Of All The Stupid Things Review

TITLE: of all the stupid things
AUTHOR: Alexandra Diaz
PUB DATE: December 2009
PAGES: 258

ABOUT THE BOOK:
When a rumor starts circulating that Tara’s boyfriend Brent has been sleeping with one of the guy cheerleaders, the innuendo doesn’t just hurt Tara. It marks the beginning of the end for an inseparable trio of friends. Tara’s training for a marathon, but also running from her fear of abandonment after being deserted by her father. Whitney Blaire seems to have everything, but an empty mansion and absentee parents leave this beauty to look for meaning in all the wrong places. And Pinkie has a compulsive need to mother everyone to make up for the mom she’s never stopped missing. This friendship that promised to last forever is starting to break under the pressure of the girls’ differences.

And then new-girl Riley arrives in school with her long black hair, athletic body, and her blasé attitude, and suddenly Tara starts to feel things she’s never felt before for a girl–and to reassess her feelings about Brent and what he may/may not have done. Is Tara gay–or does she just love Riley? And can her deepest friendships survive when all of the rules have changed?

MY THOUGHTS:

This is Alexandra’s debut novel. I enjoyed reading the book.

The book is told from the alternating points of view of three best friends and they are Tara, Whitney Blair and Pinkie. They are all high school students.

This is the opening line of the book “Of all the stupid things he could have done, Brent Staple had to go and do that.” In reading just that I had to find out what Brent had done. What did Brent do that was so stupid?

We quickly discover that Tara’s relationship with Brent isn’t so picture perfect as she thinks it is. Her best friend Whitney Blair is quick to tell Tara about a rumour she heard about Brent. Apparently this rumor is that Brent cheated on Tara. We all know that is bad enough but when Tara discovers that the person he supposedly cheated with isn’t a girl but a guy cheerleader. This news devastates Tara. She decided to move on and try to leave Brent and that rumor behind her.

Then suddenly a new girl named Riley moves to town and Tara is instantly drawn to her. I have to admit when I was reading it I kept saying to myself Tara watch out she isn’t who she seems to be.

Tara’s friends accuse Riley of being gay and that Tara is choosing her over her friends. Tara actually begins to questions her friendships with Whitney Blair and Pinkie wondering if they are really true friends and her own sexuality. Everything in Tara’s live is suddenly turned upside down. Is Tara gay? Can this friendship saved?

This book was provided for review by Egmont USA.