The Boys Are Gone!

The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney
256 Pages (Hardcover)
Poppy
August 7, 2012
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover

It's all about supply and demand when a high school deals with the sudden exodus of male students.

The boy recession has hit Julius P. Heil High, and the remaining boys find that their stock is on the rise: With little competition, even the most unlikely guys have a good chance at making the team and getting the girl. Guitar-strumming, class-skipping Hunter Fahrenbach never wanted to be a hot commodity, but the popular girls can't help but notice his unconventional good looks. With a little work, he might even by boyfriend material.

But for down-to-earth Kelly Robbins, the boy recession is causing all sorts of problems. She has secretly liked her good friend Hunter for a while now, but how can she stand out in a crowd of overzealous Spandexers?

As if dating wasn't hard enough without a four-to-one ratio!

    This book is one of those feel-good-quick-read kind of books. It is cute and funny, extremely funny at times with witty observations, but there is not much else going on - no depth I guess you could say. However, with a title like The Boy Recession, I was not expecting any sort of life changing epiphany. So I am not disappointed, nor am I blown away, but I did have a fun time reading this story and it would be a great "in-between" read.

    School is starting up again after summer break and the girl population is horrified to find out that almost none of the handsome males have returned. The most desirable family of boys have been transferred to boarding school, so of course the next group of hotties who are in constant competition have to transfer to an even better school. When the departure of these star athletes leaves the school teams looking poor for the season, more students follow looking for a chance to secure their sports scholarships. So after that tragic (at least the girls think so) string of events, the remaining boys are a hot commodity. Were they always cute? Or are they interesting by default? More importantly, does it matter?

   I really liked how although this novel definitely is fictional, it isn't over dramatized. Meaning the relationships that fosters between the two main characters (the friend to more than friends thing)isn't drawn out, which so many plots try to do. I never felt like, "Oh my gosh already, enough with the almosts and the could haves ". The plot moved continually forward, rather than in circles, which I really appreciated.

    Overall, this is a good book if you're looking for a fun break from reality - no thinking involved.