Shark Bait

Grab Your Pole #1

by Jenn Cooksey

Previously homeschooled Camie Ramsey is being shoved into the shark-infested waters of public high school, where even helium filled, penguin bespeckled arm floaties likely won’t help keep her inexperienced, fifteen-year old head above water in that rip current of hormones and emotions.

Camie’s worldly wisdom might be severely lacking (i.e., the closest she’s come to being kissed was sitting too close to the TV whilst Jake Ryan leaned in to give Samantha that fateful 16th birthday kiss), but she does understand her only hope for survival is if she’s thrown some kind of “social” life preserver before she sinks like a freaking rock. However, what will her fate be when she endeavors to flag down the only lifeguard on duty, the enormously popular and ridiculously beautiful Tristan Daniels? The most sought after and virtually most unattainable guy in school who not only makes Camie’s heart flatline on a recurring basis, he’s also the one guy who seemingly doesn’t know she exists.

Feeling like an inept piece of chum that could ultimately be swallowed by Jaws, can Camie get Tristan to rescue her from floundering in the treacherous deep, or is she destined to be Shark Bait?



Author's Note: While the tales themselves are fictional, some of the events and characters are very loosely based in reality and on my experiences—but don’t worry, the names of the characters, most of their unfortunate fashion sense and/or questionable taste in music has been changed to protect the not-so innocent.


Due to language and some adult content, this book may not be suitable for readers under the age of 16.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, High School, Humor, New Adult, Chick Lit

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2012

About the author

Jenn Cooksey is a Southern California girl born and bred, however she's no longer a resident of heaven on earth, but instead she currently resides in the 7th Ring of Hell with her husband, their three daughters, and a goodly number of pets. Aside from her husband, one cat, and three out of five fish, everyone living under the Cooksey's roof is female. She's sure her husband will not only be awarded sainthood when he kicks the bucket, but that Jesus will welcome him into heaven with a beer and a congratulatory high-five. Jenn is also of the belief that Bacon should be capitalized and that just being yourself is the best way to go. That is, unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.

You can learn more about Jenn and her books at the following locations:

Blog | http://jenncooksey.blogspot.com/

Twitter | https://twitter.com/Jenn_Cooksey

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenn-C...

Amazon | http://www.amazon.com/Jenn-Cooksey/e/...

Instagram | http://instagram.com/8675309_jenny

Pinterest | http://pinterest.com/jenncooksey/

Grab Your Pole Street Team Blog | http://grabyourpolestreetteam.blogspo...
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Reviews

[Jenn Cooksey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um, I wrote it so I think it's fan-flippin-tastic... :-p

[Bayli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seriously... Seriously. Seriously. Hold up. Did all of that amazingness just come from this book? Did it? Did it really?



The things Camie says. bahhaha

Well, naturally, I'm screaming in my head. Holy Exalted Naked Chest Batman!!!

I mean, COME ONE> That's hilarious.

I've got to pick my jaw up off the floor. I think while I'm down here, I'll pray and thank God for His glorious creation, because seriously, He does some damned fine work.

I wish I would have marked every time I laughed- but that would have been nearly the entire book. So, I could not. But Camie was hilarious. Her thoughts, the things she says and does- Top notch, I tell ya. I am in love with how she speaks and intertwines any and every music or movie reference she can think of! Phenomenal. And the fact that Tristan does the same thing. Totally hot. I dont know why, it. just. it.

Now Tristan. Holy shiznit, he is a beautiful man. He's funny, got a little of that bad boy thing going on, he's difficult- but he is saucy and hilarious... And when he wants to- he says the sweetest things.

Oh hell yes. Everything fades away until nothing matters anymore, not even breathing. Everything around us, the entire world and every little thing in it vanishes and nothing matters except you and me.

That's right ladies, he said that. Are you swooning? I am.

And let me just say two things that had me completing rolling from laughing so hard:
1. White Board
2. Gum

Oh and can I also say the ringtone choices every one made was outstanding. I mean really and truly outstanding.

Ohhhh and also how Camie refers to Tristan as her husband or fiance or fur baby daddy. bahahaha. Dying here. Can't stop. Won't stop. Laughing.

Alas; Do not judge this book by it's cover. Unless you love the cover- by all means judge the book ;) But I think this book could use a better cover- Just my humble opinion :D

[♥ Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

What the heck did I just read...?

Let me rewind & explain why I’m so confused.
First off, the book had me LAUGHING. OUT. LOUD. It was genuinely HILARIOUS & I really did like Camie as a character/narrator. I also really liked Jill, and wished I had a sister like her. Also, I especially LOVED the 70s, 80s, and 90s pop culture references. I mean, who doesn’t like Buffy, John Cusack, Pink Floyd, & John Hughes movies?! And I’m not even a part of those generations!

HOWEVER. . .

The story completely fell apart toward the end. I was like, HUH?! And trust me, I’ve tried to understand, accept, and even like it.

But NO.

Why it didn’t work for me:

Camie’s mom had breast cancer. I don’t know about most people, but for me, that is a pretty big deal. If my mom had breast cancer, whether she was in remission or not, dating would be the last thing on my mind. For Camie, dating was her number one mission.

Love at first sight w/ the schools’ “most popular” player/bad boy. EW. So cliché and…just, no.

Camie was FIFTEEN. Maybe I was extremely sheltered (although I don’t think I was), but her relationship was way too fast-paced for it to be realistic. I think their relationship would’ve been more realistic if the setting was in COLLEGE. Not high-school. I mean, even the author notes that the book isn’t recommended for readers under 16! Why the hell is Camie 15?! She should’ve been AT LEAST 17.

Additionally, TRISTIAN WAS A PUNK ASS, JERK. Sorry. But it’s true.
He was a lying, scumbag cheater, that thought he was hot shit. Ugh. At first, I thought there’d certainly be an explanation for his cocky, noncommittal, “bad-boy” ways. There wasn’t. He was just spoiled, cocky, possessive, and in my point of view: dangerous.
Look, I like my bad boys, but within the context of this story… I just didn’t think it was appropriate. And the excuses Camie continually made for this douche was unbelievable! She kind of reminded me of my younger self, and maybe that’s why I’m being so harsh/ judgmental, but this girl doesn’t know what she’s getting into!

Any guy that breaks another guys’ nose for “flirting” with you, when he’s not so innocent himself, is a punk. He throws Camie over his shoulders like some caveman idiot, IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, and locks her up in a room (overnight). His friends have to bring them “room service” food b/c he’s holding her hostage. She can’t even go PEE without him taking her to the bathroom! THAT IS NOT NORMAL. And this happens in front of the whole school, practically.

I’m not a lesbian, or a radical feminist. However, I do have something called self-respect. I don’t think it’s healthy to romanticize these types of abusive relationships. This sends the wrong message to both young men and women that stuff like that is somehow OK, or even romantic, in a strange & twisted way. It’s just not.

And most of the time (in real life), if a dude lies to you, doesn’t want to go public with your relationship, is extremely possessive over you, has an aggressive streak, ignores you half the time, is known to be a major player, and so forth – He’s probably not into you.IT DOESN’T MEAN HE LOVES YOU, OKAY?! There aren’t any SECRET hints he’s sending you.

I like angst, jealousy, and overprotective "bad-boys." But what's important to me is the reason and context. In Camie and Tristan's case, I just didn't feel like his behavior was acceptable. Or attractive. Or sweet. Or anything but wrong and creepy.

Anyways, I could go on & on, but I won’t. I really wanted to like this because it was so funny at first, but I just couldn’t look past Tristan’s abusive behavior, Camie’s age, and the overall shallow nature of this story.


I won’t be finishing the series.

[TheGremlin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can I just… Ugh. Okay, so this book was terrible. I rated this book before I even finished it. But don’t worry, I finished it, even though I knew the rating wouldn’t change. I don’t even know where to start, but I’ll try my damnedest to make sense.

