Surviving the Applewhites

So I noticed something just now as I was updating. The Kiki Strike entry dates from Sunday, but I really posted it today. It's 'cause that was, um, when I started writing the review in Blogger, and I guess it posts it from the date when you start a saved entry. 'Cause this system of blogging has an auto-save feature for entries. So, yeah, whoops, some dates may be off.

Title: Surviving the Applewhites
Author: Stephanie S. Tolan

What it's about: Told from two points of view, those of delinquent Jake Semple and the rather normal E.D. Applewhite. The Applewhites are a family of artists. The father's a director, the mother's a writer, the eldest daughter is a dancer, and the rest of them are all talented, too. Except for E.D., who's not very artistic, but at least she has common sense and isn't a typical artsy type like the rest of her family. Jake Semple, meanwhile, has been thrown out of schools because he's a troublemaker, and staying with the Applewhites is his last chance before juvenile hall. He and E.D. butt heads frequently, but they learn to appreciate each other as the whole Applewhite family rallies together to stage a performance of The Sound of Music.

What I thought: I have to admit, when the theatrical aspect came into play, I started enjoying the book a lot more. Gotta say that I can definitely understand the artistic type, you know, the crazy ones. I'm a theatre major, after all, and I also hang around with writerly types. You totally get to know the scatterbrained artistic souls. So, yeah, could totally sympathize with Jake and E.D. as they lived with this family. There were actually a good bit of funny moments in this book, too, stemming from that, and most of the "life lesson" moments weren't done badly. This was a fun read, although it's not my normal genre and not something I'll probably read again.

Overall: Not a bad book.