Books of Summer: 2/7

CRUEL SUMMER by Alyson Noel

Alyson Noel has hit it big with EVERMORE, the first in her Immortals series, but her previous books were not paranormal. And CRUEL SUMMER is a perfect for keeping you entertained in teh sun while you wait for your tan to develop. (Or, in my case, tuck yourself under man-made shade because your skin does not know the meaning of the word "tan.")

Colby's been out with the in crowd most of her life, but she's finally made it in. Of course, her summer of partying and developing a relationship with the hottest guy on school is put on hold when her parents ship her off to Greece to live with her aunt for the summer. Normally I'd hate Colby's whining about being sent to Greece, but Noel does a good job of preventing her point of view.

Of course, her point of view does change as she realizes she's in GREECE, and meets hot local Yannis. And as she continues contact with home through e-mail and a blog she comes to realize what makes a good friend.

Just a look at the perfect blue sky on the cover tells you what most of the book is going to be like. It's simple and predictable, but still fun and affecting. And if you don't get to it this summer, maybe it will brighten up your winter.