Let me issue a huge warning here: I hated this book. Hated. It took more than two days to get through because I was so damn busy highlighting and making notes in my e-reader. Also, I kept having to take facebook and TV breaks. I started watching wrestling again to get away from this book, FFS. I ended up with 207 notes and highlights. To put this in perspective, on a regular read, I usually end up with 20 or less.

The writing is atrocious.

No, it really is. I often ran into sentences that were either much longer than they needed to be, sentences that were seemingly out of order on purpose to make the narrator seem smarter than she really is (all it really made her seem like was a pretentious snob, as if she doesn’t do a good enough job of that on her own within the first 15 pages), phrases that could have been simplified down to one word…

“I told he who’s now kissing my back thereby sending waves of heat through my body with much force as my blood started to rush to my head from hanging upside down.” (p. 216, e-book version)

“Him” would have been much simpler, but of course not.

Not only that, but the writing switches often between past and present tense, which to me just indicates horrible writing skills. The only time present tense should be used, if past tense is used as the general narrative, is in quotations, such as in dialogue.

“Obviously I did fine on my own. Yes, I’m flattered, but please, hold your applause.” (p. 189, e-book version)

Camie likes to jump in time. She’ll be talking about doing something, then pause in her narrative to tell the readers how she got to that point:

“We left the restaurant and all the way to my house and into my room, we talked about every instance we could think of and how this new theory about how he works could explain the things he’s done. We’d decided during breakfast (or brunch, whatever…) that we’d come back here to hang out and just recoup.” (p. 284-285, e-book version)

Not only do we have the jumping back and forth in time, but we have parenthetical asides, which I FUCKING HATE WITH A BOILING PASSION! I really, really do. Unless you’re doing math problems, I don’t want to see fucking parentheses at all. And they’re severely over-used in this book.

And, finally, we have the fact that Camie can’t be assed to put her text conversations in narrative, so she gives us script. As in, it reads like a play script. I got sudden flashbacks reading Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”, Shakespeare, and anything else I may or may not have conveniently forgotten since my own foray in high school. Needless to say, it’s fucking annoying and doesn’t belong in a novel.

Overall, the writing style and skill reads like badly written fanfic.

The narrator, Camie, is annoying, snobby, and less smart than she thinks she is.

I cannot stand know-it-alls. No, really. I can’t. Camie has a habit of “speaking” (rather, narrating) down to her readers. Of course, the best example was (bolding mine):

“He’s using his more than decent vocabulary and movie knowledge to be polite. Allow me to translate: Chaste = Virginal. Ingenue = Innocent or inexperienced girl. Promiscuous reprobate = Um, well…pretty much the opposite. Thunderdome = A Mel Gibson movie entitled Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome in which two men enter a giant cage and fight until one of them is dead.” (p. 316, e-book version)

And another, for good measure:

“…let it go to voicemail at least thrice times (that means three)…” (p. 151, e-book version)

She also has a habit of talking herself up, both in the intelligence department as well as the beauty department. Camie goes well out of her way to assure the readers that she doesn’t think of herself as anything special, although she repeatedly insinuates that others are stupid or less beautiful. She also says that she doesn’t wear makeup because her parents insist that she doesn’t need it, and others have told her she’s beautiful so she just goes with it.

Please, gag me with a spoon.

Tristan is a liar, an asshole, and possibly abusive.

Yes. Really. I went there.

Case in point for lying: Tristan gets so stoned at a party that he doesn’t realize the girl who’s crawling all over him isn’t Camie and makes out with her. Camie witnesses this. Of course, Jeff calls Kate’s voicemail and doesn’t hang up, so Camie and Kate overhear, via voicemail recording, that Tristan has no intention of admitting his fuck-up to Camie, even though she already knows about it . Jeff warns him that it’s a bad idea, to Jeff’s credit.

Case in point for abusive: Tristan bodily carries Camie away from a party and up a flight of stairs (as a quick note, I was disgusted by the girls in the novel who thought this was romantic. This is not romantic; this is caveman bullshit, carried out by a boy who thinks it’s okay to demand who Camie is and isn’t friends with and who she talks to, despite the fact that he can’t admit they’re dating).

Tristan also seems to resort to violence every possible time he can. He hits Zack at the party, breaking his nose (in one hit, apparently, which is definitely not easy to do). There are several instances of Tristan being so angry that his eyes narrow and he blows a gasket (including, at the same party of the nose-breaking, Tristan can’t stand to see Camie having a little fun with her friends, and promptly causes a scene by shoving people out of his way and yelling at them).

And, to top it all off, Camie thinks Tristan is perfect. I’ve given enough evidence to the contrary, but to top it all off, he’s apparently the captain of the swim and polo teams, is more well-read than Camie is, knows about cars enough to not only take care of his own and Jeff’s Jeep, but also to have rebuilt the under-hood of his own. He’s good-looking (because, generally speaking, the main male character usually is), and he’s well-versed in pop culture, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Let me borrow a “word” from Bella (of Twilight fame): Ugh.

Camie’s sister, Jillian, shows sociopathic tendencies. Also, her so-called abilities are logistically improbable.

Jillian, at one point, takes 30 minutes to remove tires from a vehicle (where did she get the extra jacks?), put them inside the car with seatbelts strapped around them, and uses either window markers or shoe polish to paint a message on the windshield.

First, let’s discuss the fact that Jillian is 13, and probably can’t even lift those tires. There’s no mention of her having an accomplice, so how did she get the tires into a car that is, most likely, sitting on its brake discs (poor car), let alone get them seat-belted. Doing all this in a 30 minute time-frame, at a high school football game, is asking for trouble and I just can’t see it happening. At all.

Then there’s the fact that she sneaks out of the house to go to a party Camie has just left in order to exact revenge on her sister’s behalf. And she gets a sick kind of glee out of it:

“���Do you want me to make an example out of him? I will if you want me to…just give me the word and I’ll teach him and everyone else what happens when they mess with my family.’” (p. 227, e-book version)

There also seems to be a lot of B&E going on: Jillian somehow manages to print out flyers of a girl, Teresa, who’d been tormenting Camie, vomiting at that party, and Jillian breaks into the high school and stuffs the fliers into lockers.

Either that or this school is seriously lax with the security.

This book ruined a lot of pop culture for me.

There are vast mentions of pop culture. And it’s not a vague reference here and there. Rather, Camie’s life seems to revolve around it, in particular Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Joss Whedon fan, but Tristan actually asks Camie out on their first date by quoting Oz from Buffy:

“‘I’m going to ask you to go out with me next weekend.’ Oh no he isn’t!!! ‘–And I’m kinda nervous about it actually. It’s interesting.’” (p. 149, e-book version)

Buffy isn’t the only book, movie, or TV show that’s mentioned, but it’s definitely the one mentioned most often. Of course, Camie also mentions music a lot, and she seems to notice that the “perfect” songs come on at the perfect times, providing the perfect soundtrack to her life. I don’t really care so much about that, because a lot of authors formulate soundtracks to their novels (they just don’t include them in the book, ffs), but I have one huge bone of contention:

You do not include Metallica and Miley Cyrus (whose name was spelled incorrectly as “Myley”) on the same mix. That’s blasphemy.

If it isn’t obvious that I hated this book, well then I’ve obviously failed as a reviewer. This book had no redeeming qualities what-so-ever. The writing was horrible, the characters were either full of themselves or vapid, and there was no chemistry between Camie and Tristan, no matter how much Camie insisted.

I was extremely unhappy to waste my time on this, and I won’t pick up the second one, even if it’s free.

[Megan • Reading Books Like a Boss (book blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book late last year, but I just read it last week. I'm so pissed at myself. I want to go back in time and slap myself in the boob. Why in the world did I not read this until now? Ugh!!! Thank you, Autumn, for helping me see the light and showing me the good stuff.

