Don't Even Think About It

Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Source: NetGalley

Summary: Contemporary teen fiction with romance, secrets, scandals, and ESP from the author of Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have).
We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.
Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.
So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening. (Source of Summary and Book Cover: Goodreads)

Rating: 2 Stars

Review: This was a pretty light read that is perfect for 8th to 10th graders.

As an adult I found the writing a bit elementary, but I can easily see a teen enjoying it. The point of view was unique, switching from character to character to the group as a whole and back. It was a bit confusing at first but it worked and helped me to understand the connection between the characters.

The characters are ok, given that there were so many of them, they weren't entirely developed it seemed like each character had just a few traits.

The plot felt a bit slow for me; the day to day events were pretty typical for teens, I think, at least for teens in this type of community. There was one serious issue that I think was included in order to make the character relatable, but I wish it was dealt with me and maybe even overcome.

Overall it was ok, and I think that its intended audience will enjoy it.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.