Tangled by Carolyn Mackler + Contest!

Tangled by Carolyn Mackler is a story about the interweaving of the lives of four teens. Set on a resort island called Paradise, the beginning introduces us to four troubled characters: Jena the over-talking, over-eating girl with no life, Skye the beautiful actress who can't find a reason to be happy, Dakota the model of a jerk, and Owen the loser with a laptop. As each characters finds their way into each others' lives Jena will collide with a romance comparable to the life quotes she uses in replace of her own life, Skye will learn a little more about herself, that she's not the face of perfection she continually has to put on, Dakota will come to terms with his past and learn that he's not the jerk everyone makes him out to be, and Owen will find confidence and take a life-changing risk he never thought he could. Together these four teens with shed tears, laughs, heartbreak, and revelations for a sweet yet intense coming of age novel.

Tangled surprised me. When I thought the novel would be sweet and romantic, it was heartbreaking and real. When I thought things would turn out okay for one character, things took an intense turn for the worst. And when I thought no one would end up having the identity discovery they should-they all helped each other out in ways none of them realized for the better. I thought this novel was going to be predictable, but it was not. Sometimes it was hard getting to know these characters because they were so real and not the picture perfect image of teens. I wanted Dakota not to be a jerk. I wanted to love him. But sometimes I couldn't. Sometimes I wanted to yell at these characters "what are you doing? No, no no!" but that made the novel more enjoyable, especially waiting and reading about their journey to come to terms with something they all struggled with throughout the novel.

I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for a sweet, romantic read with a real-life unsugar-coated twist. You'll be up all night wondering what's going to happen...who, what where, and especially why?

Rating: 4.0

Contest ends March 31st **open to US only**