Yes little guppies, it's that good. I didn't read the blurb for this one. I went in blind, having no idea what this book was about. And from page one, I was drowning in pure unadulterated awesomesauce. It was very hard to put this book down. Jenn Cooksey is now one of my favorite authors. Shark Bait is so hilarious and absolutely flipping brilliant. This is her debut and I am so impressed!! I bow down to your greatness, Jenn.

After being homeschooled practically her whole life, Camie is tossed in with the lions, aka public school. She has to find her way around the political system of high school. Within minutes of stepping foot into that treacherous place, she runs into her future husband, Tristan Daniels. Tristan is a mystery who needs his own decoder ring.

"I turned to face him and realized with a sizzling jolt of over-active and under-used hormones, it wasn't Paul who was deserving my intended, full-body expression of thanks. WHOA. Insert choice expletive here _______, because I got nothin'. In fact, I consciously told myself to close my mouth and thenI surreptitiously checked my chin for slobber."

Thankfully, Kate, one of Tristan's friends, befriends Camie and helps her navigate through the stormy seas of high school (are you all tired of the water-themed puns?). Tristan doesn't date. He doesn't pay attention to girls at school, and he most certainly doesn't kiss and tell. But Kate notices something different the moment he laid eyes on Camie.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna choose walking home over getting a ride with Kate, who I'm rapidly starting to not only like a lot, but who I'm also realizing might just be the key to unlocking the treasure chest that is Tristan."

I adored this book. I was laughing out loud for a good portion of it. Being inside Camie's head was hilarious. She said and did a lot of things that surprised the hell out of me. And let me just say that her social life in high school was way more exciting than mine. Kate and Camie's mission to get Tristan to take notice was one of my favorite parts of the book. They know (or should I say Katie knows) exactly what to do to make him squirm.

Camie and Tristan were fantastic together. Their mutual obsession with Buffy, random 80's movies, and music was downright adorable. I was pulling for them, even through all the BS that went on. The supporting characters were equally wonderful. Tristan's best friends, Kate and "Dear Jeff" added a lot to the story, and I loved their relationship. This review wouldn't be complete without me mentioning Camie's sister, Jill. All I'm going to say is that this twelve-year old girl packs a punch and is a little firecracker. Team Jill (because you don't want to get on her bad side).

Errrrybody, needs to read this book. It will make you laugh, awwh, and laugh some more. Then you MUST read Book 2, The Other Fish in the Sea. It will be released VERY SOON!

*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be extremely frustrating although it was pretty realistic. It was very slow reading, the inner monologue went on forever, the couples back and forth was exhausting. But hey you may like it more than I did.



Shark Bait was like being right back in high school for me, where I’m sitting at the lunch table listening to my friends who are hell bent on getting the “it” guy’s attention. Truth be told, these daily conversations of plotting and strategizing at school bored me to tears after the first hundred rounds.

Kudos to Cammie and Katie’s plots and plans they definitely hooked the shark for Cammie so who am I to judge.

Side Note: I don’t know many fifteen year olds that know everything about the 80s that was a bit odd but I got all the references.

[Tee Loves Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow, wow, was this an incredible surprise and absolutely a new favorite series for me!! Shark Bait came highly recommended by a very good friend of mine, and I couldn't wait to dive in (har, har). My first impression was "okay, so here's a cute young love story with a naive heroine", and I was thinking it'd probably be one of those stories that I'd enjoy but not necessarily be blown away by. Oh boy, was I ever wrong!! I'm kind of giddy right now, because I absolutely fell in love with these characters and their unforgettable personalities that kept me hooked on their story all day!!

Sweet little home-schooled Camie is not the innocent little new girl she first appears to be. Coming to public school for the first time at 15 would be hell on any girl, and she definitely flounders at first. She knows about the ins and outs of popularity and fitting in, but catching a glimpse of the drop-dead-gorgeous surfer boy who (gasp!) makes physical contact that fateful first day really threw her for a bit of a loop. Thank goodness Camie had Kate, longtime friend of said hottie, to take her under her wing just when she needed the help. Thus began the amusing, drama-filled, and completely baffling cat-and-mouse or bait-and-tackle game of landing Tristan, right down to the "make him jealous with a fake love interest" and plotting interactions at social gatherings.

But this is no simple and soft chick lit story teen-style, because Jenn Cooksey has created a cast of characters that you just become completely engrossed in. I swear, I felt like I was a teen all over again, mentally nodding my head excitedly when Kate would teach Camie how to recognize yet another observation that would help her read Tristan's emotions. You get so sucked in that all of the trials and tribulations become a puzzle to solve for Camie as she struggles with the closed-off mystery that is Tristan. I ate up all of Kate's little threads of analysis, as tedious as they were (SO typical of a teenage girl!!), and when Tristan finally made a move I was ecstatic!! These two were so adorable together, both with their own challenges to confront as their time together became something more than just innocent moments. And let me say, Tristan was SEXY!! Despite my worries about Camie being an almost-16 virgin to Tristan's almost-18 "player", without a doubt I want these two to move things along because they are one hot number together even when they haven't passed second base!!

The lengths that Camie and Kate, and conversely Tristan and Jeff, go through to have "Camie + Tristan = True love" were priceless!! Living in Camie's mind as they plotted and schemed, and she played 20 questions about Tristan's motives and meanings, was one of the most entertaining experiences I've come across! When I wasn't held in suspense from the angst-filled drama, I was giggling over the baseball analogies, amusing and creative references to movies and TV shows of the 80's and 90's (which, incidentally, made me even more nostalgic for my own teen years), and clever banter that makes you wish you were that clever back in the day. Even the supporting characters, like Camie's frighteningly devious little sister Jillian and Tristan's laid-back and quick-witted parents (I swear I was in tears laughing over the "wall of infamy" at Tristan's house), were a perfect fit that made up the total package of this awesome story!

Shark Bait was thoroughly entertaining and I can't recommend this one enough! The Grab Your Pole series is absolutely a must-read and one to look out for!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so great! I loved everything about it! Camie was awesome, very relatable even though she was a little young... her sister Jillian was just hilarious! Also, her friends were great I loved Kate and Jeff. Tristian was wonderful! The story was wonderful! Would recommend this to everyone.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars!! What a fun, roller coaster of a ride! Absolutely cannot wait for the next one. Awesome job Jenn! It was fun, funny, hot, emotional and just a perfect story.

[*J* Too Many Books Too Little Time · Rating 3 out of 5]

UPDATED!

Re-read 4-15-2013

3 Stars! It pains me to say this but I did not enjoy this one as much the second time as I did the first. Maybe I've read too many books since then?? I don't know.

I had concerns during my initial reading that this would be too YA for me. At the time, I didn't think it was. Perhaps, I have read too many MA books since then because I found this to be VERY YA! The heroine, Cami, is 15 and has been homeschooled her whole life. Needless to say, she is very virginal. She's never even kissed a boy. Her family moves to California after her mom is diagnosed with cancer. She enrolls in the local high school because her mom is not well enough to home school them anymore.

Cami meets Tristan her first day at school. Tristan is 17 and a junior and of course HOT. Cami and her BFF Kate (I can't even remember if this was her name) devise a plan to land Tristan.

Here are a few of the things I didn't care for....first, all of the inner monologue. It became really tiresome and seemed to make the story drag on and on. Secondly, I got tired of the back and forth between Cami and Tristan. Does he like me or does he not? Am I going to forgive him or am I not?? I just wanted them to hurry up and decide.

Things I did like.....I liked Cami's sister Jillian. I also thought some of the dialogue was funny (though there were too many 80s references for my tastes). I loved the wall of conversations in Tristan's room and I thought his parents were great characters. And I did really like Tristan.

