Katie Van Ark

Although not awe inspiring, "The Boy Next Door" was a cute romance and an easy read. I was drawn to the front cover since I have always enjoyed watching the pairs ice-skating at the Winter Olympics, and i really liked this aspect of the story. The author certainly knows her stuff which came through loud and clear. The romance between skate-partners and best friends, Maddy and Gabe, was a bit too dramatic at times, but I enjoyed the dual narrative, and especially liked Gabe's voice. Cute and swoons, girls will love this book.… (meer)

First off, don't let the cliched title fool you. The story is not a cliche, and this is my favorite of the books that Swoonreads has published so far.

The writing is excellent: smart, fast, and clever (full of literary allusions that make it even more interesting on a deeper level for those of us who catch them, but won't slow down anyone who doesn't catch them). The characters are wonderful, too. Maddy is brilliant, courageous, and resourceful, but still a believable teenager, and Gabe is flawed and confused, yet caring.

The passages when the author describes the figure skating are beautiful in and of themselves. I can't wait to see what Katie Van Ark writes next, because this is an impressive start.… (meer)