Review: Don’t Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Don’t Even Think About It
written by Sarah Mlynowski
published by Delacorte Press (Random House)

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads

Why did I pick this book: I was pre-approved by the publisher for a review copy of this book via NetGalley. (I received a copy of this book for review purposes.)

Did I enjoy this book: I did. It was a bit slow, but it was cute.

The narration was a bit odd to me. It seemed like it was told in the third person, but also  in a collective first person. I know, it’s confusing. Parts were told in the “we,” not just “she.” Read the blurb below to see what I mean. There were 22 kids in the class that developed ESP. 22 kids made up that “we.” There were a few “main” main characters, but the “we” was all of them. It took quite a while to get used to.

Once I got into the groove, the book moved and it was cute. But nothing spectacular. I was hoping for something a bit more. It had teenage angst and drama. I was disappointed that they used their powers for cheating and gossip. I knew that was going to happen. I mean, what teenager wouldn’t sit next to the smartest kid in the class during a test! But I was hoping that it wouldn’t have. I could understand the gossip. There was really no way to avoid that. But the cheating doesn’t send a great message. Maybe I’m getting too old.

It was also an eye opener for some of the kids. They found out that they each had issues that they were dealing with, that their parents were dealing with issues, that everyone had something going on besides what was happening on the outside.

Would I recommend it: Sure. It was a cute YA read.

Will I read it again: I will not.

About the book – from Goodreads: We weren’t always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn’t expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we’ve kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what’s coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.
So stop obsessing about your ex. We’re always listening.