At this point, after the second read....I am not sure I will continue on with the series. I know the author has plans for this to be a six book series. I don't know....maybe I will. :)


Original Read: September 2012

4.5 Stars!!!

What can I say....I absolutely fell in love with this book. In all honesty, when I read the synopsis I didn't think it was going to be for me. I really thought the book was going to be a bit TOO young adult for me. Afterall, I am a 32 year old married woman with kids. :) But I must say I was SO wrong. It took me a few chapters to get in to the book and to get used to the author's writing style but then it sucked me right in. Every time I would finish a chapter, I just had to read one more...and before I knew it, it was almsot midnight. I had to know what happened between Tristan and Camie! I loved all of the characters, especially Jillian and Tristan's mom and and dad! The wall of conversations in Tristan's room was hysterical! I wasn't expecting to laugh as much as I did! Definitely one of my Top 5 YA books....I am very much looking forward to the next book! I definitely recommend!

[Gitte TotallyBookedBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Jenn Cooksey's first published book and I have to say that I thought Shark Bait was very well written and I LOVE J. Cooksey's style of writing, it's quick witted, sarky, REAL and bang up to date!! "Tristan's Wall of Infamy conversations" had me in stitches!!

Camie and her family move back home after her Mum gets diagnosed with breast cancer. After being home-schooled by her Mum she now has to enter and survive the gauntlets of proper high-school.

It took me a good few chapters to warm up to Camie. Yes I liked her quick wit but it wasn't until she showed the REAL Camie that I got her. I actually think this applies to most of the characters, however, I defy anyone not to swoon over Tristan from the get go though ;0)The second half of the book was great!!

Shark Bait is definitely aimed at the younger YA readers due to the issues and concerns, and for that I think it's spot on!!

For me I lean more towards the older end of this genre when I read YA, that said, I did think overall it was a FAB first effort by Jenn Cooksey!

[JB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things you should expect when reading Jenn Cooksey's "Shark Bait":

Prepare for this:





A whole lot of this:





A bit of this:







And PLENTY of this ;)





In short, my friends, this book is FANTASTIC. It will make you swoon, sigh, and laugh your ass off. I don't know how anyone could read it and NOT love it. It's so fucking good!!!!

Add it to your TBR list NOW! :)

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lets get some of the nitty-gritty out of the way...Camie has been homeschooled, along with her sister, by her mother her entire life. Her mom is now battling breast cancer so they have moved back to So-Cal to be near family, while Camie (16) and Jillian (12) will now be entering that place called Hell. Otherwise known as public school.

Not two minutes into her first day of high school Camie is rescued from becoming fodder for the social Elite by Tristan, who simultaneously nearly kills her by giving her cardiac arrest. Okay, not really...but he does bare a striking resemblance to Taylor Kitsch and he did just touch her. Just her arm, to keep her from falling on her face mind you...but those are just semantics. She's an instant smitten kitten and proceeds to think of him as the following: My Tristan, my soul mate, my future husband, my favorite womanizer and the like. Cute, huh?

I guess I should elaborate on that last one though, the womanizer one. Camie quickly comes to learn that Tristan is, to put it mildly and bluntly, known to be quite the man whore.

However, when one of his life long best friends (Kate) picks up on some strangeness wafting from Tristan that floats directly to Cameron, they hatch a plan for Camie to hook the biggest catch in school.

Now, normally this kind of plot would drive me up the wall. I remember all too well how games are played in high school and they usually annoy the crap out of me. This is different though. There is no vindication here it's just some plain old observant girl who really wants one of her oldest and dearest friends to grow up a little, settle down a lot and be more happy/ less moody. Kate thinks Camie is the one to do it and Camie, as infatuated and struck as she is by him thinks she's up for the challenge. Even knowing she is more than clueless and may end up heart broken. The chance at love is worth the risk though.

What made Shark Bait such a fun read is how incredibly smart and funny this group of kids are. Camie is completely endearing with her sense of humor, intellect and complete naivete. She's a fairly grounded girl even if she does let her imagination wander where Tristan is concerned. Seriously, when she programs him into her phone she nicknames him this:

Thumper. You, know because I'm twitter-pated like in Bambi. Yeah, I know. Not the best I could come up with but I think it's cute.


Tristan is an enigma of sorts to start out but once you get to know who he really is you can't not love the guy. The relationship that builds between these two is adorable, heart warming and also extremely volatile. Tristan has a short fuse, large ego and a disconcerting amount of experience. Paired with Camie's lack of certain social life skills, the two of them together are like a sleeping volcano, ready to blow at any second.

The side characters are all equally loveable. I'd say character development is probably Cooksey's strong point. Even the characters you dislike are interesting to say the least. Jillian is beyond bad ass though. She is way at the top of my favorite characters. Picture this: Malibu Barbie looks, Mensa Member brains, cat like reflexes all packaged in a evil, darkly goth attitude and wardrobe. I want to adopt her.

The writing is fun loving, super witty and full of 80's references and Buffy The Vampire one liners, which are two of my favorite things. Most important moments in the book give way to some song that plays in Camie's head and I loved seeing all those pop up.

Truly, Shark Bait is great, fun read that will elicit tons of giggles and heart tugging. Go read it, you won't be sorry!

"I mean when it comes right down to it, he and I speak the same language...we just have different accents."

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Sunny Side Up Stars!!!

A truly wonderful read. An honest tale of life as teenagers and the trials and tribulations we go through during those awkward yet seemingly magical years. The friendships, the romance, the wit and the 80's references alone will hook, line and sink you! I adored this book through and through. Camie is a wonderful heroine. Tristian is not only a swoon worthy leading man but he's extremely smart, kind and a terrific friend. Kate is possibly the best BFF ever and Jillian? Well, there's simply no contest! She tops the best little sister category. Just an all around good story and an abundance of characters that you'll undoubtedly fall in love with. I highly recommend to anyone who loves young adult, new adult or just loves to laugh and will understand the quirkiness that is Camie Ramsey.

Instantly made my favorites and re-read worthy lists! Check this out, seriously.

P.S. The second installment is just as good but has a killer cliffhanger. But luckily the third installment is only days away from being released!

[Dee]

DNF at 41% - honestly, camie drove me nuts, for a teen that had been home schoolel...it just didn't work - at times, it felt like she was in college and others barely in high school

[Tabby - Shattered Hearts Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have heard really good things about this book, but I just had not had the chance to read it. (I know, BAD BLOGGER !) Then Ashley over at The Bookish Brunette asked me to be in on this blog tour (: Needless to say - I am really glad that I said yes. Not only did I get the chance to chat with the author, (who is epically awesome) - but a chance to read this freaking amazing book. Serious; I absolutely loved it.

Cami just got the culture shock of a Lifetime. After moving, due to some family issues going on, she goes from being home schooled to being tossed into the chaos that we like to call public high school. (Bless.Her.Heart.) The good news is - she handles it like a champ! It is there that she meets Tristan. & yes, I know what you are thinking.

Oh.Em.Gee - not another instantly falling in love novel.

You went to high school right? People were in love with new people every week. It was like changing socks back then lol. So yes, it might be instant love - but seriously, it's high school - it fits. Read it. Like it. Embrace it..

Back to Tristan. He is the kind of person that you wouldn't think went very deep. To me, he came across as complex and compelling. I wanted to "label" him when the story first started.. You know, popular - a jerk, that kind of thing. Then I kept reading & saw that there really is so much more to him. He isn't one to let loose easily - or let people get too close to him. With Cami he is different. It made watching the two of them come together that much more priceless. It was like watching a magnet attract metal - unavoidable and completely destined to be .

Cooksey rocked my face off with Shark Bait. Her portrayal of secondary characters kept me just as entertained and enthralled as her main characters. Unlike some other books I have read, no character felt out of place or just thrown in there to take up pages. Everyone had a purpose and the end resulted equaled an epic book.

I am so extra excited that this is a series! WhY? Because I can't wait to see where she takes this!

[Jexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was quite possibly the cutest book I have EVER read.

I admit that it's been a spell since I ventured into the land of YA but, I couldn't be happier that this was the book I chose to break that particular spell.

