Book Review: Manicpixiedreamgirl by Tom Leveen

Manicpixiedreamgirl

By Tom Leveen 

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Source: Publisher

Summary: Sometimes the most dramatic scenes in a high school theater club are the ones that happen between the actors and crew off stage.

Seventeen-year-old Tyler Darcy's dream of being a writer is starting to feel very real now that he's sold his first short story to a literary journal. He should be celebrating its publication with his two best friends who've always had his back, but on this night, a steady stream of texts from his girlfriend Sidney keep intruding. So do the memories of his dream girl, Becky, who's been on his mind a little too much since the first day of high school. Before the night is over, Ty might just find the nerve to stop all the obsessing and finally take action.  

Review: Words cannot even begin to explain how much I loved this book. I don't know what it is, but I just could not put this one down. I finished this in one day. During finals week. That's gotta tell you something!

The moment Tyler Darcy sees Rebecca Webb, he's a goner. For the next three years, Tyler continues to obsess over Becky and everything about her, even though he starts dating Sydney at the end of freshman year. There's just something about Becky he can't get out of his head. Tyler's a writer, and it seems like everything he writes that's good has to do with her, and when a story of his is finally published in a magazine about his Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Tyler is forced to face reality and confront his feelings once and for all. 

Normally I don't read books from a guy's point of view, but there's just something about Tyler that makes him so lovable. Maybe it's the fact that he's a writer, or that he just seemed to fall for the wrong girl, but I couldn't get enough of Tyler's story. Tom Leveen is an absolutely phenomenal writer and I loved how this book was told. It begins in the present, when they're all juniors talking about Tyler's writing being published, and then they flashback to tell the story of how Tyler fell for Becky. The stories go back and fourth between past and present until finally the past catches up. This set up made the story so intriguing and I couldn't wait to uncover all of the unknowns about the past that created the situation Tyler is in now. 

I don't know what else I can say because I just loved it all. Tyler is such a relatable character and he goes through things every high schooler goes through. Add the fact that there are so many other great characters, from his girlfriend Lindsey and sister Gabrielle to his best friends Robby and Justin, there's nothing you can't love. The way the story progresses is so mesmerizing and I absolutely loved the ending. It kind of gives me a 500 Days of Summer vibe, which could explain why I love it so much. There's really no explanation why Tyler is so enamored with Becky aside from the fact that he just is. And Becky is definitely someone with her own secrets. You want to hate Becky for being as flippant and careless as she is, but you really can't because, like I said, she's simply mesmerizing. 

So I loved this book. I couldn't put it down because the storytelling was brilliant and characters were so interesting. This is one of those YA books that deals with the everyday issues of teens and makes them real. I would definitely recommend this to everyone. This was my first Tom Leveen novel but it most certainly won't be my last. I can't wait to pick up his other novels and see if their as great as this one!