Review: First Date

First Date by Krista McGee
Release Date ~ January 10, 2012
Thomas Nelson
ISBN13: 9781401684884
E-galley received from publisher via Net Galley

Amazon Synopsis:

The last thing Addy Davidson wants is to be on a reality TV show where the prize is a prom date with the President's son.
She's focused on her schoolwork so she can get a scholarship to an Ivy League college, uncomfortable in the spotlight, never been on a date, and didn't even audition for it.
But she got selected anyway.
So she does her best to get eliminated on the very first show. Right before she realizes that the President's son is possibly the most attractive guy she has ever seen in person, surprisingly nice, and seemingly unimpressed by the 99 other girls who are throwing themselves at him.
Addy's totally out of her comfort zone but that may be right where God can show her all that she was meant to be.

 

The story of Queen Esther is one of my favourites and actually where the "Esther" from "Esther's Ever After" comes from - I love the story, and how it's like an early version of a Cinderella fairytale but with a Queen who risks her life and saves an entire group of people from genocide.

It's kind of a big deal. So you might understand why I was so excited to learn that a YA retelling of the story was coming out, and that I was even MORE excited to later find it on Net Galley! First Date takes this story in an interesting direction, one that lacks some of the real impact of Esther but mixes in many of the various aspects and fills in some of the blanks of this old story.

1. A fluffy chick lit, marshmallow read:
   First Date is an extremely fast read, one that really doesn't delve into anything too serious. Perfect for those times when you just need a break from heavier books and require some light, fun reading STAT. There really isn't that much substance or drama to it,and it's kept fairly simple. Plus, "The Bachelor" aspect of it definitely gives it that bit of fun and humour.
2. Fun, modern retelling:
   I really loved seeing how the beauty pageant aspect was played up and turned into a Bachelor-esque reality TV show; it definitely makes for some good jokes about the reality TV lifestyle, and a fun way to modernize such an ancient story.

Also, this one is very, very overtly Christian. It doesn't shy away from mentions of Addy's faith and it definitely plays an important role in her life and the story is told from her perspective. It isn't something you can completely ignore in the story, yet at the same time it isn't too preachy either. Like I said, it's a big part of ADDY'S life, but not for everyone in the story either.

First Date is a tad predictable and cliche, but I had those expectations going into the story so it didn't bother me. I was, however, disappointed by the ending because of how it seemed to lack any real resolution. Although Addy takes a big step forward in her personal life, we really don't get to see much of an impact from that at all and I would have liked to have seen that to really grasp the importance of her actions.