by Tara Lynn Childs
ages: 13+
First sentence: “When I’m running, I can almost feel my dad at my side.”

beach read: n. A book that is sufficiently fluffy enough to not require thinking while sitting in the hot sand, but fun enough to keep you turning pages.

Oh. My. Gods. = Perfect. Beach. Read.

Think of it as a cross between Maureen Johnson — our main character, Phoebe, is marooned (of sorts) on a Greek island when her mother remarries, and she has to Figure Out the New Life Changes — and Rick Riordan — except the high school she’s now attending is populated with descendants of Greek Gods. Sure, all the elements of your usual High School chick fare are there — snotty Evil Stepsister (they actually call her that) and her snotty cheerleader friends; jerk (but cute) boy with Heart of Gold that she falls for, in spite of her Best Interests; best friends (that Phoebe left behind) that are dying to know What’s Going On; new best friend with an Agenda; and the boy, who’s just a Friend. But throw in the added element of supernatural powers derived from being related to the Greek gods, a bit of a conflict with new best friend and Jerk Boy, and Phoebe trying figure out her place in the whole scheme of things (like why her down-to-earth therapist mother would run off with a Greek guy in the first place… which was never really explained), and you have enough to sustain a novel. But, really: it’s all about the hot guy and the main character getting together. Isn’t it?

If you don’t expect anything big or grand or life-shattering, it’s a fun romp (and an interesting take) through Greek mythology and your general YA romance fare. No, it’s not great literature, but it is a lot of fun.

Buy it at Amazon, Powell’s, or your local independent bookstore.