Playing With Matches Review

Playing With Matches

Suri Rosen

Rating (out of 5):5

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Series: None

Series Volume:N/A

Profanity: None

Violence: None

Sexual Content: None

Age Recommendation:14+

Author Website: N/A






Summary:


When 16-year-old Raina Resnick is expelled from her Manhattan private school, she’s sent to live with her strict aunt — but Raina feels like she’s persona non grata no matter where she goes. Her sister, Leah, blames her for her broken engagement, and she’s a social pariah at her new school. In the tight-knit Jewish community, Raina finds she is good at one thing: matchmaking! As the anonymous “MatchMaven,” Raina sets up hopeless singles desperate to find the One. A cross between Jane Austen’s Emma, Dear Abby, and Yenta the matchmaker, Raina’s double life soon has her barely staying awake in class. Can she find the perfect match for her sister and get back on her good side, or will her tanking grades mean a second expulsion? In her debut novel, Suri Rosen creates a comic and heartwarming story of one girl trying to find happiness for others, and redemption for herself.

Review:

Playing with Matches is the story of Raina Resnick- matchmaker extraordinaire. After Raina is expelled from school in New York she is sent to Toronto to live with her Aunt. Instead of getting a new start nothing seems to go right for Raina, she's having trouble at school, she can't seem to make friends, and worst of all her best friend- and sister- blames her for ruining her engagement. Things finally start to look up when she manages to hook up her friend from the bus rout and the match turns out to be a hit. Raina is then swept into the world of matchmaking, finding out that she's actually pretty good at it.

I loved this book, from the beginning I was hooked by Raina's strong voice and the mystery of what happened to send her all the way from New York to Toronto. The story was light and fluffy mixed with bittersweet love lost and love found. Peppered through the book were hilarious scenes that had me rolling with laughter. Suri Rosen did an excellent job of balancing the tone between serious and fluffy.

Playing with Matches could have easily been a simple love story, but instead it covered a wide range of emotions and issues that young people face. I loved the way Suri Rosen covered issues like popularity in school, moving, sisterhood, and romance.

Raina isn't the only strong voice in this book. Throughout the book a large cast of colorful characters are introduced, some for a short while and others showed up constantly but each left an impression. I really liked the surprises of who many of the singles corresponding with Raina turned out to be. The book's conclusion was great, tying up the last of the questions I had and leaving me very satisfied.

Suri Rosen's Playing with Matches was a wonderful tale that will resonate well with teens and young women alike. I'd recommend it to anyone in need of a light story or a good light romantic read. 

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest opinion as I have stated above.

~Dawn