Jessica (HDB)

I've been hemming and hawing over what to write about The F-It List for a few days now. The truth is that I actually enjoyed this book for the most part. I loved that it wasn't overly depressing. That Alex was witty, intelligent, and yet just flawed enough to make her feel like a real person. Julie Halpern wasn't afraid to create a character who can equal parts feel guilty about her friend's illness, and still embrace the happiness that comes her way. I so appreciated that. Illness sucks, and being helpless while a friend is ill sucks even more, but Halpern shows that you're still allowed to live your life.

The F-It List embraces the idea of living for the moment. Becca's list isn't one of those bucket lists that is filled with things like skydiving and swimming with dolphins. Hers contains all those little things that we never do because we always think we'll have time for them later. Like sleeping on the beach. Or making a move on that hot guy you've been watching since the beginning of the year. I was enamored with the fact that her list was full of things that, although they seem insignificant at first, are absolutely part of who she wanted to be. No dream is too small.

What else did I love? The fact that there is so much nerdy goodness in this book. Alex is obsessed with horror movies, and all you horror buffs out there will appreciate her taste in movies. These movies played a big roll in who she was, and how she got by. There's also a huge nod in the direction of Firefly fans, which contributed to a part of this book that actually made me laugh out loud. We all want to meet our idols. Becca does just that, and then some!

Sadly, we've now come to the part where I have to tell you what I didn't like about this book. I'll keep it short, I promise. The main problem I had with The F-It List was the way Alex and Becca were so oversexualized. I've been a teen, I know that talking about/having sex is a part of that stage of life. In this case though, it felt like overkill. I appreciated the fact that Julie Halpern acknowledged that yes, girls can be just as crass as guys at times. However the amount of times it came up actually started to pull me out of the story.

I think this had the potential to be a perfect read for me. Two best friends, who are brutally honest with one another, each trying to overcome their own struggles while being strong for one another. If the story had backed off on the sex and swearing just a little bit, just enough to let the sweetness of this friendship shine through, it would have been exactly what I was looking for. As it stands, I still think this deserves a three star rating. After all, I did have more than my fair share of chuckles at Alex's expense!