Familiar Diversions

This was an unusual purchase for me, because, while I read YA, I so far have purchased very little YA fiction in e-book form. Also, I don't often read YA contemporary fiction - too much of a chance that serious/angsty real-life issues will come up (which basically is what happened in this one). After I finished Second Son of a Duke, one of Hayes' stories written for adults, I wanted to try more of her works, and the description of So Over You appealed to me.I enjoyed the book most when it was light and funny, which was most of the time. Layney's “voice” was fun, even though she came across as being slightly older than she was. To me, she seemed like she was in her 20s, rather than not yet out of high school, and she treated the school paper like it was The New York Times. That kind of thing tended to throw me through a loop – I couldn't help but laugh when I learned that Layney and Jimmy broke up over something that happened during a game of spin-the-bottle, because it seemed so juvenile. I'll have to see how I like some of Hayes' other books, but I have a feeling her books written for adults will probably sit better with me.Layney's panic attack clued me in on the upcoming shift in the book, so it wasn't like it came completely out of the blue. It's tough to know what to say, without going so far as to actually spoil things, but there was an awful event in Layney's past that she suppressed. The dates she went on, and her interactions with Jimmy, forced her to think about what happened and the effect it had, and was still having, on her life and emotions.While the revelation certainly stuck in my mind and maybe helped keep this book from being pleasant, but otherwise forgettable, part of me wished that the revelation hadn't happened. The book could just as easily have been a completely light and funny look at two people who used to date and who discover that they really do still have feelings for each other. The romance between Layney and Jimmy had some cute moments - I squeed a bit when Layney failed to realize why Jimmy was reacting the way he was to the outcomes of her dates, and I loved Jimmy's story about falling head over heels in love with Layney when they were 7. I would have loved to see more of that kind of thing.Considering how short the book was, twelve dates turned out to be a bit much. The earlier dates felt like they had a bit more depth than the later ones. For example, I would have liked to see more of the guy from the karaoke date. He seemed like he could have turned into another one of Layney's friends, like Tyler, and yet he was barely in the book. And, speaking of Tyler, I found it a little odd that he was Layney's only friend. True, she was kind of married to her “job” of working on the school newspaper, but she was so energetic and personable that it was hard to believe she hadn't made one friend prior to going out on those dates for the newspaper. Tyler was a pretty good sport, letting Layney talk him into helping her with “girlie things,” like putting on makeup, but I couldn't help but think that Layney needed to find herself an actual female friend.This was an okay book, although I would have preferred it if this book had been 100% light, humorous fluff. The more serious shift near the end didn't seem to fit well with the overall tone of the book.Other Comments:There were a handful of typos, but, as far as I can remember, nothing major. Also, there was one part that looked a bit odd on my Nook, a bulleted list. The bullets were almost completely cut off on my screen, although I was able to read the list itself just fine.(Original review, with read-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)