Worst Date Ever. (Rapid Reads). Melodie Campbell. Victoria, BC: Orca, 2017. 109 pp., (pbk., pdf & epub), $9.95. ISBN 978-1-4598-1559-9 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-4598-1560-5 (pdf), ISBN 978-1-4598-1561-2 (epub). Grades 11 and up / Ages 16 and up. Review by Vasso Tassiopoulos. ** /4 Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy.

excerpt:

“What would you think if I started dating?” I said to him. We were having a quick dinner of hot dogs in the kitchen before homework time.

He was silent for a few moments, munching on the last few bites. Then he looked up with Greg’s eyes.

“I think dad would say it was about time,” he said solemnly.

Sometimes Ryan took my breath away. It wasn’t only the way he resembled his father. Ryan had a maturity that was way beyond his age. Grief will do that.

Worst Date Ever, by Melodie Campbell, is a title published by Orca Books in their “Rapid Reads” series. “Rapid Reads” novels are intended for adult readers who are looking for a quick and easy read. “Rapid Reads” are short in length and are written in clear, comprehensible language for adult readers who may struggle with literacy. Worst Date Ever is the story of a single widowed mother named Jennie who starts to date again two years after her husband, Greg’s, death. The novel is humorous and moves at a quick but predictable pace.

     Jennie is the single mom of a 12-year-old boy, Ryan, who agrees that his mom should start dating again. Jennie decides to try online dating with encouragement from her good friend Angela. Jennie uses her vacation time from work to try to meet as many men as she can in what Angela calls Project Prince Charming or Project PC. Through an online dating site called E-Galaxy, Jennie decides to meet one of her matches each day. Each date throughout the week has disastrous results with matches turning out to be older than they list, more interested in their work than the date, and seeming to be perfect but turning out to be the complete opposite.

     Fans of romantic comedies will enjoy Worst Date Ever. The story is easy to read in one sitting. It is humorous with a predictable ending with Jennie’s romantic match being someone who was in front of her the whole time she was searching for love. The novel would also benefit from a more appealing cover possibly presenting the protagonist rather than her unappealing potential matches. Campbell’s work will appeal to adults as well as to teens who enjoy romantic comedies.

Recommended.

Vasso Tassiopoulos is a graduate of the Master of Arts program in Children’s Literature at the University of British Columbia.

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