I honestly can't put into words how much I loved this book. I'm gonna go all out and say every single thing about it was perfect. The characters, from the main all the way down to the peripheral, were all completely fantastic. The story was fun and totally addicting, the writing was superb and the dialogue was adorable. There wasn't a single moment of the story where I lost even a little bit of interest or where my emotions weren't invested.

I think it could be easy for someone to overlook this book as YA fluff because it isn't heavy on the topics and consists mostly of humor but I'd like to point out that while that is somewhat true, this book has TONS of heart. Not only did I find myself smiling and or laughing throughout most of the story but, more than once I had to stop when I realized that my heart was beating fast and my eyes were moving faster than my brain could process. For me this was because this book succeeded where so many others have failed and did something I thought was somewhat impossible, it totally and completely reminded me what it was like to be in high school and be a teenager. Not in the overly angsty everything is the end of the world way, but in the carefree and everything is happening for the first time way and I loved every single second of that reminder!

There is absolutely no doubt that I'll pick up the next installment the very second it's available to me! (Sidenote and FYI: there's no cliffhanger so don't let the fact that it's first in a series keep you from reading this little gem!)

Oh, and I can't keep myself from admitting that author Jenn Cooksey has officially turned me in a fangirl and may have quite possibly become my new girl crush!

[Jennifer☠Pher☠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this so very much. SO VERY MUCH!! Best surprise ever! I am not ashamed to admit I was scared to read this. You know, I am way closer to 40 then I am 15 and I just wasn't sure if I would even be able to get into the story. Boy, was I was freaking wrong! I LOVED this book! LOVED IT! I got it too! I am not too old and I totally got it, loved it and devoured it! I laughed out loud and seriously think I was smiling the entire time I was reading. OMG, Tristan! What a shark. Holy HELL! And Camie, you get an OMG too, I love you! Actually, OMG to every character in the book because they were all written in a way you just loved them all. Well, not ALL of them but you get me. I could go on and on about how much I loved this book but am stopping here, well, cause of course I gotta read the next one, like now. Jenn Cooksey, I am giving you a standing ovation. Bravo! Read.

[Laci · Rating 4 out of 5]

O.k. if you like YA you'll love this book.. I always read the sample chapters before I buy. If it doesn't grab me, then I usually just move on, like I did with this book however unlike so many before I couldn't get these characters out of my head. I keep going back to the sample. Kept looking at the cover. Needless to say I gave in and read what I just new I wasn't going to like. I was so dumb. I loved every single minute on this book. I thought the story line was great. Loved the characters. Couldn't put it down. I will definitely continue with this series.

[Ashley - The Bookish Brunette · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should be reading Shark Bait. Right now. Like this instant.

If you like fun (mature) YA, contemporary romance... With a whole lot of KICK ASS- this book is for you.

Adding Shark Bait to my list of FAVORITE books ever. You will too, after you read it! Can't wait for book 2!

[full review to come]

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunch of likable characters from mc to supporting. Cute, quirky and hilarious. Angsty but light. Tristan and Cameron ❤️

[Kelli Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dammit! Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!!! This is what I'm doing considering how long it took me to read this book:



Shark Bait is absolutely brilliant. I really have no other words to describe it. Phenomenal. Incredible. Stunning. Exceptional. Marvelous. But even these words can't encompass how much I fricking love this book!!



I'm going to pause in my fangirling over this book for a minute. For a little background, I've been in a severe reading slump since November of last year. Yes, that long. It's been a struggle to finish most books. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed some --- it's just that none had been able to completely pull me in. So I finally asked for a recommendation and a trusted reader pal suggested this series. Luckily, I already had the first book. I'm ashamed to admit this has been on my ereader for well over a year. It's one of those you buy when it's free, always intend to read, but put off for whatever stupid reason. And then, once you read it, you want to kick your own ass for wasting all this time reading crap when this magnificence was in your possession! Okay, so maybe I wasn't done fangirling, sue me.

I had NO IDEA that this was a YA series. I'd probably have picked it up sooner if I had known. I'm not going to bother with a synopsis since I'm pretty sure you can read it for yourself above.
Shark Bait is the first book in a long time that compelled me to read and ignore the outside world.
Seriously. I didn't care about eating. I didn't want to hop on Facebook. I didn't want to text. I just wanted to read this story!



This is also the first book that caused me to WANT to write a review as quickly as possible. I needed to get all of my thoughts down immediately.

If I'm being honest (and I 100% am), I haven't laughed this hard while reading a book since Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec. It's not easy to make things funny on paper - at least in my opinion. Typically when I'm reading, there may be a brief chuckle or a smile, but not really much full-out laughter. And when those characters are teenagers? Even rarer! So you can imagine my surprise when the first chapter had me chuckling out loud.

Camie is probably one of the most unique voices I've had the pleasure to discover in ANY genre. I couldn't help but adore her. She's completely out of her element and relatively clueless about the mechanics of being a teenager. Somehow, instead of this being an annoying trait, it's endearing. Weird, I know. She's highly intelligent and added to her quirky love for 80s and 90s pop culture, she's just a kick ass girl in every way! You can't blame her for wanting to fit in. Her commentary is not only witty and funny, but also really helps you in getting to know her. It also shows that even though she's been out of the public school loop, she's still your average teenager in a lot of ways.

"I'm gonna take a minute here because you seriously need to understand how magnificent this guy is. He's tall - like probably at least 6'2" - super tan, and he has long, sun-streaked, light brown hair that's kind of a layered mess, so I'm thinking surfer right about now. This makes sense because he's got a ridiculously powerful physique, but not bulky like a football player's. His chest is really wide and he has well defined arm muscles. And just so you know, I can totally see the outline of his pecs and six-pack abs through his supremely well fitted H2O Polo team t-shirt. To top it off, he's got these amazing, sparkling, cerulean blue eyes that are fringed with thick lashes. Truthfully, I've never seen blue eyes like his. I mean he's YU-UM-MY!"

See what I mean? Camie is just easy to relate to on many levels. We've all been in high school. We all had that one crush that we'd do nearly anything to attain. And basically that's what Shark Bait is about. Oh, and the guy she described above? That's Tristan... *swoon* And I mean MAJOR SWOON!!

Thanks to Camie's new BFF, Kate, they begin plotting to capture the elusive and commitment phobe, Tristan. Since Kate dates Tristan's BFF, Jeff, on and off, she has an inside track. Their scheming isn't anything crazy, don't worry. I can't lie. I'm a suspicious person by nature. Little red flags went up when Kate wanted to be friends with Camie right away. How often do popular upper classmen befriend the younger ones, especially when they're new to the school? Rarely. I can happily report there are no nefarious schemes coming from Kate. Thank god.



This should be a tired story line. Usually it is. Virginal new girl and hot, popular womanizer has been done. But there's something different and special about Shark Bait. It's partly the humor.

"He's beautiful and I'll hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him, and call him George."

The references to 80's and 90's movies and tv shows are added bonuses.

"Upon entering the shindig - or maybe the more appropriate term would be hootenanny... Oz from Buffy would know - I immediately pictured the party scene from Jake Ryan's house from the iconic '80s movie classic Sixteen Candles. It was unreal. I mean there wasn't a pizza spinning on a record player or anything, but there was just so much chaos my eyes couldn't focus."

But a huge part of this book that I loved was Jillian, Camie's twelve year old sister. This should probably be weird, too. She's an evil genius, though, and I just wish I had a Jillian of my own. She's downright scary! The thing is, she has reasons for pulling off the "pranks" that she manages to. I admire the young girl - she's wicked smart and uses it to retaliate against those who have wronged someone she cares about.



I picture her as the above, but fitting this description:



I don't know what to expect in the next two books, but I hope she's a big part of them!

And then there's Tristan...







I just... can't. Gah! The guy is imperfectly perfect. He does dumb things, but he's gorgeous human! What can we expect? Although in his BIG screw up, I had a feeling there was more to the story. And while I agreed with Camie on points, how could you ever give up on him?? The guy is smooth.

