DUDE! Thou Shalt Not, Okay?!

Ah, another novel of dumping and getting dumped on. Thou Shalt Not Dump The Skater Dude was a fun read about bravery and dealing, which are two of my favorite topics for strong girls. Kelsey might look like a blonde California calendar-girl, but she doesn’t feel like one, and she’s not like that. She desperately wants to get away from that image — away from the shallow girls’ school she’s been attending , away from the academically-focused-to-the-point-of-exclusion life her divorced parents have her leading. She wants to slow down and be real. So, ‘real’ is what she gets — before she even sets foot in her new public school, she’s caught the eye of one of the hottest boys on campus — skateboarder T.J. Logan. He’s been on the cover of magazines. He has… fans. Loads of screaming, empty-headed, teeny-bopper girls. And he’s looking at Kelsey like he can’t see anyone else.

Kelsey is Kelsey, though, and even though it’s amazing at first to be the Girlfriend of a High-School god, it… gets… old. For one thing, Kelsey is Kelsey, not “babe,” not a go-fer girl, not just any of the posse. T.J. can’t get that. So, even though he’s a great kisser — a really great kisser, even though he makes Kelsey really want to find lots of time alone with him, she… dumps him. I mean, nicely and all, but she breaks up with him. It just isn’t working for her, okay?

He cries.
And then he posts.

Oh, yeah, forgot to mention: T.J. Logan has a fansite. He blogs.
And he blogs all about Kelsey. Or, rather, about somebody. He calls her Total Sex Fiend.
And everybody at Kelsey’s high school believes him. And then there’s Kelsey’s little brother.

NOW what will she do?

Funny, descriptive and sassy, this novel paints a realistic picture of a savvy girl who makes a few mistakes, and then corrects them — and then some! — in funny and creative ways. Author Rosemary Graham is a Bay Area author whose works really resonate.