Review by Dominque, age 16

Ring, ring ... the phone rang. Halley didn't expect this call to change her life but on the other end of the receiver was her best friend, Scarlett. "He's dead." Scarlett's voice was flat, as if she were reciting multiplication tables.

Scarlett's boyfriend and Halley's good friend, Michael, had died in a motorcycle accident. Her friend doesn't even have to ask. Halley returns home immediately from camp and goes straight to Scarlett's house right across the street from hers. They had been friends since the day Scarlett moved in.

Someone Like You is so realistic that it's hard to believe it isn't true.

The summer ends shortly and Halley and Scarlett continue to work at the same grocery store and live life as normally as possible. In fact, the death of Michael brings the two best friends closer together because there's no boyfriend distraction any more.

But the day of the funeral Halley meets Macon, Michael's best friend. He is cute and popular but really quiet and doesn't care to talk much about what happened to his best friend. When school starts, Halley doesn't have too many classes with Scarlett, but she does have Phys. Ed. class with Macon. They start talking and slowly become a lot closer. He comes over and throws rocks at her window until she comes out. (Isn't that so romantic!?)

Halley is so caught up with her new relationship that she doesn't talk to Scarlett as much. Then one day Scarlett comes to her with big news that makes her realize how distant she's become from her best friend. Scarlett and her mother don't have the best relationship, so Halley is the only one she can turn too. It's a decision that will totally change Scarlett's life. And Halley also wants Scarlett's opinion on a big decision she's about to make: whether to take her physical relationship with Macon to the next level.

Someone Like You is so realistic that it's hard to believe it isn't true. It has teenage issues I myself have had to deal with. I got so involved in the story because I felt I could relate to Halley. The characters are all like the people in your life and high school. The friendship between the girls will seem familiar to a lot of people.

Find out what Dominique thought about the end of the book...

After reading it, I look at relationships differently. You have to be careful of so much more than just getting diseases when you get involved with someone. You could lose respect for yourself if you choose the wrong person. Also the book showed me how powerful love is and how blind it can make some people.

There was drama, comedy and a love story. The end really surprised me; I didn't expect it. But it wasn't one of those books that was good only at the end -- it was good all the way through. The characters are all very mature and I think they make the right decisions in the end. To find out what they chose to do you have to read the book which I highly recommend!

Published by Viking
272 pages