"While I agree this might not be your best look, I bet you taste pretty good."

And sexual:

"Camie, I'm not gonna lie, I do want you far more than anything I've ever wanted anyone before and if I thought you were willing, I'd have you stripped naked and in this bed in less than a heartbeat, but that is so not all I want from you."

Plus he's smart, hot, athletic, AND gets all of her pop culture references! Ugh. Where were guys like this when I was in school???

Shark Bait has a bit of everything. It's not all fun and games. With any good love story, there's some dramatic elements, but they fit the book. It's not stuff tossed in just because. Every relationship in this book, whether romantic or platonic, was perfection. Every interaction is almost critical, so pay attention. Especially to that damned prologue! I was so confused when I started the book, because it didn't seem to fit in with the following chapters. It became crystal clear at the end. Adorable!

A few things I need to mention:
- You quite possibly will hate licorice after reading this book.
- The whiteboard messages are a HIGHLIGHT of the entire story.
- You're gonna want to binge watch classic tv shows and movies once you finish.
- You'll probably wish for a time machine. Or maybe wish Jillian was real so she could invent a youth restoration serum. Yes, these characters will make you want to go back to high school.

So far, this is my favorite read of 2014. I know it's early but it's going to be hard to knock it out of the top this year. Hell, this just made my short All-Time Favorites list!



So, don't be a dummy. Go pick this book up NOW!

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 There is so much to talk about in this book but really it's more things the author mentions, quotes and just her phrasing that I enjoyed more than the actual story.

At the first mention of my all time favorite show ever, Buffy, I thought the author was cool. At like the 3rd mention, then direct quote THEN she goes so far as to use a scene from buffy as the way the guy asks the girl out, and I'm so loving this author. The author makes a LOT of pop culture refeerences, stuff like Say Anything, Signs, Twilight, Phineas and Ferb, John Tucker Must Die, Pink Floyd, etc... I could go on. Most of them I got and appreciated but there were a few I just had to move on from because I'd never seen the movie or read the book. Okay, so I was totally happy for Buffy to be mentioned, BUT this was a YA novel so the MCs were young and they both mentioned being buffy fans because their mom's were fans....I'm getting old!

[Kim (Sliced Open Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts?

Oh my! I am so, so excited to write this review, for two reasons…

One, our MC Camie Ramsey. There is one thing I can no longer get angry about, insta-love. Why? Well, because I experienced insta-love with our dear Camie before I made it through the first two paragraphs of the first chapter!

Two, Jenn Cooksey is a mother-freaking genius!

Ok, so let’s dig a little deeper (and I should warn you, I’m bound to get long-winded here so please keep up!)

Camie seems like the best place to start since I’m pretty sure her and I were separated at birth. I have never started reading a book and felt so connected to the MC. Everything about her actions, thoughts, mannerisms and choices reminds me, dead on, of myself. I was pretty freaked out and ready to have a full on panic attach before I got 10% through the book because I just couldn’t get beyond it. Taking that a step further, Camie is 15 in this book and this usually puts a halt on any true relation to a character. Me at 15 and fictional portrayals of 15-year-olds are on total opposite sides of the Grand Canyon. I guess maybe I was a bit of a delinquent in my younger-days but regardless, it was insta-love for Camie and I, and I have a feeling it will be the same for many more readers.

Sticking with discussing characters let’s move to our wonderful supporting cast; Kate/Jillian/Pete/Jeff just to name a handful. Each character had something to give to the story. Each character was dynamic without being over the top and complicating. There was a great balance in each and I give many kudos to Jenn Cooksey for this!

Quick cap:
Describe each supporting character in 3 words…
Kate – best-friend, intuitive, loyal
Pete – quite, mysterious, confusing
Jeff – hilarious, clown, surprising
Jillian – real, freaking, scary

Last, but oh-so-certainly not least, is the ever so sexy Tristan. If I’ve said it once, I have said it 1000 times. OOOHHH how I love the bad boy and Tristan was the uber-balance of bad-sweet boy. Much like Camie, I was instantly connected to his character, actions, mannerisms, etc. Oh and he provided a lot of the laughter for me while reading (along side Jeff, cause he was so funny).

Moving on, so one thing this book does NOT lack is story and substance. There wasn’t a lot of “fluff” as I call it. Yeah, that in between stuff that fills pages but doesn’t really contribute to the story. To me everything had a place, meaning and purpose. Sounds a bit overbearing right? Well, it’s not. There is so much humor and other emotion built-in to each page and movement that even though my Nook tells me it was 359 pages, I feel like it flew by way too quick. There are three levels of emotion that I grade a book on and I use those to gauge how good the author was a relaying the emotion of the characters and story.

First Grade – Smile – seems simple, but really it’s not. No, I’m not emotionless, but when reading it takes a fairly decent amount of humor or romance to really get me to crack.

Second Grade – LOL (bad texting reference, I know) – Can the book cause actual audible laughter? It takes a great deal of humor or happiness to get this from me. There are really only a handful of books that I have laughed from. I’m talking like real true laughter here, not snarky smirks!

Third Grade – Tears and Rage – One of two things has to happen to do this. Either I have to cry. Real tears, not just a little sniffly and watery eyes shit. OR, evoke enough rage to cause me to do something stupid, like toss my Nook across the room (my poor Nook has taken abuse a couple of times).

Well, Shark Bait did ALL of the above at one point or another during the book – thus, one real successful book if you ask me.

High-school, like real people experience…yes, like parties with drugs and alcohol, cussing and slutty girls. It was great! Scream Lions and Tigers and Bears OH MY all you want, but it's real life people, not this fake fictional world we sometimes like to pretend teenagers live in. I really appreciated authors who are not afraid to show the way things are. Shows how ballsy they can be and usually is only done by authors who have true skill.

My last point may be one of my favorite parts of this book. It showed the true level of creativity and witty repartee that Jenn Cooksey is capable of…yes…the Whiteboards. I am not going to give much beyond that in description because I have read and re-read each section of this and I just feel that if I quote any part of it, it will spoil it when you read it. Because you should, like right now. Go read the book and experience the unexplainable excellence that is Jenn Cooksey!

I will now leave you with lyrics from Walk The Moon by Anna Sun because everytime I hear this part of the song I think of Shark Bait!

"Screen falling off the door; door hanging off the hinges
My feet are still sore; my back is on the fringes
We tore up the walls; we slept on couches
We lifted this house, we lifted this house

Fire-crackers in the east; my car parked south
Your hands on my cheeks; your shoulder in my mouth
I was up against the wall on the west mezzanine
We rattle this town, we rattle this scene"

- excerpt from Walk the Moon by Anna Sun

Review by Sliced Open Reviews
Source: Purchased

[Jessica Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shark Bait by Jenn Cooksey

Goodreads Description:

Previously homeschooled Camie Ramsey is being shoved into the shark-infested waters of public high school, where even helium filled, penguin bespeckled arm floaties likely won’t help keep her inexperienced, fifteen-year old head above water in that rip current of hormones and emotions.
Camie’s worldly wisdom might be severely lacking (i.e., the closest she’s come to being kissed was sitting too close to the TV whilst Jake Ryan leaned in to give Samantha that fateful 16th birthday kiss), but she does understand her only hope for survival is if she’s thrown some kind of “social” life preserver before she sinks like a freaking rock. However, what will her fate be when she endeavors to flag down the only lifeguard on duty, the enormously popular and ridiculously beautiful Tristan Daniels? The most sought after and virtually most unattainable guy in school who not only makes Camie’s heart flatline on a recurring basis, he’s also the one guy who seemingly doesn’t know she exists.

Feeling like an inept piece of chum that could ultimately be swallowed by Jaws, can Camie get Tristan to rescue her from floundering in the treacherous deep, or is she destined to be Shark Bait?

