Speed Dating

We have all heard, or seen, the crazy world of adults dating. From blind dates to speed dating, it may all seem too desperate. But speed dating for teenagers? Mads, Lina, and Holly are back in this fifth installment of THE DATING GAME series. After the unfair events of parents wanting to shut down the website, the girls are ready to take it to the next level. Instead of having to pair couples up by using information about each person submitted to the website, they decide to let their classmates do the talking by creating speed dating. So they set up their plans at the widely popular Vineland Café, and invite kids from their school to meet and greet the opposite sex. Each person writes comments about whoever they meet so that Mads, Lina, and Holly are able to pair them up perfectly. But the new addition to the website isn't the only thing that the girls have to worry about. Mads is definitely trying to learn to kiss her boyfriend, Stephen, the right way, without him having to pull away. Lina has to deal with the consequences when she starts to write about the very familiar couple Tess and Peter in her new blog. And the newly single Holly has to decide if the guy she accidentally met at the speed dating event is real or not. The girls are definitely back with much bigger problems than before. SPEED DATING was a great addition to this page-turning series. Although some of the important characters from previous novels do not make their way into this story as much as before, Mads, Lina, and Holly still keep your attention. After reading this novel, SPEED DATING sounds better than ever. Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

Holly can't believe that her fantasy relationship with Rob is officially over, and without a good reason. All he told her was that he didn't have time for a relationship right now, and poof...it was over. Now Holly is on the rebound, and her two best friends, Madison "Mads" and Lina, are on a quest to set her up with Mr. Right. So they organize a Speed Dating Party - a time when fifteen girls meet fifteen guys for six minutes each, and get the chance to see if they'll meet the guy - or girl - of their dreams. Holly does, when she lays eyes on Eli. But his romantic recitation of cheesy lines leave her wondering if Eli is who he says he is, or if he's wearing a mask to conceal his true personality. Lina, on the other hand, is competing for an internship of a lifetime with the local newspaper, and spending every waking moment working on her blog about a made-up couple named Peter and Tess - who are truly Lina and her boyfriend, Walker. By writing about the romantic moments the two have shared, Lina gives Walker the reputation of a "whipped boyfriend," and ends up having her ideas stolen by the snobby witch, Autumn - her competition in the "win an internship" - esque contest. Now, she must try and put Autumn in her place, and win the internship fair and square if she truly wants to make it in the investigative journalism department. As if all that weren't enough, Mads is struggling with a very difficult situation. Every time she gets close to her boyfriend - kissing-wise, that is - he pulls away. Now Mads must try and figure out whether she's doing something wrong, or if her guy is just a little bit wonky. Dating, kissing, boyfriends, and the like are basically the most confusing things a girl has to deal with in today's day and age. But now, thanks to the A DATING GAME series by Natalie Standiford, girls will have the opportunity to see how well things can turn out in the end, and discover some of the secrets lying inside the dating world. Mads, Holly, and Lina are exciting characters, all with their own flair for fashion, and individual personalities, which will make it easy for readers to identify with one, and truly "feel" what she's going through. With situations that will make grown women laugh out loud, and various scenarios that are bound to happen to all girls at some point during their time in "the dating game," SPEED DATING is sure to win points with all - young and old. Mix in the fact that there are some super fun quizzes sprinkled throughout the pages, and you're in for a scream. One that involves boys, kissing, and the wonderful - yet confusing - world of dating. All's fair in the game of love and war. And when these girls are involved, along with a handful of guys, the war is on. Erika Sorocco Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper