Boy Shopping

This was a different type of book. I enjoyed the fact that it allowed me to be able to choose what went on in the girls love life. I really enjoyed being able to, you know, kind of lead the story the way I wanted it to go. It was magnifico!!!!?

Kiki Kelvin is a drummer in the band Temporary Insanity with two of her good male friends. Her love of music is evident as the story unfolds, but she also has a major crush on her band mate, Mark. They have known each other for a while and are best buddies; however, their relationship doesn't seem to be progressing any further than friendship. BOY SHOPPING is Kiki's adventure in finding the perfect boy to take her mind off Mark. Kiki is introduced to the online social group by one of her best girlfriends, who found her new boyfriend on the Boy Shopping site. With much coaxing, Kiki signs on and ends up with four compatible guys in her area and the fun begins. She must choose from the guy who is home schooled and knits, the quiet guy from her private school, the jock from another prep school and the guy who just wants to have fun. Who will she choose to take her mind off Mark? The concept behind BOY SHOPPING is the reader gets to choose which guy is the right one for Kiki, with alternative endings. Readers are able to read the profiles of the potential dates and then they choose which guy's story to follow. The novel has a diverse group of characters which is helpful in expanding its appeal to young teens and encompasses teen issues such as curfews, underage drinking, false id's and sex. The characters were developed pretty well and Stephens' ethnically diverse characters helped maintain openness to the story. The individual dates could be at times hilarious and interesting, but not absolutely perfect. Stephens also does a good job with physical descriptions allowing readers to be right in the middle of the scenes. I could appreciate Stephen's idea of readers choosing their own ending and for the audience this story is geared towards they may truly enjoy this innovative style. However, it left me with no clear ending or closure, which I can blame my age on a need for a more succinct ending. The teenage readers will most likely appreciate this story because although the characters are not typical, they deal with typical teenage issues. Reviewed by Cashana Seals of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

"It's your chance to pick the boys that Kiki a beautiful, talented, hardworking, but dateless musician will go out with as well as how the book ends in Boy Shopping by Nia Stephens." "Will Kiki choose Jacob the cool, mysterious guy from her school, Joshua, the lacrosse playing jock who has had a run in with the law, Lyman the very smart and talented musician who is a mama's boy, or will she pick Michael, who just wants to have fun? Maybe she'll decide to wait for Mark her best friend that doesn't see her as anything but a pal." "Nia Stephens has created a book that not only asks for participation from its readers, but will also provide hours of fun discussions and interesting choices." --Michelle Brand, B2M Book Reviewer

"The must read book this summer for every teenager and young adult. Impossible to put down, a real page turner, can't wait for the next book from this sure to be best selling author."

Wentworth High School student and rock band drummer Kiki Kelvin wants a boyfriend to call her own. Instead the only female in the band, she gets male groupies whom she knows can salivate all they want, but as the lyrics she wrote in "Satisfy Me", they will never do. The guys at Wentworth seem to think she is hot, but none step forward to ask her out; perhaps because of her local fame intimidating them. The band members are hunks, but they have female groupies and besides she fears the trouble of mixing work and pleasure. Kiki decides to try shopping online for a boyfriend. However neither she nor Nia Stephens choose who she will see; readers select her dates and much more. This is a fun interactive young teenage female contemporary fiction tale in which the audience chooses the directions Kiki goes by picking what she will do or who she will see. Young adult fans will have a great time helping Kiki solve her problems in finding a boyfriend. Ms. Stephens provides an enjoyable teen tale that will have her fans clamoring to GET MORE boy shopping interactive novels. Harriet Klausner