Gimme a Call

Mixing an original plot with vivid characterizations and believable dialogue, "Gimme a Call" is the rare YA book that teaches a lesson without moralizing or condescending to readers. Mlynowski, who began her career as a contemporary "chick lit" author, revisits themes of regret and the road not taken in this YA book, the tone of which-- although not the actual plot-- will be familiar to adult readers of her 2006 novel "Me vs. Me." Our heroine, Devi Banks, is friendless, academically underachieving, disconnected from her unhappy, overworked mother, unemployed father, and distant college-student sister, and recently dumped by the boyfriend who has consumed her entire high school experience when we meet her near the end of her senior year. After she drops her cell phone in the fountain at the mall while wishing that she could teach her younger self some lessons she's learned the hard way, Devi discovers that her phone can now call only one person-- herself, at age 14. The rest of the book alternates between the viewpoints of Senior Devi and Freshman Devi while exploring the impact that the choices made early in adolescence can have one the rest of one's life. The philosophical questions and ethical dilemmas faced by Devi will make excellent fodder for discussion, and this book is highly recommended for mother-daughter reading groups. Ages 12 and up. ( )

"If I could go back in time, the most important thing I would tell myself would be this: never, ever fall for Bryan... Imagine that. Talking to my fourteen year old self. I wish."Devi is a senior in high school, and when her boyfriend Bryan breaks up with her right before prom, she realizes that she's wasted her entire high school career paying attention to him -- instead of studying, keeping up with friends, trying out activities and clubs... and now she's alone at the mall. When she accidentally drops her cell phone into the fountain, it barely comes back on after being drowned. Once it does, it will only dial one number. Her own. And the voice on the other end is none other than Devi's freshman self. If you could contact yourself a few years ago, what would you tell yourself? What would you try to change? What Devi discovers is that every change on her freshman self's side of the phone leads to incredible consequences on the senior self side, some wonderful (getting into UCLA and Harvard), and some horrible (discovering her parents had divorced and both remarried). As long as she can contact her younger self, they can work to change things and make the future the best it can be... right? Well, maybe after a trip to the mall and a mani-pedi. 7th grade and up. ( )

What kind of advice would older teenage you give younger teenage you? How could it change your life?The premise of Gimme a Call was quite clever, and the working back and forth of cause and effect was well done, if sometimes oversimplified.I really liked the young Devi, who felt like a nice but realistic young lady. She doesn't quite know what her goals and priorities are, which isn't unusual for someone just starting high school.The older Devi is another story altogether. She's finishing up high school, and she didn't make the best of choices throughout her time there. She's blown off her studies, alienated her friends, lost touch with her sister, with all of her energy going toward her boyfriend. And he's now broken up with her.These choices aren't what bother me about her. It's her relationship with her younger self. She never tries to work together with her younger self. She's bossy, demanding, and very much looking at it in terms of the ends justifying the means. She's just overall very unpleasant. I wish she'd been a little more balanced, while still having room to grow.Overall, it was a short fun read. It was one of those YA books where I felt while reading it that I wasn't the target audience, and I suspect the appeal will be higher for those of the intended age. My 12 year old daughter liked the book quite a big, although she didn't love it.

GIMME A CALL is a fun, quick read about second chances, learning from your mistakes, and how to not lose yourself in a boy.

There are two main characters, but they're actually the same girl. Devi, the senior, manages to call herself in the past, just as she's starting high school. She's in a rough spot and regrets the choices she's made over the past three years and relishes the chance to change things (via her past self) for her present and future.

I really enjoyed following along with the switches that occurred in the future as a result of younger Devi making changes in the past. Sometimes they were good (like a better prom dress!) and sometimes they weren't good at all (marital trouble for the parents).

GIMME A CALL is a cute, fast-paced story full of well-developed characters and an interesting look at how high school, and what comes after, can turn out very differently with just a few small changes. It would make a fantastic teen movie!

See more of my reviews at StoryboundGirl {dot} com. ( )

Excellent, adorable book. I loved both Devi and Ivy and their separate, but similar personalities. The way that the story was written was extremely engaging and I couldn't put it down. Definitely a must-read! ( )