Reece Malcolm List (Stacy Cantor Abrams Collection Book)

by Amy Spalding

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?

• ISBN10: 1322368570
• ISBN13: 9781322368573
• Publish Date: 1 January 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 11 February 2015
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Entangled Select
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

I received an ARC through NetGalley.

I will admit that I only picked up The Reece Malcolm List because it's published by Entangled Teen. I've only read a handful of their titles, but I've enjoyed each one, so I figured I would like this one, too. Luckily, I was right! This is a very cute contemporary book about Devan meeting her mother, the mysterious Reece Malcolm, for the first time ever following the death of her father. Devan barely knew anything about her mother, so it was interesting watching her get to know her and develop a relationship, as well as starting at a new school in a new city.

How to describe Reece Malcolm? Well, I wouldn't say she's a bad mother, but she's pretty detached. She treats Devan as more of a house guest at the beginning rather than a daughter, but it's obvious that she's trying despite her lack of emotion. Devan keeps referring to her as "scary" but I didn't get that from Reece at all. Intimidating is probably a better description. However, as time goes on, Devan is able to add little tidbits to her Reece Malcolm List.

Immediately, Devan's voice drew me in. The author did an amazing job of infusing a memorable personality into her writing. I liked Devan right away, and she's exactly the type of person I'd want to be friends with. In fact, in high school I was friends with people in the school choir and drama club! She lives and breathes musicals which added a lot of fun to her story. I really liked the performance plot thread, even though it did get a little repetitive with all of the rehearsals and everyone telling Devan how amazing she is at singing.

There's also a really cute romance (or two!) going on. We get to follow Devan as she navigates her first boyfriend and her first love, which are completely different experiences. Don't worry though; there isn't a love triangle or insta-love. It's all very realistic that Devan would like one guy who has a girlfriend, and end up dating another nice boy who's into her, but realize that he's not the one.

If you're looking for a fun contemporary that isn't about heavy issues and focuses more on friends and family, I would highly recommend The Reece Malcolm List. It's a very refreshing read with funny moments and touching moments all mixed together. The last page is super cute and almost had me in tears, but left me with a smile on my face.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[Amber]

The Reece Malcolm List is your average story with your average main character and average (and at times bad) writing. It's everything you look for when you want a light read for the beach or a car journey. It's definitely not a bad book, but I don't think it has anything that sets it apart from the rest.

Full review here: http://www.booksofamber.com/2013/02/the-reece-malcolm-list-by-amy-spalding.html