Author's Note:
While the tales themselves are fictional, some of the events and characters are very loosely based in reality and on my experiences—but don’t worry, the names of the characters, most of their unfortunate fashion sense and/or questionable taste in music has been changed to protect the not-so innocent.
______________________________________________

Due to language and some adult content, this book may not be suitable for readers under the age of 16.

Why did I pick this?

Honestly? This book, in a way, picked me. Ha!

Actually, Jenn Cooksey found me via Twitter and chatted me up. I talked to her for a while and thought (and still think) that she is absolutely one of the sweetest people I know. She asked me to check out her book and if I would be interested in reading it.

I read the description and thought it sounded adorable so I said yes. (I might have batted my eyelashes) ;-)

What did I think?

So my initial thought that this book was adorable. I was completely correct. What I hadn't though about was, was how much I would LOVE this book.

I think what actually caught my attention was the writing style that Cooksey has. The story is narrated by Camie and I instantly fell in love with her. Her attitude is adorable and her snarkiness is incomparable.

So I'll start this off by introducing the characters :-)

Camie: The narrator and all-around hero. She has been homeschooled for most of her life by her mother. Once her mother becomes too sick to continue, she is forced to enter into a public highschool for the first time. I really, really enjoyed Camie's snark and attitude. But what I loved was that no matter what she was for family. I can relate to that considering I have a big family myself.

Tristan: Sa-woon. What a hottie. But oh so complicated. I don't think I've ever read a more complicated fellow. Once you get past all the complications, he is truly drool worthy. What a dreamboat. A swimmer? Hel-lo washboard abs and cut arms. But he also has a good heart and is very sweet.

Jillian: If I ever had a little sister, I would totally want her to be it. She kicks so much arse, it's hilarious. She is very smart and has a sinister mind. But in a good way. I'd never want to be on her bad side. Ever. She is loyal to the death with Camie and it's really awesome.

The story was beautifully and hysterically written. I adored every word that jumped off the page. Once I started, I was unable to stop. The interactions between all the characters flowed. I was taken back to my 16 year old self with a bit os nostalgia. Ahhhh the teenage years. :-) She completely captured the way a 16 year old thinks.

Along with the laughs, this also has plenty of swoony moments and heart-wrenching moments. Cooksey truly has a way with words and character development. I can't wait to read the rest of the series and see what happens next.

If you haven't gotten a chance to pick this up, do it NOW! Get it at Amazon. It's only $2.99.

Favorite Quote:

One of my favorite lines is from Camie's dad. Her parents are the coolest. ;-)

"That being said, you are under no circumstances to ever, and I mean never young lady, get in a car with someone who's been drinking or doing drugs. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, Daddy, I won't. I promise."

"I mean it Cameron. I don't care if it's Jesus himself behind the wheel, if He's been sippin' on His own homemade wine, you call for a ride home," my dad said sternly with a hint of an evangelical tone in his voice.

[Jodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“WHOA, Insert choice expletive here _____>”

Yes I heard everyone talking about this book for months and I was all I will get to it, promise sparkly hearts. Well, Can I kick my own ass because I should have read this the minute it hit Amazon!! WHAT THE HELL anyway Thank you to everyone who was all this series is AWESOME and AMAZING and whatever other adjective works for you. Ok enough about how stupid I am and more of how much in LOVE I am!!

“I think I’m hooked. I feel like a drug addict. The problem is, I don’t know anything about my pusher or when or even if I’ll get another fix.”

Jenn Cooksey is now one of my automatic purchases for my Kindle and I want to have her babies, really this book is that amazing. This gave reading addiction a whole new definition, I literally did nothing and I even tried to give up sleep so I could read it. This book had me in tears with laughter and had me wanting to be Jenn’s BFF.

”Not only am I an addict, I’m turning into a stalker. That’s just great.”

Ok so where to start at the beginning we meet Camie, a girl who has been homeschooled practically her whole life but her mom is diagnosed with Cancer and therefore Camie is being released into the wild or School whatever works for you. Camie has seen the movies and is prepared to endure her first first day of school. But within minutes of being there she meets her future husband aka Tristan Daniels.

"I’m gonna take a minute here because you seriously need to understand how magnificent this guy is. He’s tall – like probably at least 6’2” – super tan, and he has sort of long, sun-streaked, light brown hair that’s kind of a layered mess, so I’m thinking surfer right about now. This makes sense because he’s got a ridiculously powerful physique, but not bulky like football player’s. His chest is really wide and he has well defined arm muscles.” “To top it off, he’s got these amazing, sparkling, cerulean blue eyes that are fringed with thick lashes.” “I mean he’s YU-UM-MY!”

Yep that’s Tristan perfection in a high school package. Not going to lie Tristan made me want to go back to high school and find one of him. Tristan was popular, nice and of course he was the boy who didn’t do relationship EVER.

But Camie is lucky because one of Tristan’s BFF’s has decided that Camie should be her BFF. Kate notices something different the moment she sees the way Tristan notices Camie.

"Yeah, like I'm gonna choose walking home over getting a ride with Kate, who I'm rapidly starting to not only like a lot, but who I'm also realizing might just be the key to unlocking the treasure chest that is Tristan."

Kate also happens to be dating Tristan other BFF Jeff. See how this whole friendship triangle/square is going to work perfect.

I adored this book. I literally could talk about it for hours and crack myself up. Camie's is maybe my favorite character EVER she was precious, she was innocent and she was hilarious. Camie and Kate’s relationship was exactly what I had in high school and it made me laugh as they schemed and thought of a plan to hook Tristan.

”Oh hell yes. Everything fades away until nothing matters anymore, not even breathing. Everything around us, the entire world and every little thing in it vanishes and absolutely nothing matters except you and me.”

Camie and Tristan were completely perfect together. I swear I was there biggest cheerleader! However my favorite character who I can’t say enough about was Camie’s little sister, Jillian.

“Seriously. If you want a good idea of what Jillian will look like when she’s sixteen, just picture Malibu Barbie.”
“Seriously, next time you’re in Target, go look at the Barbie Dolls…”

She is twelve but I swear she is more like twenty and I want her to be my daughters best friend so I can pick her brain and make her my best friend. Yes I want to be a twelve year olds best friend read the book you will too!!

”I wasn’t kidding about staying on her good side. If she uses her powers for good, she’s an exceedingly valuable asset, but if you’ve pricked her temper, she can be an unsurpassed menace.”

YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK it will make you laugh, make you fall in love and then laugh till you have tears. Oh and yeah just buy Book 2, The Other Fish in the Sea because you are not going to want to let these characters go!!

Quick word of advice: Regardless of the temperature, if you ever have the good fortune of being given the opportunity to play in the ocean with an incredibly gorgeous guy…do it.”

Also if you have put off reading this book like me stop everything and fix that immediately!!! Seriously I know your welcome!!

[Jac (For Love and Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Originally read August 25, 2012 - reread April 23, 2013! My new review can be read On my Blog!

A few days before reading Shark Bait, I was tweeting about another book and got into a conversation with Jenn Cooksey (which may have involved Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream!) and from there? She asked if I'd be interested in participating in her blog hop, so of course I said yes!! And immediately downloaded her book, Shark Bait.

From there? There was no turning back. None. I was in love. I have ZERO hesitation in saying that this is the best YA book I've read this year and has firmly grasped a spot on my top ten of all time!! And, if I could possibly? I would love to read it again for the first time. From page one, I was sucked in - I had absolutely nothing in common with Camie, the main character and fell on the other end of the spectrum in high school. (Re: I was so NOT innocent and trying to stay that way!) But I loved her, I found her endearing. And I felt so sorry for her starting school in the middle of the term in a new place, especially since her Mom's cancer diagnosis flipped her life upside down.

