So, back in July grav_ity wrote a post that laura_josephsen wrote a book called Confessions from the Realm of the Underworld (Also Known As High School). Seeing that it was available on the Kindle format, I zipped over to Amazon and downloaded the first chapter.

I have to admit. I had trouble connecting with it initially. Maybe it was because I had been writing for the Tangled fandom so much that the transition was a little impossible for my blonde brain to handle. Maybe it's because subconsciously I was waiting for the firearms to come out since I couldn't remember the last time I read a fiction book that didn't have some kind of weaponry. Honestly, I think it was the names. (Which I'm sure most people loved, but since I'm one of the 80% of people* who can't say her name right, I found them a little, er, scary?)

So, I put it on the list of "when all my big bang stories are written I'll probably come back and try it again". But then, about a month later, sache8 made a post promoting the same book. Someone was trying to tell me something, right? She had linked Laura's blog on her post, so I popped over there. (What do you mean I was stalling from writing Taming the Rider at that point? LOL) She had written a tag to the novel. Being the Spoiler Junkie avid reader I am, I went ahead and read the short story.

That got me hooked. I don't want to spoil anyone who may read it, but let's just say that my favorite trope of all time was referenced there. It went from "someday I'll read it" to "Gee, I'm glad my birthday is less than a month away".

So, on my birthday I bought it (thanks Mom for the Amazon GC! LOL). And I read the whole book in an afternoon. It's a fun book that deals with some heavy issues. (It's not an oxymoron, really.)

I love Joey beyond all reason. Maybe because I identify with him the most. Sephie is awesome because she's got the spunk that I want to have. (On a side note, I find it completely amusing that two books I have read this year both have a character named Andromeda--very, very different characters, but amusing nonetheless.)

I think Laura did a great job of showing us these big issues exactly the way a teen would. While there are a few epiphanies made throughout the book, none of them seem out of character or too mature for who Sephie is (a seventeen years old who isn't quite sure what to do after high school.)

But, you know the true sign that I really, really liked the book? I wanted more. One word: wedding. Because we know that it would be all kinds of crazy awesome.

If you're looking for a fun read, go and check it out. It's only $2.99 for the Kindle version.



*Sephie's stat, not mine. LOL