Confessions of a Boyfriend Stealer: A Blog by Robynn Clairday Young adult 240 pages Delacorte September 2005 Hardcover     Genesis Bell creates a blog to set the record straight. Yes, she has stolen the boyfriends of two of her supposed best friends—but it really isn’t all her fault! Genesis, CJ, and Tasha call themselves “The Terribles.” CJ and Tasha take Genesis under their wings when she is new at their school. Although CJ and Tasha are gorgeous, stuck up, and have had serial boyfriends, Gen thinks of herself as “Jan Brady” and decides she is just a late bloomer when it came to boys. Her main talent lies with television, and she wants to produce documentaries. Things seem to be going well in Gen’s life—unless you take her mother and older sister (also serial daters) into consideration. The trouble begins during Christmas break. Both CJ and Tasha are out of town and ask Gen to “keep an eye on our boyfriends.” A casual night watching movies with CJ’s boyfriend, Nick, turns into a make-out session and a follow-up date. Even when Gen owns up to her misstep, neither of the girls believes her and they actually accuse her of lying. When Tasha’s boyfriend, Chi, begins to show interest as well, is Genesis really the one in the wrong, or is it their fault, too? She recounts the entire story in her blog for the world to read and judge for themselves. What’s a poor high school girl to do? Confessions of a Boyfriend Stealer is cute, but the whole blog format threw me off. Although it claims to be a blog, the only thing realistic about it is the beginning of each chapter and the section for comments. Entire long conversations are quoted word for word, a feat that most people would have extreme difficulty with in writing a real blog. Overall, the characters are interesting and will appeal to the target young adult audience. Who doesn’t relish the thought of serving up revenge to the conceited girls at school? Genesis does just that, and then some. Confessions of a Boyfriend Stealer could have been better had the author moved beyond the past events and into the present, rather than a quick mention during the last two pages. The pacing is quick and the dialogue right on for the age group. The relationship between Genesis and her mom and sister somewhat mirrors that of her two best friends, making it interesting on more than one level. Genesis has to mature more quickly than her peers because her family situation is a bit dysfunctional. Teens will relate to this and identify with Genesis and her decision-making process. For teens who enjoy chick lit style books, Confessions of a Boyfriend Stealer is an enjoyable choice.     web reviews   Melissa Parcel/2005 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)