Review: The Oracle Rebounds

The Oracle Rebounds by Allison van Diepen (The Oracle of Dating, #2)
Date Released: November 01, 2010
Published by: Harlequin
Pages:  Paperback, 208 pages
Young Adult
Overall:

As the “oracle of dating,” Kayla is supposed to have all the answers about love and relationships. She’s supposed to have the perfect relationship. But now that Jared is “taking a step back,” Kayla feels like a total fraud.

So the expert on dating starts taking her own rebound advice—and some from her friends—and stops moping around. Yeah, there are other possibilities out there—including the beyond-cute French foreign exchange student she’s showing around town. But when controversy erupts about the Oracle’s advice, Kayla is sent reeling once again. Will anything work out for her this year? Yet when her friends start seriously needing the Oracle, Kayla begins to focus on what really matters: Viv, Sharese, Amy and Ryan, her trueblue buds. And suddenly, everything starts making sense again…
Synopsis via Goodreads

My Thoughts:

The Oracle Rebounds was a fun, easy reading crash course in friendships and relationship brought to us by Alison van Diepien.

In The Oracle Rebounds we are taken into the life of a just-turned sixteen year old Kayla, a together and mature, girl who anonymously runs a website offering relationship advice for a small price unbeknown to all but two ofher friends. 

The situations and hurdles Kayla and the characters of this book came across made for instant nostalgia for
someone, me, who has been out of high school for a few years.  It is amazing how I can look back while reading Kayla's story and relate to it, feeling her emotions, and relating to not only her but those around her.  This time around, not truly experiencing it myself, I got to witness the issues from all sides and know that even for those YA readers who may not be feeling nostalgic quite yet that they still remember, or are going through, the growing pains of first loves and all that it entails.

Some may have been put off by the fact that Kayla was barely sixteen and charging for advice, giving it to her
older sister, and seemed have a steady head on her shoulders but Kayla just had that air about her.  She was
that girl, the one people go to in school just to have someone to listen to them or give them the possible harsh truth.  Beyond her advice, even if anonymously, Kayla rounded out her group of friends adding depth to where some of her friends chose different priorities, which were addressed and the consequences were presented to us giving us a story that wasn't only entertaining but realistic.

Even with harsh truths, advice no one would want to hear (who wants to hear their boyfriend is cheating on them, or that your parents were right about your boyfriend?,) and situations even Kayla hated experiencing first hand she stayed true to herself in the end, and offered a wonderful example to readers young, and a those a little older.

The Oracle Rebounds is the sequel to The Oracle of Dating but has the ability to stand alone.  It is simply written but has a well formed story and characters.  I laughed and I wanted to cry, Alison made sure to cover all of her bases well.

Cover: 
Characters:
Plot:
Overall Rating: