Review Detail

All Hannah James wants is to be a normal teenager. But its not easy when your father is Jackson James, a sleazy celebrity famous for partying at his mansion with beautiful women, or as he calls them, his special girls (scantily clad young women who parade around with little on or sometimes nothing at all).   Her mom, Candy Madison, a former special girl, makes her living by doing live web chats in her lingerie. With eccentric parents like hers, Hannah only wants to fly under the radar at school and avoid the inevitable whispers, insults and stares from the other teenagers. She tries to be invisible by dressing in baggy clothes and wearing no makeup. Money is tight, so she also works at a call center along with best guy friend Finn and the dreamy Josh.

Josh is the only person Hannah does want to notice her. Hes a deep thinker who writes poetry and reads Dostoyevsky, but every time she tries to talk to him, Finn annoyingly interrupts and ruins the moment.  But the more Hannah does get to know Josh, the more she wonders why shes always thinking about Finn. Turns out, sometimes what you want, isn't what you really need!

Hannah was such a well constructed character. She was a strong, intelligent young woman with a sharp biting wit, and her voice was completely believable for someone her age. Elizabeth Scott really knows how to capture teenage voices and put them into believable dialogue.

From the start of this novel, it was completely obvious which guy was best for Hannah. But I was so drawn in by the passion and skill of Scott's writing that it held my interest and made for an entertaining ride. I enjoyed the love triangle between Hannah, Josh and Finn. As an outsider looking in, it was easy to recognize how phony Josh was, but I could also relate to why Hannah would be infatuated with him. In fact, I imagine I wouldve felt the same way myself at seventeen!  Finn had real heart and soul though, and he was always the one I rooted for. It was so satisfying to read how his relationship with Hannah evolved, and so sweet how he would blush so quickly around her, or get all tongue tied. He really "got" Hannah and I loved how quick he was to be there for her when she needed someone the most.

The unusual family dynamics of the book definitely made for a unique read, and I appreciated the way Scott dealt with the deeper issues of love and loss in a sincere way and didnt have to resort to clichés. It was also impressive how well adjusted Hannah was for someone with such unorthodox parental figures. Her empty relationship with Jackson was downright sorrowful though. He treated her with a detached, flighty sort of affection. The worst part being that everything was captured on film and manipulated by his reality tv crew into whatever ratings spin he was looking for. After reading about those antics, it made so much sense why Hannah would desperately want something consistent in her life to depend on. I definitely could put myself in her shoes and could understand why it was hard to put herself out there and let people get close.

The character of her best friend Teagan added an interesting dynamic to the book as well. While dealing with her own insecurities, Teagan was not afraid to shoot from the heart, and tell Hannah what was best for her. Those types of friends are priceless, and when youre a teenager, you need a solid support system like that more than anything. 
 
BOTTOM LINEThis was my first Elizabeth Scott novel.  After completing it, I understood why she is such a popular teen romance novelist and I cant wait to read more of her books. Something Maybe was an endearing, feel good read that will definitely evoke a happy sigh from