Of All The Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz

Reading Level: YA

Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: EgmontUSA (December 22, 2009)

Book Summary: It really was a stupid thing that Brent Staple did – doing it (so the rumour goes) with Chris Sanchez, one of the guy cheerleaders. Who’d have thought that Brent, the school’s hottest jock, could be gay? But the doubt about Brent doesn’t just hurt Tara – it’s the beginning of the end for an inseparable trio of friends. Tara’s training for the marathon, but also running from her father and her fear of ever being abandoned again. Beautiful Whitney Blaire’s got everything and nothing, because her parents have never had time for her. And Pinkie has a compulsive need to mother everyone to make up for the mom she never stops missing. The girls couldn’t be more different, but doesn’t that just prove the strength of their friendship?

Then new-girl Riley arrives in school, wafting her long black hair and a scent of lilacs. Suddenly, Tara starts to feel things she’s never felt before for a girl - and to reassess her feelings about Brent and what he may/may not have done. Is Tara gay – or does she just love Riley? And can the map of her deepest friendships ever be redrawn in a post-Riley world?

My Review: OF ALL THE STUPID THINGS portrays a fine example of what the smallest of rumors can lead into. Told through the perspectives of Tara, Whitney Blaire, and Pinkie, the novel gets down to the center of the rumor and the reader learns what friendship and love truly means to each of the characters.

I thought that the three alternating perspectives eventually distracted the reader from becoming closer to the characters. Once a character got the chance to express their feelings, the perspective changed and switched to a story told by someone else with a different focus. However, being able to view the story from different points of view was cool, and let me see more of the picture as a whole.

The only thing that bothered me about Tara is how she got so upset about Brent cheating on her with Sanchez, and she just went and basically did the same thing with Riley, thinking it was perfectly fine. Although I did find that Tara’s feelings and reactions rang true and were realistic.

Whitney Blair is the typical character meant to be hated by the reader – the conceited, snobby, rich girl. However, when the story is told from her point of view, her otherwise stupid actions clearly have a purpose. Learning about Whitney’s home life with her barely present parents made me feel a bit of sympathy and forgiveness for her.

Lastly, Pinkie was the character that I mostly felt bad for. She tried so much to keep her friends together but often found herself left out and rejected. I enjoyed reading from her perspective – the careless girl who focused so much on caring for her friends that she never realized that she was being pushed aside – even with her love life.

Overall, great read if you fancy alternating perspectives and short chapters! Read on!

Rating: +++

Excerpt: (From page 122)

     “And then I pass the meadow that holds the clearest memory of him in the forest. We had planned to set camp there, but there had been a herd of deer grazing. He motioned to me to be quiet and we crouched down to watch them. I was probably around seven or eight and I wanted to go pet them, but he said if I moved I would scare them away. After a few minutes I got restless. I crept toward them anyway, staying close to the ground. I was just a few feet away when a fawn noticed me. It snorted and the whole herd perked up and bolted. I remember how I sprinted after them, trying to catch up with them, but they were gone within seconds. I got angry when he laughed at me. But then he promised to help me become fast enough to keep up with the deer.” 

Cover Comment: Nice, simple, and fits the story very well. Love it!

Book Source: International Book Tours