DNF at 25%

Heather McCubbin's review (you can find it among 1*) pretty much nailed it.

The beginning wasn't so bad. And I loved Reece and Bran!

Devan? Not so much. She's such a whiny snob. And she pretends to be white and fluffy and.... GAH!!!

I just couldn't handle it. So I quit. I refuse to waste my time on it.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Avoid this little... Um...

I'm sorry, but my polite vocabulary is currently unavailable, largely due to having experienced two horribly executed books with most ah-mazing premises, in a very short timespan of two days. ( )

I read The Reese Malcolm List in a bad month and didn’t want to leave sixteen-year-old Devan’s new world of sunny L.A. skies, cool choir classes, sexy but sensitive performing arts school boys and an enigmatic thirty-two-year-old mother that she’s only getting to know for the first time. This book has so much warmth and charm that you’ll find yourself wanting a second helping.

NOTE: I received the arc through Netgalley.

I don't want to insult anyone, but I must say what I think, so I should say that this book was mediocre, average and closer to 'ok' than 'good'. I gave it an extra star because it was informative on a lot of choir related stuff I didn't know, because there were funny moments that cracked me up, and because it was fast-paced, so it didn't require too much attention.

One thing I definitely liked was the writing style. It was light, and I really liked all the (inclusions), which were sometimes funny to read. In my opinion, those (inclusions) were creative.

I didn't like how unrealistic most of the characters were. I think only Brad felt believable the entire time, and perhaps Reece Malcolm as well, so I liked those two a lot. But besides them... well...let's just say that everyone was either too cliche, or an obvious attempt to escape the cliche.

Here's what I mean:
-Devan, the narrator/lead female was so shy and absolutely kind and selfless most of the time, I thought she was too shallow as a character. Also, she didn't see herself as someone special, when she's this super amazing singer or whatever(cliche, no?). I mean, real people have shades, depth, you know? With her, everything was the same. I can't remember how many times she wanted to say something, but didn't. It got boring. At the end, we're supposed to think that she's changed, grown, because she found it in her to lash out at her mom and the guy she liked? I don't know. It just sounds superficial.

-Sai was definitely not my favorite character at all. He was supposed to be 'oh-so-good', you know, in looks, and he was so 'absolutely nice', no one could actually hate him. Right. But in truth he just played two girls and they both responded at his beck and call. He wasn't a jock, but then again, does it really matter who the player is?

-Elijah was by far better than Sai. At least he was honest. And I hated it how things were doomed to not work between him and Devan from the very start.

-Travis was too full of himself; Mira was absurdly judgmental; Lissa was someone who only made me want to gag.

Another thing I didn't like was the fact that the reader was expected to know all those musicals, plays, and songs. To have at least heard of them and watched them once or twice. To know who the characters were and what happened in each scene. If you haven't (like me), you'd think that you're left out of the inside jokes half the time. It was annoying.

So, in conclusion I can say that the story needs to be worked on. It's got some serious flaws. But other than that it's a quick, silly read that can take your mind off of everyday life for a bit. ( )

When Devan's father dies, she is sent to California to live with Reece Malcolm, the mother she has never even met. Reece Malcolm, a successful author, is so reclusive that Devan can't even find out much about her from the Internet, so she starts keeping a short list of the things she knows about Reece Malcolm. Upon arrival in California, Devan learns many things about Reece -- including that she is willing to give Devan a new wardrobe and get her into a performing arts school so Devan can follow her dream of a career in musical theatre. But no matter how much Devan learns about her mother, she can't help thinking that Reece didn't want her in the first place, and probably doesn't want her now. Will Devan and Reece manage to become a real family, or is sixteen years of separation too great a barrier to overcome? Also cooking, Sondheim, and kissing.

