Making Out

Making Out by Katherine Applegate ***

This is a romance series for teenage girls. That said, these are still some pretty entertaining books. The plot revolves around a group of eight young adults who live on a tiny island off the coast of Maine, through their senior year of high school and freshman year of college. One of the characters, Ben, is blind. Each of the characters gets equal time in the story, so Ben is not always in the spotlight, but Applegate’s characterization of him is excellent, and she’s not afraid to make him an object of desire. Ben’s character really rings true. One of the major plot points involves Ben’s undergoing surgery to cure his blindness, but the whole thing is handled in a smart and non-cheezy way.  Also Applegate uses some interesting devices, such as printing sections from each character’s diary in his or her own handwriting. Ben’s diary is typed, of course. Devo Girl recommends these books to those of you who like teen romances (you know who you are). Be sure to start with the first book, Zoey Fools Around, and read them in order. Each book contains a character’s name in the title, but it doesn’t really determine which character gets the most focus, so be sure to read them all.