I've continued reading the A-List series by Zoey Dean and I have to admit that the last two I've read, Back in Black and Some Like It Hot have made me rethink my review. These are the fifth and sixth books in the series, and it seems as though Dean has gotten something kind of Francine Pascal-like ghostwriter (see: Sweet Valley High). Which would have been fine if she had started the series that way, atleast readers would know what to expect. Instead, almost the entire first half of each book is spent catching the reader up on the previous happenings in the series. When Dean (or Dean-like writer) finally gets to the plot, I almost don't care. Keyword: almost. I am one of those readers who like to know what happens to characters, and I particularly like the protagonist, Anna. Unfortunately, Anna is starting to take the back seat to her Beverly Hills companions Sam, Cammie and Dee. Dean tries to make these characters more likeable, but they still come up short.
In Back in Black, the A-List heads to Las Vegas, skipping their senior trip to Washington, D.C. The most scandalous event is the crew going to a hypnotist. Snore. Some Like It Hot centers around the senior prom, and Sam making a film about the B-List at Beverly Hills High. Laughably, the most annoying thing about this book was that I couldn't get that awful 80's song by the same name out of my head.
Listen to it here at Amazon if you dare.
Listen to it here at Amazon if you dare.
Dean has also omitted several characters introduced in the first four without an explanation, which is also annoying. And makes me believe there is definitely a ghost writer who didn't even read the first four thoroughly! I'm going to read the rest of the series, since at this point I only have four more left . . . I'll let you know if the A-List series makes an upward climb back into my favor or not!
[Photos: amazon.com & fantasticfiction.uk]
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