Book Review: "The List" by Melanie Jacobson

Ever read a book that's predictable so you just skip to the end to see if you're right?  Ever read a book that's predictable but interesting enough to keep reading?  This book is the latter.  I saw certain plot points coming from a mile away, but I enjoyed reading the witty dialogue.

Everyone has a bucket list, right?  Well, Ashley Barrett has "The List".  It's a list of 25 things she wants to do before she gets married.  She wrote it as an act of defiance at age 18.  She didn't want to be like her mom and sisters and marry super young.  Over the next 6 years, she's been checking things off the list.  The summer before she starts grad school (#5 on the list, by the way), she heads to California to stay with her cousins and learn to surf (#13).  She wasn't expecting to meet Matt Gibson, the hottest guy in the singles ward.  She manages to snag his attention, by playing hard to get.  And he quickly becomes #17 on the list (Have a summer fling.)

I really enjoyed the witty dialogue (as I said before.)  (I even posted 2 quotes from the book on my Facebook page!  I liked it that much!)  I also enjoyed reading the vivid descriptions of every kind of girl in a singles ward.  Having spent more than my fair share of years in singles wards, I can attest that every single description was spot on.  Melanie Jacobson does a great job of perfectly encapsulating the feeding frenzy that IS a singles ward in the summer time (or all year, in some cases) in a fun and engaging way.  (No pun intended.)  She also writes in a way that engages the reader with humor and truth.  Sure, I saw the ending coming a mile away, but I enjoyed her writing style so much and the story was cute, so I kept reading.  A few twists and turns kept me guessing there at the end, though. 

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Mormon Chick-Lit.  If you're not a "fluffy fun" kind of reader, you might not like this one.  But you're missing out on a silly good time.