The Stand-In by Steve Bloom

Before I start on what I thought about The Stand-In let me just say for the record how great it was to have a male PVO in a YA Contemporary which is dominated by the girls.

But…

here goes the but again… Brooks is the most infuriating, obnoxious, condescending character I have ever ‘met’. Well, I guess that’s something at least. He was very difficult to like. And complain much? That’s pretty much all he did!

The story itself plodded along in a rather dull pattern. Prom, prom, dance, prom, party. Complain, complain, complain, complain. I didn’t appreciate the crudeness that crept in every now and again. Ok given that it’s a male PVO I should have expected some crudeness, but it detracted from the story and was unnecessary.

I had such high expectations… sadly they were not met.

Recommended age: 14+

Title: The Stand-In
Author: Steve Bloom
Publication Date: 1 October 2016
Publisher: Carolrhoda Lab
Source: ARC

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When Brooks volunteered to be a stand-in for Burdette’s cousin who got stood up for Homecoming, it was with the noblest of intentions-helping a fellow human being, free of charge. But when he gets a tip of more than three hundred bucks, word spreads quickly and Brooks seizes the opportunity to offer his impeccable escort services to super-wealthy parents who want their daughters to experience those big social events of senior year.

Besides, Brooks could use the cash to hire a tutor to get admitted to Columbia University. So what if along the way he goes along with a few minor deceptions and cuts a few moral corners? What could be the harm?  — Abstract from Goodreads.com

The fact that I received a free advanced copy of this book does not influence my policy to write an honest review.