A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

Title: A Match Made in High School	Loved it	Graded
Author: Kristin Walker
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Razorbill
Elements: Comedy
Series: Stand alone

When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can’t get any worse.

Then she marries her “husband”: Jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona’s long-term crush, Gabe.

At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer.

Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.

Just looked through the drafts folder in Blogger to find an unwritten review for AMMIHS. Which is surprising, because this is one of the best contemporary YA books I've read this year.

The concept sounds pretty ludicrous, to be honest. A Marriage Education program in high school, due to the whims of a principal whose marriage was broken? A principal who was undoubtedly clear headed enough to find a teaching opportunity and present it to the school board, and somehow got it accepted. But who knows, there might be such a program soon enough.

Luckily for people like me who like to nitpick such issues, our advocate comes in the form of Fiona's mother, who rightfully fights that in their part of the world, people don't just get introduced to their spouse to be a few days before the wedding. And using actual money to 'fund' 'real life activities and bills' was just... bleh.

Walker does a great job of pointing out both the rational and irrational sides of the whole premise, and making fun of it, so kudos to her, because I wouldn't have enjoyed the book as much if she hadn't done that.

The narrator, Fiona, got on my nerves somewhat with her cynical attitude in general yet hopeless devotion to her crush at the start. It was amusing, and wonderful, really, to see her escapades carried out against her arch-enemy, which in this case happens to be a boy whom was not in any way a love interest! I loved that she had a learning curve with Todd.

Ahh Todd. Fiona and Todd are just fantastic together. The quips, the banter. Much better than Fiona with her love interest. Walker truly shines at the banter and comedy. So many scenes that I want to show you, but I'd rather you try out the whole book for yourself. ;)