How Not to Spend Your Senior Year (Simon Romantic Comedies)

by Cameron Dokey

Book Overview

"Rule #1: If at all possible, don t pretend to be something you re not. Specifically, don t play dead. Trust me on this one. I did it, so I should know." Jo O Connor has spent her whole life moving... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689867034
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 0.8" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

How NOT to Spend Your Senior Year

"Softly, almost tentatively, their lips touched. I wonder what she's feeling, I thought as I felt my own lips begin to tingle. I think that was the moment I acknowledged the truth. I had fallen, hopelessly, for Alex Crawford," (pg. 32). How NOT to Spend Your Senior Year is an absolute must-read. It combines romance, comedy, and even finds a way to mix in a thriller side. In the beginning, the reader is introduced to the murder mystery. On the happy side of things, we meet two major characters and their love at first sight experience. The story heats up with two fake deaths. Finally, the book ends with a heartfelt kiss and a new romance. Jo O'Conner is hardly a normal teenager. All her life she has wondered why her small family (her father and she) has always moved to a new house practically every month. It does not end there either. They have moved all across the country. When she finds herself at a new school again in modern-day Seattle, Washington and meets the guy of her dreams, she knows she's into something good. Alex, a "Big Man On Campus," in just one day, shows Jo the meaning of love at first sight. The two of them connect immediately but are torn apart a few hours later. Their tale is one that captures the reader almost right after reading the first line. Cameron Dokey wrote this book very well. She makes it easy to picture what is happening and what the characters look like. Her novel is written very realistically with real high school life and classes. How NOT to Spend Your Senior Year does not have a lot of characters to keep track of or any confusing plots or scenes. Also, other books seem to grasp the sense that love was in the air, but this one explains how it starts and what exactly keeps it alive. One thing about Cameron Dokey's writing is that she wrote the dialogue in the book in words that high schoolers would use when they were talking to other teenagers and not adult wording. How NOT to Spend Your Senior Year is similar to Niki Burnham's novels, but Cameron Dokey presents her work with greater description and feelings. I loved every minute of reading this book and would recommend it to any teenager who likes romantic comedies. I say this because teenagers would understand high school life better than younger children and also because of the fact that this book contains slightly teenage themes. It is a quick read and is not too hard to get through. The novel never becomes boring. Overall, I would say this book deserves five out of five stars. Cameron Dokey's How NOT to Spend Your Senior Year is a must-read romantic comedy that you have to read soon. If you do not, you are missing out on a great novel.

Heck Yes!

I read this book within one day or less. I couldn't put it down. I'm a sucker for teen romance and this wasn't like others that I've read. I do think others should read this.

How Not to Sepnd Your Senior Year

Josephine Claire Calloway O'Connor is very good at blending in. After repeatedly moving from place to place from the time her mother died to her senior year in high school, it was something she learned to pick up on. Since she never expected to stay in one place for too long, she rarely tried to make friends and never unpacked her suitcases. It didn't make sense to her, if she was just going to leave anyway. When she moves into a house Seattle, she doesn't expect anything to be any different. But on her first day at Beacon High, she meets a fantastic new guy, who happens to be school president, on every sports team at the school, and a complete 'Big Man on Campus.' Jo's experience with people like Alex Crawford is that they always ignore new girls like her. But not only was she wrong about this, she also fell in love with him. Or, as much in love as you can be when you're a senior in high school. For the first time in a long time, Jo has a guy who she likes, who likes her back. She also has a best friend, Elaine Golden. And everything seems to be going perfect. At least, until her dad tells her that they will fake their deaths, because they are part of the witness protection program and the guy Jo's dad has been trying to put in jail for the longest time is trying to kill them. Which, actually, he has been trying to do ever since Jo's first move, and is the reason she has always had to move so often. So Jo and her dad get in a 'car crash,' and she starts all over again at Royer High, this time as Claire Calloway. Jo gets a complete makeover to ensure that no one realizes her true identity. However, Jo cannot let Alex go without saying goodbye. So she visits Alex on what she thinks will be her last time at Beacon High. Alex sees her but he does the thing she last expects: he panics. Well, that and he tells everyone he's seen Jo O'Connors ghost. AS the new star reporter of Royer High, Claire (Jo) is forced to spend more time at Beacon to report on the students' reactions to Jo's 'ghost.' Claire also meets Mark London, a pushy, smart, and sarcastic reporter, who just happens to think Claire Calloway and Jo O'Connor are the same person. And if anyone can figure out the truth, Mark can. Which is a thing Claire badly does not want to happen. So she tries to get rid of Jo's ghost once and for all. A thing that is way harder than it sounds. Through it all Jo/Claire learns some important lessons about life, love, and...ghosts. Just like all of Cameron Dokey's other books, this was fantastic. It was completely original and totally exciting, even without the sword clashing, magic wielding heroines that I usually read about. Jo's adventure was just as hard to put down. With her truely funny comments and witty comebacks, Jo is one character that you will never forget. This book, along with others in the Simon Pulse Teen Romantic Comedy series will keep you laughing and searching for the perfect guy would take your bre

