Read My Lips by Teri Brown

All Serena really wants at her new school is to fit in, but when you’re deaf, that’s not so easy. When some A-listers discover Serena’s talent for reading lips, they offer her the chance to get in with them. But acceptance come with a price – the popular girls have enlisted her to spy and uncover any and every secret that’s of use to them. But is getting into the in-crown really what a skater chick like Serena really wants, or is this new job of snooping showing her true colors as a conforming prep?

I had mixed reactions about Read My Lips. I’ll start with main character Serena. While it was stated several times that she used to be a skater chick, I never really felt that it was rooted into her personality; it seemed to me that it was only an explanation to why Serena didn’t feel completely comfortable hanging out with the popular girls. Despite that, I really liked Serena as the protagonist, because while she is insecure and sometimes dishonest, she eventually comes to her senses and does the right thing; her flaws make her more realistic. As for other characters, I really like how Serena’s popular friends actually had good hearts. Miller is a different story; you never really learn much about him except for what Serena sees: that he is hot and that he loves her. I would’ve liked to know more about him. The plot wasn’t terrible exciting at all times, and I found it odd that at Serena’s new school everyone was a “cookie-cutter prep.” However, there were some catfights, and I guess that small-town schools aren’t as diverse as those in big cities.

I believe that the good aspects of this novel definitely outweighed the bad, and I enjoyed reading Read My Lips. It’s definitely like Gossip Girl, but with much more integrity. Read My Lips is a guilty-pleasure read with meaning.

Rating: 3.75

Review copy from personal collection