THOU SHALT NOT DUMP THE SKATER DUDE: And Other Commandments I Have Broken
Rosemary Graham
Viking
Fiction
ISBN: 0670060178
224 pages

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• Author Talk -- November 2005

Pretty and blond, Kelsey looks the part of the perfect popular girl. But Kelsey's life is far from perfect. She is new in town, misses her old home, and is finding it difficult to make new friends. Then she meets C. J. Logan, who is cute, popular, and a professional skateboarder.

Life with C. J. is everything Kelsey imagined it to be. She finds herself part of an envied inner circle. But her entire life revolves around C. J. and his skateboarding competitions. After a romantic date interrupted by C. J. showing off his moves to some kids they meet downtown, Kelsey decides she no longer wants to live in C. J.'s shadow. She dumps him just before summer vacation, not prepared for what she will find when she returns to school the next year.

Kelsey is now a misfit. None of her old friends talk to her anymore. She discovers that C. J. has posted cruel lies about her in his blog, which the entire school reads. THOU SHALT NOT DUMP THE SKATER DUDE is about how Kelsey rebuilds her life after C. J., and forges a life worth calling her own.

A stand-alone companion to MY NOT-SO-TERRIBLE TIME AT THE HIPPIE HOTEL, the strongest points of the book are Kelsey's relationship with her family and with her best friend: the hipster vegan, Amy. As it spans almost three years, the book is plot-driven with less attention given to the details of Kelsey's daily life.

Innocent and non-controversial, THOU SHALT NOT DUMP THE SKATER DUDE (AND OTHER COMMANDMENTS I HAVE BROKEN) is light on commandment breaking. Parents and teachers will appreciate its positive portrayal of self-esteem, while its light tone and the likable Kelsey will appeal to younger teen readers.

   --- Reviewed by Sarah A. Wood

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