The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise Review

The Boyfriend App (App #1), by Katie Sise
Published On: April 30, 2013, by Balzer & Bray
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 312
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Get the app. Get the guy.
Computer-whiz Audrey McCarthy feels most at home in a tech lab, surrounded by her fellow geeks. Once popular and fearless, she hasn't been the same since her dad died. And her ex-best friend, gorgeous queen bee Blake Dawkins, has turned into her worst nightmare. Audrey is counting the minutes until high school is over and she can get the hell out of Dodge and go to college-that is, if she can find a scholarship.
So when Public Corporation, a giant tech company, announces a contest for the best app developed by a high schooler-with $200,000 in prize money-Audrey is spurred to action. She comes up with an idea so simple, yet so brilliant, she can't believe it hasn't been done: the Boyfriend App. With a simple touch of the screen, romance blooms among the unlikeliest couples in high school, and people start to take notice. But it's not quite enough.
To beat out the competition, Audrey will have to dig deeper. And she does-right into a scandal that would rock Public to its core. Suddenly the Boyfriend App lands Audrey where she never expected to be: in the middle of the limelight, passionately kissed by the hottest guys in school, causing complete and utter mayhem. But can it bring her true love?

2 years ago, I got an ebook copy of this book, and it was sitting inside my e-reader for the longest time, and then I finally decided to read it. I expected so much better, but what I got was a stupid smartass protagonist who thought that she was the new Steve Jobs and can invent a dumb app about getting a boyfriend. This totally proves on how desperate she was to get a guy. What about her smarts? What about her education? Nope, literally guys were on her mind, all of the time.

Get the app—get the guy? What the heck is this monstrosity? 

I’m sorry, but the author probably thought that teenage girls would probably be intrigued in this idea/app, and would probably go with it if it actually was invented. I’m hoping that it won’t, because this would turn into a teenage eHarmony. WE DON’T NEED THAT, PEOPLE! Go outside, hang out, and find yourself a nice smart date wisely without technology. Like really, I’m not a grandma here, but that’s the truth. Get the concept out of here. This was a typical chick-lit story that probably would’ve satisfied me… when I was 9 and dreaming about the outside world and what would happen in the future. This is like a middle-grade book. I’m so over these kinds of books. Give it to the kids, haha. They'd sure be right in line to get it if they knew. -.-

The idea is so simple, yet it kind of worked in a few strange ways. It all began with a project that “computer-whiz” Audrey McCarthy (what an ironic name) had to do in order to impress universities and colleges of her smarts and to get money. She’s “unpopular” and is living a single life where she wish that she was happier—since her ex-best friend “queen-bee” Blake Dawkins embarrassed her in front of the school and ditched her just like that. She comes up with such a “brilliant” idea of The Boyfriend App, where people in a near-radius of her school could find their true love. She becomes so famous and begins to get kissed by everyone she’s ever dreamt of…

And that’s the book. I apologize for my great state of sarcasm used throughout the summary, but it’s the truth. This was so predictable, so cheesy, and utterly gross in some points. I wasn’t really bored, but there were so many strands of things that were bothering me and poking my brain. I don’t want to say this book wasn’t well written, but there were so many “meh” aspects that just punched me in the stomach.

One of the only positive things about this book was the story. I mean, sure, the concept was dumb and all, but the story was believable. It wasn’t one of those unrealistic contemporaries where the love isn’t real and it’s impossible. This sure was possible. I have to say that it was probably the most real contemporary story I’ve read of in a long time. THANK THE BOOKLORDS FOR THAT!

As the story first unfolded, I really enjoyed it, and it mainly was okay for the rest of the time. Nothing big happened, and at the same time, it wasn’t sleepy-boring or all of that. But the rest of those pet-peeved things got to me. I truly wonder how I managed to finish the book. I was almost about to put it down.

The characters were annoying. Although Audrey was an overachiever and a very happy character, she was such a smartass. IT ANNOYED ME SO MUCH. She thought that her smart ways would get her everything—but then there were so many points where she just overtook everything to another level. I feel like she was two-faced. Sure, she was loyal to Xander as he was treated unfairly by some people, but then when there was something that she wanted, she would forget about everyone else, including her best friend, Aidan. I did love him and his loyal character, and then Audrey completely forgot about him by the middle. And then what, he took her apology that quickly? 

The writing of the book was simple and lacking. I didn’t find that something extraordinary was popping back at me, and the total technology aspect wasn’t really ‘there.’ Audrey seemed to have designed the app and have gotten it so quickly onto the charts so easily. It doesn’t take that little work, people.  No one even had a problem with her hacking skills. Does this show that she was that much of a computer whiz? 

I’m a geek (as in books, hello) and so are a lot of people. But is this something that a lot of us can share a good laugh with and understand? Sure, but not really for me. I was looking for a geeky contemporary with so much potential, but instead, I understand that I got a simple contemporary that was way too predictable. The ending sucked—the queen bee was defeated and Audrey fell in love. The rest of the book did seem real, but this was just too easy and too much of a happy ever after. And now, there’s news of a sequel? The Pretty App? How many apps are there going to be to form the cheesiest impossible? To be honest, The Boyfriend App wasn’t anything on how I expected. It was predictable and simply an easy read with a few deep thoughts, as how Audrey had a connection with her dad.