The Jerk Magnet

Title: THE JERK MAGNET
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Revell
January 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8007-1962-3
Genre: Inspirational/teen fiction

Chelsea Martin is a geek, and invisible. She is looking forward to getting out of school for the summer when she finishes her Sophomore year, so she can get away from all the cruelty at high school. But then her dad drops a bombshell on her. He’s getting married to a hot woman he used to work with and they are moving to California.

Chelsea’s new step-mom-to-be takes control over Chelsea’s wardrobe, taking her shopping and getting her makeovers. Soon Chelsea doesn’t even recognize herself. She’s blond, fashionable, and gorgeous.

But on the move west, Chelsea starts attracting male attention and she isn’t sure how to respond. By the time she arrives at her new school in California, she has the attention of all the guys and that doesn’t make her BFF material for the girls.

When a great guy catches Chelsea’s eye, he’s the only one who doesn’t give her a second glance. Can Chelsea get his attention? Or is her new look ruining everything?

THE JERK MAGNET is Ms. Carlson’s latest release for teen girls. I enjoy reading her books, but find that a lot of them deal with really tough/sensitive issues, which makes them iffy-reading for a teen girl in a really conservative family.

This book is about how clothes and attitude make the girl and it really has some good advice about how to behave as if you’re confident when you’re not. It also has some good ideas about how to be friendly around others and make friends if you’re shy. But it also deals with the impression that clothes make the girl--and enforces the less-modest point of view that most of America has—if you want to attract male jerks. $12.99. 218 pages.