And the rest of the cast? I could gush on and on for pages, but I'll make it quick! (Because really, you NEED to read this book yourself.) Tristan? The boy-toy? Holy cow, every page he was on transported me back to high school and the bright blue lockers and the 2 years older than me hunk, Eric. (I'm sorry, I know Jenn said Taylor Kitsch, but in my mind? Tristan was totally Eric from my high school days.) And new best friend Kate? I loved how she pulled Camie out of her shell, loved ever scene with her! But my favorite supporting role? Definitely, hands down? Goes to Jillian, the little sister who has me wishing I could trade in my kid sister!!

Now, characters aside? This book is fabulous. Beginning to end. Jenn Cooksey captures the hell that is high school in a way that is so true, yet has you wishing you could go back and do it all again! And she leaves nothing out of the experience - so many YA books skirt around the party life of high schoolers, but not this one! (And from my experience? It was pretty accurate, not that I'm admitting to anything, I mean - my mom reads my blog!)

Jenn's writing is fabulous, but what I possibly loved more? The many MANY references to John Hughes films and other 80's phenomena that made me think maybe the 80s weren't so bad after all! This book had me grinning like a fool and then laughing like a hyena the whole time, I can NOT wait until the next book comes out! (So far? Jenn has mentioned 4 books in the Grab Your Pole series! FOUR GLORIOUS BOOKS!)

I'll quit gushing, and leave you with this. If you can remotely tolerate Contemporary YA? This book will turn you into a fan!! If you love Contemp YA? Then this book will keep you turning pages all night long! So go, pick it up! You NEED to read this book.

[Kathe L · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars

Scarlett, I kind of hate-love you. Seriously. I wasn't planning on reading this book now! Because I can't read only one book at the same time (I am reading four right now), I wanted to wait to read this one. But because of your review, and when I saw that I indeed had this book, I asked myself "why not just read the first pages? It won't do you any harm". Oh, boy. I stayed awake until 4 a.M reading this book (and I had school in the morning), and as soon as I arrived home I finished it. Yeah, that's why my review is going to be all over the place. Not my fault, as I said in the beginning.

Ok, back to business. WHAT WAS THIS BOOK? I didn't expect any of this. First, the main character: Camie. She was just incredible. How could she tease like that? And her whole knowledge of the music world surprised the hell out of me. I was truly jealous. And when Kate (I will talk of her soon) said that Camie had Tristan's attention I thought I was going to pass out. Because, that's how I imagined Tristan:



Hehe. I don't care. You can say "no Kathe, he isn't like this". But this is how I imagined him. And because he acquires a pet (you'll see), you can change this animal here for a cat. So, yeah. Tristan is the bad boy in which Camie and all of the woman population are interested in. BUT he's off limits. Nobody knows what's into Tristan's heart. Camie soon finds out, though, and the way the story unravels between this two is amazing. The chemistry is out of this world. Especially the last 50 pages or so. I never found myself grinning so hard. And they are not perfect. But their fights do have meaning, because they grow because of it. Needless to say that they became one of my favorite couples ever. They are like magnets (hehe, did you get it? It's from the book). Anyways, they were really hot too. The made out sessions were clap worthy.

Oh, the second characters. Such as Kate, Jeff, Pete, Camie's sister... KATE, I WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND, PERIOD. What good advice. I need you in my life, because I'm just like Camie. And I need someone to understand my surroundings. To get the signs. And you and Jeff are my second favorite couple ever. I need a book with just the two of you. Imagine a guy saying to you when you are in third grade that you are his and that you are going to get married with him? And I loved how they would fight, but eventually get back together. That's what true love is.

Anyways, just read this book. It won't be a waste of your time, I assure you. For incentive, I am going to put a conversation here between Tristan and Camie:

"You know I'll never not have gum again, right?" I blew a bubble in response. He groaned in frustration. "What contest in hell did I win to end up with you?" "Thunderdome, baby. Like you said, God's got a wicked sense of humor..." He started cracking up again when I winked at him and blew another bubble.

[Autumn Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend Jessica at Hackaroo's Reviews reviewed this book recently and had a contest to win the book. Well, Jess sold me on the book in her review, so I entered and WON! Now, I've chatted with Jenn Cooksey on Twitter, but until Jess, hadn't heard of her book. I'm here to say....everyone needs to read this book! I really, truly, loved it. I'm blown away that this is a debut novel. This is only the third book I've read by a debut author that has seriously blown me away this year.

There are many characters in the story, but I'm going to focus on lead characters first. Even though Cami is sixteen, I identified with her immediately. She's been homeschooled and is very mature for her age. When she moved to San Diego, she's pushed into the wonderful world of high school clicks and angst. Because Cami has a good head on her shoulder's, I felt like she handled it all well. She's really funny too. When Cami first sees Tristan, she's immediately in love. Now, I know some people aren't fans of insta love, but let's take a moment to remember high school and seeing a dreamy guy for the first time. Insta love. So, what's a girl to do in order to get the hottest guy in school to notice her? She becomes friends with his best girl friend Kate. A plan is made, and operation get Tristan begins.

I must admit, while Tristan sounds like a dreamboat, I wasn't sure about him at first. It appears that he's playing hard to get, but I'm here to tell you, this guy is deeper than he may seem. Tristan doesn't put himself out there for just anyone, but he takes notice of Cami right away. Slowly, he works his way into her life. Once their feelings for each other come out, it's like watching fireworks. There is some serious chemistry between these two. Tristan has easily become of my favorite male leads. I can't wait to see what happens with these two as the series develops!

Now, the supporting characters kick butt! With the exception of Zack, I loved every character. I have hopes that as the series continues we will learn more about each one. In fact, I really can't wait to see what happens with Cami's sister Jilly as she gets older! She cracked me up!

As I mentioned before, this is Jenn's first novel and I'm blown away by the writing. The story flow was so smooth and she captured my attention immediately. She created likable characters that you can identify with and fall in love with. I also appreciated all the pop culture references. They provided good visual in many different scenes. Thanks for that Jenn!

I'm literally chomping at the bit for the next book to release. I MUST know what is going to happen next. I have to say that there are some mature situations in the story, so I'd recommend this book to the over 16 crowd. If you are a fan of true love, pop culture, and just plain fun, this is a great book for you.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the work of a genius!

This book is AMAZING!! Such a fun read, I freaking love it!



What girls haven't schemed in order to obtain the attention of their future husbands?

We have Camie the sweet, witty, intellectual genius. Who after being home-schooled her whole life, gets thrown into the shark tank, meaning High School. Upon arrival she lays eyes on Tristan, the hot, popular guy.

"Hmmm... a smokin' guy who's both popular and nice? When I get home I think I'll check the weather channel to see if they're ice-skating in hell."

And even though she feels an instant connection to him, he doesn't seem to notice her.

"... so I'm not feeling the love from Tristan right now either. Maybe he's shy? Yeah, lets go with that."

I loved all the characters, they were a breath of fresh air.
We have Kate, who is there to offer a helping hand in order to land the shark, with her "uncanny perception and cognitive abilities." Guys, she's basically Yoda here. Very wise, I wish I had a friend like her. "Dear Jeff" who at first comes off as the resident douchebag, but is really full of surprises. Miss Jillian, Camie's younger sister and "criminal mastermind!" how did Camie put it? Similar to Artemis Fowl. Lol I love her.

"Hey Jillian. I see you're brushing up on your vengeance plots."

Lot's of interesting things going on, aside from the first love situation, we also have nasty girls trying to steal your man!

"... I'm being kind of catty, but I really don't like this girl. First off, she was inebriated herself when she hit on my soul mate."

It was interesting to see the characters deal with certain situations in their own way. Not once did I find myself irritated or complaining about what was going on, and that hardly happens.

This book... *sighs* I just loved it, it was funny, sweet, snarky, hot, passionate. I can't say much without ruining it, but it was such a great surprise. OMG and the playlist was awesome as well, and the fact that most of them seemed to be Buffy fans just sealed the deal!! Very glad I read it, and CANNOT wait for the next one.