The Comeback by Marlene Perez

Sophie Donnelly is one half of the most popular and powerful couple in school, until new girl Angie Vogel shows up and compromises everything. Angie steals Sophie's starring role in the school play, and, worse, her super-popular boyfriend. Sophie has been quickly dispatched to social Siberia, but not for long--she'll do anything it takes to make a triumphant comeback.

This novel was predictable, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes we all need a little predictable in our lives. From the first few pages the entire plot was laid and I knew exactly what was going to happen. Plot twists? There weren't really any. So it was difficult to get through solely because I knew what was going to happen in the end. The writing was simplistic (except for a few choice SAT words that were, however, labeled as SAT words) and sometimes things that happened seemed a tad unrealistic.

Things I like about this novel: I liked finding similarities between Bianca from Taming of the Shrew and Sophie (and was also relieved in her Shakespeare re-telling choice instead of, let's say, Hamlet. Of which I have many words for). I liked how Sophie went through a lot of important changes, one of her many deciding that how she affects others is more important than popularity.

Indulging in my inner catty self was so much fun. Reading about all the things Sophie did that I was too meek to do in high school was fun, too. This novel took me to a different place where I could focus on the character's dilemmas and laugh and be smitten while forgetting about my own everyday ordeals.

Overall, this novel is a good, light read. Not so much for intellectual pondering but it was enjoyable. I wished the scenes with Dev and Sophie weren't rushed and the scenes with Sophie's evil plotting fewer. It was cute, funny, and so totally high school.

Rating: 3.0

Happy Reading!