Siding with Plato by Michelle Manning (Review)

Genre:	Contemporary, NA/YA
Publication Date:	May 14, 2013
Pages:	300
Published By:	Createspace
Website	Siding with Plato on Goodreads
	Michelle Manning Website
My review copy:	Provided for honest review

Where to get:

Brooke Aarons can't get to college fast enough. Leaving behind her small town life, she intends to transform herself into a brilliant psychologist with no distractions along the way. But when she finds herself on a double date with the school's star football player - and worse, enjoying it - Brooke has to wonder if she's the one who needs her head examined. James Cartwright's easy life, endless bucks, and long line of willing girls should make him a non-starter for Brooke, but as she learns, the psychology behind a bad crush is a whole lot messier of a subject. Maybe Plato was right. Maybe love is a serious mental disease. If so, Brooke doesn't have long to find a cure before James's attention proves to be a terminal condition.

(Goodreads)

But no, I don't think there is one exact, perfect fit speciaffically made for everyone.  And I think it's ridiculous to believe you'll serendipitously cross paths one day in this huge world and it'll all work out.

  "No, I dob't like him   like, like him like him.  I like him.  He's likable.  I don't dislike him, but like him like him? No, I don't like him that way."
  Now Darci was sitting up too.  "Did you just have a stroke?"

  Welcome back low self-esteem, she thought.  Haven't seen you since junior high.  I'm not getting up.  Maybe if I just lie here, he'll run me over when he leaves.

  I haven't picked up a good contemporary in awhile, and was really looking forward to this one when it came to my attention.  It sounded light and fun, and of course coming from an indie author I was more than happy to support it.

  The plot was not something uncommon in the new adult world.  Girl goes off to college to escape small town life, while being determined not to fall in love.  Despite this, there were aspects to the story that made me enjoy it and set it apart from other reads that I have had in this genre.  When it came down to it I enjoyed the story and the little plot twists that made it interesting.  My biggest problem was actually with the writing itself.  I had a hard time finding a rhythm that was consistent, and found it was like reading writing styles at times.  This did take away from everything a little for me, but for the most part the pacing was consistent and this did help.

  Brooke was in the start start very predictable.  Due mostly to the fact that she was the small town girl, going to college as far away from where she was raised as possible.  She also swore off boys because they are nothing but a distraction and she just wants to keep her head down and get through school.  I did like her, but felt no real connection to her for awhile, she was just very typical.  It's wasn't until she had her heart torn out and the circumstances surrounding it that I really started to relate to her.  This is what really separated Brooke's story from the others that are out there for me.  Her reactions and actions were realistic, and the secrets she hid were believable.  This to me was when she began to shine, and become someone real to me.

  The romance is much like the main character Brooke.  It starts off like a chunk of other new adult reads there are out there, but it does change.  Maybe not into something that I like, but something real and it creates circumstances that girls everywhere go through.  James is the guy that you put into a tidy little category box that reads: "Stay AWAY!"  However, he is also the one that can charm you when need be and he did a wonderful job with Brooke.  Needless to say he wasn't someone I swooned over but there were moments I did like him, and even fewer where I hoped that he would come to his senses.  It seemed like so much of what him and Brooke had was physical and no emotional attachment.  This good for the type of relationship where it isn't a relationship but just sex, but the reason for this is also revealed later on in the book.

  Overall I did like Siding with Plato.  Despite my up and downs with the writing styles, this is a cute read that is just a little rough around the edges.  It is also on the young adult side of new adult, if that makes any sense.  There are some more new adult like scenes but overall it is kind of a older young adult feel.  I would recommend this to those that are trying to ease into the new adult genre and don't mind some choppier writing.