Don't Even Think About It - Review

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Rating: 4 Stars

Description:  When homeroom 10B at Bloomberg High School gets flu shots they get an unexpected side effect.  They can read minds.  Chaos ensues for this group of high school sophomores as they deal with the benefits and consequences of knowing what everyone is thinking.

Genre: YA

My Impression: I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book and kind of expected it to go to more of a science fiction angle.  Instead it was really about this group of 15 and 16 year old teenagers figuring out who they are with the added complication of knowing what everyone is thinking and knowing that a select group of people can read their thoughts.  For some, like nervous hypochondriac Olivia, it's a good thing when she discovers that people don't judge her nearly as much as she thought they did.  For some, like popular pretty Mackenzie, it causes her world to tumble as it's revealed that she's not nearly as perfect as she'd like everyone to think she is.  I have kids who are in this age range and I thought Mlynowski did a good job with making these teenagers act like actual teenagers.  They're not stupid, they're worried about the future and thinking about sex.  In some ways they're terribly mature and in other ways they're woefully immature.  There's a lot of angst regarding boy/girl issues that can come off as overly dramatic or silly to adult readers but I thought was appropriate and accurate.  It did drag a little in the middle once they had figured out what was going on and were trying to live with it but the story was well wrapped up.  This feels like a fun lightweight read but the issues about dealing with the world around you are thought-provoking.

*An added note - Emma (almost 17) was so intrigued by my description of this book so she borrowed my Kindle and got through it in about a day.  She really enjoyed the story and the characters as well.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Yes definitely!  I've already ordered a copy for Emma (almost 17 years old)