The Unlikely Debut of Ellie Sweet, by Stephanie Morrill kept me interested all the way through.
Only halfway through did I realize the book is the sequel to The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet, which I hadn't read. That being said, Mrs. Morrill did a great job filling in any gaps there may have been in my mind, and I didn't feel clueless as I sometimes do reading sequels before the preceding book.
I was especially drawn to Ellie's character. (It's not a coincidence her last name is Sweet, I can tell you that much.) Ellie shows strong values and truly cares for her friends. She had several things in common with me, including that she is a writer and stores a pen in her ponytail.
The story is definitely one of inner struggle rather than outward conflict. Ellie has a hard time keeping friends, and is torn over past friendships which have dissolved. Priorities also come into the picture as Ellie's book, in the works to be published, constantly demands her attention.
I didn't appreciate Ellie's dating life, mostly because her relationships seemed to move fairly quickly for someone her age. It was also because Ellie is rather close to my age, and I'm not planning to date anytime soon, so if I had to recommend a book to Ellie, it would be I Kissed Dating Goodbye, by Joshua Harris.
The way Mrs. Morrill writes social interactions is excellent. It's realistic, and it often made me feel like I was right there with the characters. The only thing I thought to be a bit unrealistic was that the high school seniors in the book mostly had their own cars and drove around wherever they pleased, often dropping by at each others' houses spontaneously. Being a homeschooler without a driver's license, I haven't experienced that world, but perhaps things are different in public school.
Another plus of the book was the chapter length. They were fairly short, allowing quick breaks which I have time for while still providing convenient stopping places. The frequent pauses for chapter breaks didn't deter me from spending a few late nights reading, though.
For me, the mark of a good book is one that requires a nice long walk afterwards to mull everything over. This book fell into that category, leaving me with that satisfied-but-not feeling. I loved how the book ended, but at the same time, I didn't want it to end. I'd give the second Ellie Sweet book 3.9 out of 5 stars.
To learn more about Stephanie Morrill, you can visit her website, or the Go Teen Writers blog which she regularly contributes to.
