Review: The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding

The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding

Published: February 5 2013

Purchase:Amazon

Synopsis:

Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

1. She graduated from New York University.
2. She lives in or near Los Angeles.
3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week.
4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon.
5. She’s my mother.

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything?

Review:

The Reece Malcolm List is a different and very entertaining contemporary YA novel. It was better than I had hoped for and I found myself in tears when it ended.

Devan is sixteen and only knows five things about her mother. She has never met her and her father and stepmom don’t talk about her at all. When her father dies she is shipped off to California to live with bestselling author Reece Malcolm, her mother.

So not only does Devan have to live with her mother and her mother’s boyfriend, she also has to deal with going to a new school and trying out for the choirs and musicals. She is trying to find a place in her world while getting to know the one person who she has longed to have a relationship with.

I have to say that I love how this was written. While it was a bit quirky and sarcastic you could really feel the emotion driving these characters. It was heartbreaking to read about the relationship Devan had with her father and to see her grow as she gets to know her mom felt very true. The story had a wonderful, even pace about it and I cannot believe how quickly I read through it.

Due to the language used I would recommend this book to older YA readers.