Book Review Monday: The Unlikely Debut of Ellie Sweet

Last week, you read my review of The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill.

I recently finished reading its sequel, The Unlikely Debut of Ellie Sweet.

I'll go straight to the review. 

Here's a little bit about the book:

"For once, Ellie Sweet has it all together. Her hair now curls instead of fuzzes, she’s tamed the former bad-boy, Chase Cervantes (she has, right?), and her debut novel will hit shelves in less than a year. Even her ex-friends are leaving her alone. Well, except for Palmer Davis, but it can’t be helped that he works at her grandmother’s nursing home.

Life should feel perfect. And yet, it’s not that easy. Ellie’s editor loves her, but the rest of the publishing biz? Not so much. And they’re not shy about sharing their distrust over Ellie’s unlikely debut.

Ellie has always been able to escape reality in the pages of her novel, but with the stress of major edits and rocky relationships, her words dry up. In fiction, everything always comes together, but in real life, it seems to Ellie that hard work isn’t always enough, the people you love can’t always be trusted, and the dream-come-true of publishing her book could be the biggest mistake she’s made yet."

My Thoughts:

The Idea:

I absolutely love the idea of this novel. It is the sequel to the first Ellie Sweet novel by Stephanie Morrill, and it definitely did not disappoint. 

Ellie has a boyfriend, Chase, and her debut novel is about to come out. Her life is perfect, right?

But things keep going wrong. After she goes through a series of stressful events, she experiences a bout of writer's block and worries if she is doing the right thing by publishing her book.

The Characters:

The characters are extraordinary. I completely, one hundred-percent can identify with Ellie. We were both published at the same age, and she honestly acts just like me. I could understand everything she was going through. 

Chase is the "reformed" bad-boy, who is struggling with issues of his own. He finally got the girl he had been wanting for years, and yet their relationship struggles.

Palmer is still as dashing as ever, and is working in a nursing home over the summer--the same one that Ellie's grandma is in. He has stopped chasing every girl he sees, and has changed a lot as a person as he goes through some family struggles. I admired Palmer in this book. 

The Plot:

The plot was excellent. I could not put the down, and got it finished in a very short amount of time. I loved every twist and turn. 

It seemed very much like real life. 

The Setting:

The setting was great for the story. I enjoyed how the struggles of life in high school applied to Ellie and doubled the issues she faced. 

Overall:

Overall, I really enjoyed the second Ellie Sweet novel!

I'm not sure if there is a third book planned to round it out into a trilogy, but I really hope there is. I loved the characters to death. I definitely recommend this book!

About the Author:

Stephanie Morrill lives in Overland Park, Kansas with her husband and two kids. Her only talents are reading, writing, and drinking coffee, so career options were somewhat limited. Fortunately she discovered a passion for young adult novels and has been writing them ever since. 

Stephanie is the author of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series and The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet. She enjoys encouraging and teaching teen writers on her blog, GoTeenWriters.