Faking It, by Misha Hicks and Defying Stereotypes

The only thing I love more than books without stereotypes are books that take something stereotypical and defy that stereotype at every turn.

The first stereotype the unassuming little e-book annihilates is the stereotype that stories on Wattpad are terrible. This book is imaginatively written and laugh-out-loud hilarious, and I honestly believe that the writer could get it published.

The next stereotype that it squashes lies in the plot. Faking It is about a girl, Amy, who moves to a super rich town to live with her dad after her mother kicks her out. Her new school's star quarterback lives right next door, and they soon make fast friends. Later in the summer, they decide to pretend to be dating during the next school year so Amy has a better time making friends.

Do you think she and quarterback Matthew will fall in love?

Ding dong, you are wrong.

Matthew agreed to fake date Amy only because his teammates were constantly trying to hook him up with girls, and Matthew would prefer lovers more...masculine. And Amy needs help making friends because she's whip-smart and brutally honest, and people tend to hate her for it. Except for Matthew, obviously. He's easily her most loyal friend by the end of the book, and these two get into heaps of trouble.

All right. Next stereotype. Amy's faux beau is gay, but he isn't the stereotypical gay man. Shopping makes him uncomfortable, and the football team and he get into all sorts of teenage boy trouble (have you noticed that everyone seems to be getting in trouble? There's a reason the book's subtitle is A Comedy of Errors).

Next enters bad boy Johnathan, brother to Matthew. He and Amy definitely have a thing by the end of the book, but that is where the similarity to Twilight ends. Johnathan is not just a bad boy. Johnathan is a musical prodigy who got kicked out of a high end school because he dared to envision Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker differently (the fact that it had professional pole dancers is completely irrelevant. It was visionary). And obviously they get into trouble too.

 Amy's mother is a drunk. That's another stereotype that's been tarred and feathered. Amy's mother is not just a drunk, she's a gifted writer, and wrote a book on feminism that had a cult following for years. The latter half of the book delves into the relationship between Amy and her mother; it's the perfect blend of emotion and sarcastic jokes.

Guys. I cannot explain to you how much I want you to read this book. I will shove it down your noses and preach its literary genius for years upon years if that means Faking It will get the recognition it deserves. Its plot is feminist, pro-gay rights, and against the elitist art movement. It's pro-hippy, anti-high school hierarchy (sorry Mean Girls) and seriously hysterical.

It's the perfect book, and it can be found right here