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Confessions Of A Queen B*    by Crista McHugh Amazon.com order for
Confessions Of A Queen B*
by Crista McHugh
Order:  USA  Can
Amazon, 2015 (2015)
Softcover, e-Book
* * *   Reviewed by Jessica Maguire

High school aged readers will enjoy reading about Alexis Wyndham, the queen B* of not just her grade but her entire high school. Freshmen look up to her in awe, seniors avoid her like the plague, and no one is exempt from the wrath of this, um, let's just say spirited teenager.

But one person seems to see through Alexis' queen b* reputation. Brett Pederson is not scared of Alexis. In fact, instead of running from her, he makes sure he is her partner for their health class baby care project. You know what I mean ... carry around a plastic doll and care for it as though it were a real child (though when I went through it I was schlepping around a bag of leaky flour).

No surprise that Brett breaks through Alexis' tough exterior and finds a softer, more vulnerable and, dare I say, nicer Alexis. I enjoyed this fun read but this plot has been done before. Readers who have seen the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, starring Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger, will recognize the story.

The similarities made me wonder if the movie was the inspiration for this story. Both set in Seattle; the protagonist has a younger sister who is the polar opposite; the popular boy breaking the tough shell of the mean girl ... yes, this popular theme has been done before. And both the movie and this novel are loosely based on Shakespeare's Taming Of The Shrew.

I enjoyed this read for an afternoon of strictly reading entertainment (a nice break from the more serious books) with a predictable plot and an ending that leaves the story open for book number two.

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