Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Brody, Jessica
13 Reviews
(3)
4-6
After wishing on a magic lamp to trade lives, twelve-year-old television actress Ruby and her biggest fan, Skylar, switch bodies. The tweens are ecstatic to masquerade as each other, but living someone else's life with its own challenges isn't as easy as it looks. Brody's latest evades being a predictable body-swap story thanks to engaging dual narration, swift pacing, and convincing mother-daughter relationships.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(3)
YA
High-school senior Ali never expected she'd be road-tripping up the California coast in a 1968 Firebird convertible with her ex-boyfriend. But that's what happens when she inherits the classic (stick-shift) car from her estranged father and needs Nico to drive it to a buyer. Along the way, Ali confronts painful memories and finds forgiveness and love. This lyrically written romance is populated with memorable and imperfect characters.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(3)
4-6
The day after twelve-year-old Addie wishes she were sixteen, she wakes up to find her wish has come true. But being sixteen isn't what Addie expected: she's a shallow jerk who's no longer speaking to her best friend. While the premise is familiar (think 13 Going on 30), it's well executed; Addie's naiveté about being a teenager will make readers laugh out loud.
Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith
(3)
YA
Desperate to get home for the anniversary of her best friend's accidental death, Ryn is trapped in the Denver airport by a blizzard on New Year's Eve. Swoon-worthy stranger Xander draws Ryn out of her anxious bubble and into a variety of unexpected airport exploits. This funny and rollicking romance has a colorful cast of side characters, genuine emotional heft, and a strong voice.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
(4)
YA
Three years ago, eighteen-year-old Kennedy turned down acceptance to a prestigious private school for public school with boyfriend Austin, and it haunts her--especially after Austin cheats. Then Kennedy wakes up as a popular Windsor Academy senior and learns that life isn't perfect there either. While the parallel-universe plot is predictable, Brody's characters are flawed and dynamic, making their relationships with one another convincing.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(3)
YA
After sixteen-year-old Ellison suffers a comically unfortunate Monday, she's granted a chance to do it over again. And again. She's convinced that preventing her musician boyfriend from breaking it off will stop the cycle; she tweaks her choices and, ultimately, her persona to little avail. It's a familiar premise, but Ellie's strong, humorous voice lends considerable charm to this compulsively readable romantic comedy.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
(4)
YA
A promising premise--the emotional lives of three boys, lifelong friends, the summer after high school--is marred by sluggish pacing and alternating narration that too often fails to advance the plot. Although the focus on teen boys' friendships and inner lives is appealing, the female characters are two-dimensional, seeming to reinforce formulaic notions of how teenage boys view their romantic interests.
Reviewer: Norah Piehl
(3)
YA
Brody takes no shortcuts and pulls no punches in this strong, bittersweet finale to the trilogy (Unremembered; Unforgotten). Recaptured and reprogrammed, rebellious prototype Sera remains the flashpoint for resistance to the all-powerful genetic modification company that created her. The narrative matches high-stakes action with a thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between memory and self; the surprising, well-crafted climax is worthy of the buildup.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(4)
YA
Time-traveling genetic experiment Seraphina and her boyfriend/rescuer, Zen, are pursued across time by Diotech, Sera's evil corporate creators, who are desperate to find the cure for the destructive time-travel gene they invented. Alternating between chases, fights, and copious explanatory dialogue, this sequel to Unremembered introduces new characters and new stakes. The premise remains interesting, but the central romance lacks spark.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(4)
YA
The amnesiac sole survivor of a plane crash, Sera learns that she's a human experiment with sinister forces tracking her down; Zen, who tells her that he's her pre-memory-wipe soul mate, tries to keep her safe. Sera is too much of a blank slate to make a compelling focal point, but the fated romance and intriguing time-travel elements will attract readers.
Reviewer: Claire E. Gross
(3)
YA
After she drunkenly crashes her car, Paris Hilton–esque heiress Lexington's father makes her work a different low-wage job every week for one year to earn her trust fund. New friends, a hot intern, and personal revelations help her appreciate her circumstances, and even her father. Brody earns Lexi's one-eighty transformation through deliberate pacing and astute characterization. A glitzy caper with real heart.
Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen
(3)
YA
When Brooklyn was two she gained fame after falling down a mine shaft. Now fifteen, her poor judgment and bad choices have her fighting with her parents, scrambling for friends, and doing community service. She decides to let her blog readers vote on every decision she makes. The teen-friendly premise, coupled with Brooklyn's sassy 'tude, help mask the story's message about personal responsibility.
Reviewer: Amanda Mc. MacGregor
(4)
YA
After Madison catches her boyfriend locking lips with another girl, she and her best friends form the Karma Club, "whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind." The trio targets their victims' "valued possessions," like college acceptances and reputations. It's hard to ignore that the girls' tactics are life destroying, but it's nonetheless an entertaining story.
Reviewer: Lauren Maggio
13 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.