Book Review: Crash Test Love by Ted Michael

Crash Test Love by Ted Michael
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Release Date: Available Now
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352
Source: Received from publicist for honest review

Summary: The last thing Henry Arlington wants is a girlfriend. He's just very, very good with girls—reading their body language, knowing what they want to hear, and more importantly: getting them into the backseat of his car. But all that changes when he meets Garrett Lennox at one of the many Sweet Sixteen parties he crashes. Garrett thinks she's done with guys. She was dumped by her ex when she moved from Chicago to Long Island, and now she realizes that she needs to find out who she is by herself, instead of with a boyfriend. What she really needs is some good friends. Fortunately for Garrett, the J Squad—the "it" girls of East Shore High School—want her in their clique. All she has to do is pass one little test: get East Shore god Henry Arlington to take her to one of the biggest Sweet Sixteens of the year, then dump him in front of everyone. Garrett has promised herself not to fall for another guy, so playing with Henry's heart shouldn't be hard. Right? And Henry doesn't fall for girls, so when he and Garrett start to click, it doesn't matter. Does it? As William Shakespeare once said, "Love is blind," or in this case, the lovers may be, as Henry and Garrett fall in love—and into the trap that awaits them. Because neither of them can even begin to see what the girls of Henry Arlington's past have in store.

My Review: Crash Test Love was an amusing story about teens who deal with peer pressure and falling in love for the first time. Ted Michael's writing was fast-paced, entertaining and addictive. The story wasn't necessarily new but the author's interpretation was refreshing. Garrett, the female protagonist, was a gorgeous and intelligent teenager. She just moved to Long Island, New York from Chicago which labeled her the "new girl" at school. Coming into a new school with no friends was difficult and it got even harder once she started dealing with the J Squad. A group of popular girls who were manipulative, conceited and ignorant. I seriously did not like their attitudes and hoped Garrett wouldn't give into peer pressure.

Now, the main character Henry, was a good-looking heart breaker with a complex personality. At first he came off like a total jerk but, there was something that pulled me to him. I understood why all the girls gravitated to him, even though they knew he was bad news. He was known to crash Sweet Sixteen parties with his two best friends, Duke and Nigel. They were both hilarious and not the brightest colors in the crayon box. Their goofy personalities reminded me of Tweetle Dee and Tweedle Dum. All of them planned to pick up chicks and seal the deal. However, the only person who seemed to have luck was Henry. He never expected to ever fall for a girl until Garrett walked into his life.

Garrett initially liked him until the J Squad approached her to use Henry and to humiliate him at the Sweet Sixteen where MTV was going to be filming. She had major decisions to make and the struggle within herself was frustrating. Their relationship developed interestingly enough even with their hidden agendas. I thought they were simply adorable together. But, once there are secrets involved, it changes the course of things. I don't want to give too much away because the story has many aspects to it. Overall, the ending was bittersweet but well-balanced. Ted Michael's story-telling was amazingly written and I can't wait to read his future releases. Crash Test Love was a fun ride and I recommend it to those who are looking for a light and funny read.

My Rating: (4.5)
Author's Info:
Ted Michael was born in 1984 and grew up in Roslyn Heights, New York. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the Juilliard School and is a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. His first novel, The Diamonds, is available from Delacorte Press.

More books by Ted:
The Diamonds