This debut novel has a lot of good points -- the voice is spot on, the characters are well-rounded, and the pacing is good. The plot is so similar to One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones that I almost felt at times that I had read it before, but the style, characters, and secondary plot lines help differentiate it from that book. I think young teens will really enjoy this story, as will all readers who enjoy YA lit of this variety. ( )

As I was scrolling through Goodreads in January pulling together lists of possible new books to check out this year, a debut young adult contemporary struck my eye. Featuring a girl with a love for musical theater who suddenly finds herself living with the mother she never knew, The Reece Malcolm List looked like the perfect opportunity to discover a new author and, possibly, my next great read. So did it meet my expectations? Let’s find out.

Debut YA author Amy Spalding takes on the dynamics of family in The Reece Malcolm List as she tells the story of 16-year-old Devan, who has just moved to Los Angeles after the death of her father to live with the mother she has never met. All she knows about Reece Malcolm is the little bit she can gather from Google – and that isn’t much. Together Devan and Reece have to navigate the ups and downs of a mother/daughter relationship while getting to know each other as people.

I loved the whole tone of the story, the pacing, and phrasing. It felt like I was really in Devan’s head and thoroughly understood her insecurities and dreams. She had a fresh and interesting voice – one that sounded so different in my head than any teenage voice I’ve come across before. I thought this was handled very well by Spalding, especially the way Devan censored her thoughts throughout the narrative. Spalding utilized cross-outs as Devan changed words on the fly, such as:

…I would happily accept that these people minus including maybe Mira are now my friends. (Chapter 10)

…I am terrified a little nervous walking into school on Monday morning. (Chapter 11)

While it felt a bit unusual at first, it really was a nice touch that provided insight into Devan’s real thoughts and feelings.

I also enjoyed the way Devan’s list of facts about Reece topped each chapter, growing as the story progressed and highlighting things Devan had learned about her mother in the previous chapter. It emphasized each fact and tied in neatly with the title of the book – the message was not lost along the way (always a good thing).

Bonus points for so many well-rounded, interesting characters! It was wonderful getting to know Reece right along with Devan. She was a little difficult and sometimes said hurtful things but, since I was on the outside looking in, I was able to recognize that Reece’s rough spots covered insecurities of her own. I totally got her sarcasm and her brash personality, but could definitely see how easy it would be to take the things she said the wrong way. Helping keep everyone sane was the third member of the Malcolm household, Reece’s live-in boyfriend Brad. I loved, loved, LOVED him – how sympathetic he was and the way he encouraged both Devan and Reece daily, all while keeping them fed.

As if trying to cement her place in a new family isn’t enough, Devan has to deal with a new school, new friends, and possible romance. I liked the natural twists and turns these relationships took as they developed. Little aggravations arose, small spats and make-ups occurred, a potential best friend came from a surprising place – they all added dimension to the story. Devan’s first kiss was as much a shock to me as to her, but I thought things played out realistically.

One character I want to highlight is Devan’s first crush, Sai, another recent transplant to L.A. and the school just like Devan. He had such an upbeat and outgoing personality through most of the story, but Spalding did a wonderful job revealing bits and pieces of Sai that weren’t all sweetness and light. I liked the way he provided a counterpoint to the issues Devan was dealing with in regards to Reece, and how they seemed on parallel paths – although his was slightly darker.

And now a negative or two. In her quest to learn more about her mother, Devan starts digging through Reece’s personal stuff which, to me, is a huge no-no. I didn’t like this bit of sneakiness in her character and was also a bit annoyed by her referring to her mother as “Reece Malcolm” (full name) all the time. These details added some necessary flaws to her character – no one should be perfect, after all – but they did irritate me. I enjoyed the resolution to the sneakiness issue, however.

Amy Spalding’s young adult contemporary debut The Reece Malcolm List is a wonderful exploration of family and friendship, with a little romance thrown in to spice things up. Featuring a unique teenage voice in Devan, a cast of interesting and well-developed characters, and a natural style that moves the story along, The Reece Malcolm List hits all the right notes to make this an extremely promising debut. ( )