Gypsy Reviews

4.5/5I received an eARC from HarperTeen via Edelweiss. Thank you.Originally posted at Gypsy ReviewsThe Boyfriend App is far better than your average realistic contemporary novel, it’s much less predictable and I just loved that. I was expecting the story to go from Audrey finding out about the competition, create the app, become popular, win the competition and gets the guy then the end! But it didn’t and I was taken by surprise by how much I enjoyed this.I liked the MC, Audrey is quirky, smart and generally very likable. She definitely knows her stuff and this was one aspect of the book that pleased me so much – the technological side. Katie Sise really did her homework on programming and I’m not entirely sure if everything is entirely accurate but even if it isn’t, she did a great job making it very convincing. Audrey has a huge crush on Aidan, one of her friends who is a bit of a geek too but to her, he’s perfect. It was nice to see a MC not solely crushing on the popular guy but someone who had similar interests with her.Of course in every contemporary book set in high school, there are stereotypical characters such as Blake, the popular girl who was once friends with Audrey and Xavier, the popular job. What is really interesting is how you see the multiple layers these characters have and they become more dimensional, there is just so much more to them than meets the eye. Though we only see this much later in the story so it could have been developed much sooner. Lindsay, Audrey’s fashion-loving cousin, made the story different and especially with her fashion blog, it gave more of an edge. It just seemed so much more realistic and with the obsession of technology and handphones, everything was all very relatable.The storyline is nothing like I thought it would be, it’s less predictable and we get to see Audrey develop more through this process and her relationships with her family and friends. Props to Katie Sise for not taking the easy way out for BFA! It was a very enjoyable story and although I did stop in the middle because of my ebook slump, BFA helped take me out of that slump and I devoured the last half of the book very quickly.One little thing I’m a bit hmph about is mixing up Muslim and Hindu customs because Ramadan isn’t a Hindu tradition, it’s a Muslim tradition and from what was mentioned in the book, I’m pretty sure the characters were supposed to be talking about Hinduism. It’s not too big of a mistake but it might give readers a bit of misconception over these two religions.The Boyfriend App stands out amongst the contemporary romantic novels this year with its quirky characters and brilliant take on how technology impacts our everyday life. Katie Sise no doubt has made her mark and I do hope she will release more books because BFA was fabulous. You need to check this out if you’re looking for a fun, enjoyable and light-hearted read that is smart, witty and gets you warm and fuzzy.-------------------------------Exceeded my expectations and I wish more realistic contemporary books were like this. Enjoyed this so much and the characters were fantastic. This is a must read for those who love light-hearted and romantic contemporary novels with a hint of geek, full review to come late April 2013.