Out with the In Crowd by Stephanie Morrill (Book Tour & Review)

From a talented new voice in YA fiction:

HOW DO YOU START OVER AGAIN IN HIGH SCHOOL?

Out with the In Crowd (The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt Book #2) by Stephanie Morrill

Publisher: Revell Books

Publish Date: January 1, 2010

Paperback, 252 pages

My Review:

Rating: 9.0/10.0

From what I read in the beginning of this book, it takes up pretty much where book #1 leaves off.  Sklar is returning to school after Christmas break facing her last semester of high school with her wonderful boyfriend and without the in crowd of friends she has hung out with for the last four years.

Skylar's uncertainty seems very true of high school girls or anyone who goes back into a situation with friends who aren't friends any more.  Nothing is glossed over and Skylar's emotions and uncertainties are shared throughout the book.  On the outside Skylar looks very put together, but on the inside she is a typical unsure teenager.

In this book she is also coming to grips with her refound faith and what it means to truly forgive people and trust people.  Her life hasn't exactly been perfect for the past few months and with her parents dealing with problems too, her trust level is way down.  Conner, her boyfriend is one of those people you want to be.  Understanding, forgiving and just friendly no matter what the circumstances and while Skylar wants to be like him, she has a hard time giving up her own wants and whims.  Though some of the things her and Conner start to fight over are what she believes, getting Conner to believe them is another story.

The book keeps you turning pages and even without reading the first book in the series, I felt like I knew Skylar within the first ten pages.  You get enough backstory in this book to understand what has gone on without feeling like you missed much and I am guessing it's not too much backstory if you read the first one.  I do plan on going back and reading the first one and I can't wait until the next one.

As a Christian book, this one pulls no punches and does not show ideal life.  Skylar's younger sister is pregnant and Skylar herself has lead an interesting life before turning back to the Lord.  The situations in this book feel real along with the characters and that is what make this a great read.

Rating Breakdown: 
Characterization:     1.75/2.0
Plot:                       1.75/2.0
Writing:                  1.75/2.0
Attention-holding:   0.75/1.0
Ending:                    1.0/1.0
Believable:               1.0/1.0
    Genre:                      1.0/1.0    
Rating:                9.0/10.0


About the Book:

Teens have embraced Skylar Hoyt, the title character in The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series by debut author Stephanie Morrill. Skylar is a character readers can relate to, as she struggles with popularity, fitting in and figuring out what really matters in the midst of it all.

In the second book of the series, Out with the In Crowd, Skylar is struggling with her circle of friends: She’s vowed to change her partying ways, but it's not so easy to change her friends and her old life is constantly staring her in the face. Add to that two parents battling for her loyalty, a younger sister struggling with a crisis pregnancy, and a new boyfriend wishing for more of her time, and Skylar feels like she can't win. After all, how do you choose favorites among the people you love most?

With style and grace, Stephanie Morrill delivers another compelling story that addresses teen issues in Out with the In Crowd.

Romantic Times reviewed the first book in The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series, with praise:
“This is a good start to a promising new series. Morrill introduces a strong, relatable character to root for.”

About the Author:

Stephanie Morrill is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and the Teen Lit writers' group. Morrill is the author of Me, Just Different and Out with the In Crowd, and she also serves in youth ministry. She lives in Kansas with her husband and young daughter.

Photo courtesy Amy Hoskins Photography

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life.  They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

**Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.**

Thank you to Donna Hausler at Baker Publishing  for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.