How Not to Spend Your Senior Year

How Not to Spend Your Senior YearBy: Cameron DokeyReviewed By: S.BaekPeriod: Period 5This book was about a girl name Jo O'Connor who has been living a interesting life. In the beginning she has a father she witnesses a murder caused by a murderer. Therefore, Jo has been moving all over the country. Jo O' Conner of course does not know this cause but she just thinks that that's the way other students live. However, when she enters Beacon High School she starts to realize that not all people live like her. She figures this high school will be like the other high schools she has attended to. Yet, she finds out that she falls in love with the school body president, Alex Crawford. She also met with a new friend name Elaine Golden. Elaine gradually became Jo's best friend. Prom night is coming to the air! Jo gets asked to the senior prom by Alex Crawford. She notices she is having the time of her life at her school. Jo, however, not only has to leave her school but she had to pretend that she was dead! The cause was the murderer black-mailing that he will murder Jo and Jo's father. Then all other sorts of things happen to her when suddenly Jo O' Connor became Claire Calloway! She also moves to a new school. At her new school people think that Claire is very similar to Jo. Rumors start, and Jo's ghost appears! Jo/Claire finds out that Alex isn't exactly her one true love but another guy name Mark London. Read the book to find out more exclusive details!I loved this book because the minute I read the first page, I was taken away by the characters and the setting of the story. However while I read I was kind of disappointed by the description of the characters. Yet, I loved the plot of the story. The plot of the story interested me because it had a specific thing that I don't know what it is called. It just makes the book more enjoyable."Never assume you can predict the future." This tells me that don't assume that you know what will happen to you in the future. Sometimes it doesn't turn out the way you would want it to be. Also sometimes it just creates more problems like in the story Jo thinks that if her ghost turns up and talks to Alex just creates more publicity which is a bad think when a murderer was after her."don't expect the best when there is nothing in the future for you to expect." This quote means don't think you have everything undercontrol when you know that you feel a little uneasy. It's not the best thing to do when you have doubts about your plan. This quote explaines to me that I should expect full surprises in the future.My favorite part of the story was when Jo realized that her true love was not Alex but Mark. I loved this part because it was so romantic and it made Jo realize the truth and realty of life. I also liked it because it told Jo that don't trust her attractions but trust her heart. I suggest that you read this book because it is a interesting book that will blow you away!

Fantastic Addition to the Teen Fiction Genre

Jo O'Connor feels that she's finally settling in to her new house in Seattle, and her new school, Beacon High. She's met a great new guy, Alex Crawford, who genuinely likes her, and who she actually likes back. And for the first time in her life she actually has a best friend, Elaine Golden. All that is just fine until Jo's father tells her a story. One that will change her life, and her complete identity, forever, and will force her to leave Beacon High (under very strange rules), and force her to attend a new high school, and move to a new apartment, only a few miles away, under the name Claire Calloway. That's all just fine and dandy, until Alex starts seeing Jo's ghost, and Claire's (Jo) got to find a way to stop the mass-hysteria that has begun at Beacon High over her strange disappearance.Being a fan of Cameron Dokey's THE STORYTELLER'S DAUGHTER and BEAUTY SLEEP, I just new that I had to check out HOW NOT TO SPEND YOUR SENIOR YEAR. Let me tell you, this is one of the funniest, and most original books to hit the teen fiction genre in quite some time. Jo (Claire) is a smart, and funny chracter, who's witty one-liners keep you rolling on the floor laughing. While her friends quirky personalities hold your interest, and keep you begging for more. Reminiscent of the new SmoochYA series, the Simon Pulse Teen Romantic Comedy series will keep you wishing for the perfect guy to come along, while at the same time have you howling as you turn the pages. A must-have for all. Especially teenage girls.Erika Sorocco