Rating: 
Summary: Embarrassingly inaccurate
Review: This book promises to be about two things: (a) the mindset of the suburban American teenager and (b) the town in the title.The book was barely entertaining. Being quite aware of things our police has to handle I sincerely believe that the author has blown the antics of point (a) way beyond proportion. Point (b) is more embarrassing for the author and most irritating for the reader because of glaring mistakes in the geography, as several other locals have pointed out. It may be excusable out of respect to invent a St. John's in neighbouring Lisle, but there's no need to cross the Burlington tracks on Maple on the way back if you live on 63rd. A simple look at a map would have refreshed memories..... Even though certain aspects of the white settlement are disconcerting in general, Pierce Downer and the other early settlers actually had a quite amicable relationship with the local Potawatomi (not: Pottawatami) Indian tribe, which went as far as the tribal elders throwing in a good word for the settlers during the Black Hawk war. Chicago also gets its share of goofs. The trains in the downtown area (The Loop) are called "El" (more often just "L") because they run on "elevated" tracks, not because they are electric ones. This can be found by cursory inspection of tourist guide material. Most of these irritants are found within the first handful of chapters. I may be seeing things too rational, but when an author puts the name of a real town on a book and makes it an integral part of the story he better get the setting right. I am sure his current neighbors in glorious N.Y.C. would be just as annoyed with such ignorance about their own locality. Certainly, most readers will not be from the area and will ignore the duds. Without them, the book provides some light entertainment, perhaps.
Rating: 
Summary: lolita sweetie
Review: This book was not only sad and moving but very sexy, especially the cover. Michael Hornburg really knows what it's like to be a teenage girl even though he isn't one himself. And judging by his author photo, he's one lovesexy papa himself. Can't wait to see what else he brews up in the peaks and valleys of his wicked mind.
Rating: 
Summary: I can't believe I wasted my time
Review: This has to be one of the worst books I've ever read. Everything in it is a bad stereotype and the whole thing reads like a commercial. I find it incredibly amusing how "hip" the author tries to play himself off, all the while carrying on a totally unbelievable and rambling story. The angst-ridden lead character spends her time at Starbucks and Barnes and Noble, afterwards her and her friends go to see the movie Kurt and Courtney and then get their noses pierced. Come on! If you want a real tale of depressed youth, read Catcher in the Rye or the Bell Jar, don't waste your time with this!
Rating: 
Summary: ahhh the burbs"
Review: This was a very fun book to read, crissi and her friend tracy reminded me of the girls from the suburb i lived in for a couple of years, strivin to be there own person with no where to go or feed off of,what i dont like about this book is it's a quick read should of had more to it, i feel like there are some pages missing but is still a good book.
Rating:
Summary: Downer's Grove Rocks!
Review: What can I say? Amazing follow up to Bongwater. What girl won't relate to "my mechanic" Bobby. Perfect.
Rating: 
Summary: It had such good potential
Review: When I first picked up this book I was very excited. It looked like just the kind of book I'd love to read. The plot line looked interesting and the back of the book made me laugh. And as I started to read it this high didn't wear off the first several chapters are honest, humorous, and real, Chrissie stars out as an intriguing character that can make you laugh or cry. It starts out about a story of an average girl. She lives with her dead beat brother and single mother. Her father ran off years ago and she hasn't heard from him since. She has a crush on the older sexier car mechanic at the place where she gets her gas. Her best friend has amazing luck with guys that Chrissie doesn't seem to posses. And she's terrified that before school ends she's gonna die. Because at her school someone always dies before graduation. Somewhere in this book a perfectly good story just dies. The characters become emotionless, the author seems to eager on having them talk in a hip Buffy-The-Vampire-Slayer-esque witty way then really developing them to their full potential and in the end the author just seems to give up. I give this book 3 stars because of the beginning and the potential it had to be great. I just wish the author would have spent a little more time on it to make it better. I'm sure there will be a lot of people out their who will love this book more than I do but it's just not my cup o' tea. If you wanna read good adolescent angst I suggest reading Sloppy firsts or Love and other Four Letter words.
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