are so impressed with her ability to peg people at a glance, but what would they do if they knew she wasn't always so confident? Who better to help her pick out potential "suitors" for her friends than Alex the serial dater?

Alex was a pretty sweet guy, and I realized almost immediately, completely misunderstood. He wasn't the bad boy looking to score every girl in sight, and had a habit of showing up in places where Mary was going to be. Anyone with the smallest amount of experience with the opposite sex would see that he was trying to flirt with her, but fifteen-year-old Mary has zero street smarts. As the book dragged on, I kept waiting for the realization to hit her, and see some sort of internal dialogue as she sorts it all out. We get nearly three quarters into the book before there's any hint of romance between them.

I feel like there was a wasted opportunity here. I was honestly anticipating some sort of inner struggle as she fought her feelings for the person she warned her friends away from. She would realize her growing feelings and be backed into a corner, unable to show him how she feels. He continued to flirt, it continued to fly right over her head up until the point we went for it and kissed her. Which totally shocked and confused her. Then she screws up big time, both with Alex and her friends. Finally we get some introspection going on at this point, but the resolution on both fronts was pretty rushed and easy in my opinion.

This is a light coming of age story that doesn't fall on the high end of the YA spectrum, as it explores pretty simple themes. By the Book wasn't without charm, however it did fall short of an exhilarating teen romance. I enjoyed Mary's large and opinionated family, most especially her siblings who were well drawn and distinctive from each other. The heroine's group of friends were sweet, and not at all the cliche mean girl popular group which was refreshing. I just never quite reached the excitement for Alex and Mary I was hoping for. However, if you're a huge classic literature buff, there's quite a lot to enjoy and this could very well be the perfect book for you.

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