Review: The Deadline by Gayle Forman(One Teen Story Vol. I Issue I)

4/5 stars

Summary: Mags has had a crush on Grant for a long time.  She feels that she understands him much more than the airheads that he usually dates.  With no progress, she sets a deadline: If Grant and she don't have a change in their relationship, she'll stop hoping for more.

Characters: (spoilers probably coming soon)

Mags- I like her optimism, but she seems so naive.  She lets herself think that Grant is the one.  Through her story, she shows us to be cautious with our feelings, but not to be afraid of showing them.

Grant- Ew, what a lame guy.  He seems sleazy to me, always going for the same shallow girl and using the same go-to lines. Ugh.

Robin- I can't say much about this guy, but he seems super sweet.  I like his shyness and honesty.  If this were a long book, I'd probably swoon over him.

Plot- Ive read a ton of story like this one, yet I didn't guess that ending.  I'm not sure how because I really should have.  Nonetheless, it was still super cute and I really love that one line Robin says which I can't spoil!

Cover- This is an illustration of one of Grant's poems.  I thought it was a little rough looking for a cute romance, but it looks cool for a different genre!

Would I recommend it to a friend? Yeah, go check out this magazine.  It's not too shabby :)

Review: You Never Know by Francesca Lia Block (One Teen Story Vol. I,Issue VII)

3/5 Stars

My Summary:  1D could sum this one up well with their lyrics to " What Makes You Beautiful."  I don't know how you could have missed hearing their song on the radio, but it's about a girl not knowing how awesome she is and it goes a little something like,

"You don't know you're beautiful,

If only you saw what I can see,

You'll understand why I want you so desperately,

Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,

You don't know"

Plot: This is a story that everybody can relate to because it's about that time where you're insecure, trying to find yourself, and you're just lost. But eventually, you find yourself. I've never read anything by Francesca Block, but she manages to bring the genuine feelings of moving into adulthood and leaves the audience with hope.

Writing: This is written in 2nd person. I don't know if its just me that feels this way, but I hate 2nd person. It's rare to see it within the books that I read, but I feel like I'm being attacked. "You, you, you!" I never did anything wrong!!!!

Formatting and Misc.: I love the cover art on these magazines!! The colors of them are always bright and colorful, perfect for its YA target audience. Additionally, the font and size are great. A blind person such as myself can even read it. Overall, I'm very impressed with One Teen Story, especially since it has gotten established authors to write for it. Go subscribe!