The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet

Ellie Sweet #1

by Stephanie Morrill

Ellie Sweet is a lot of things—good girl, novelist, silent adorer of the new boy at school, Palmer. But when “outcast” gets added to the list, she decides it’s time to take reality into her own hands … and tweak it as needed.In the pages of her book, she’s Lady Gabrielle, favorite of the medieval Italian court. Her once-friends are reduced to catty ladies-in-waiting, and the too-charming Palmer—who in real life never spares her a second word—gets to be nothing more than a rake wracked by unrequited love for her. She even has a perfect real-life villain in the brooding Chase, who hails from the wrong side of town.But just when she’s getting along great in her fictional world, the real one throws her a few curves. With Chase pursuing her, Palmer wanting to date her—but in secret—and the details of her manuscript going public, Ellie suddenly receives more attention than she ever really wanted. And when her former-friends discover what she’s been writing, they’re determined to teach Ellie a lesson about the severe consequences of using her pen as her sword.

Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance, Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Clean Romance

346 pages, Paperback

First published April 25, 2013

About the author

Stephanie Morrill writes books about girls who are on an adventure to discover their unique place in the world. She is the author of several contemporary young adult series, as well as two historical young adult novels, The Lost Girl of Astor Street and Within These Lines. Within These Lines was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, as well as a YALSA 2020 Best Fiction for Young Adults pick. Since 2010, Stephanie has been encouraging the next generation of writers at her website, GoTeenWriters.com, which has been on the Writer’s Digest Best Websites for Writers list since 2017. She lives in the Kansas City area, where she loves plotting big and small adventures to enjoy with her husband and three children.

Reviews

[Libby May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update: I wrote the review below this at midnight, so I'm gonna add a couple things this morning. First, the entire book is about Ellie's dating/not dating/wanting to date two different guys. Palmer and Chase. The thing is, it's called a love triangle, but it's not cliche. It's not a love triangle. And if it is, it's really well developed.
Also, when I do age recommendations, you should follow them. I'm pretty serious when I say you shouldn't read something unless your 16 or older, even if my review didn't state anything detailed enough for you to dislike. I don't write down everything that happens in a book that is "mature content" so if my review sounds clean and sweet, but I say don't read the book until you're 16, that's cuz I didn't write down every little detail that brought me to that conclusion. Mostly this is a disclaimer for those of you who are younger and end up reading this book and getting exposed to stuff you maybe weren't ready for.

The following is my original review.


Here I was thinking by reading this book I'd deminish my TBR. Well not so. Now I have to read the sequel and the other series this author has.

I have learned recently, though, that just because the first book in a series isn't too bad, the others can be.

Anyway. I actually enjoyed this book. It was fresh. And Ellie is a writer, like me. I loved hearing her talk about WIPs and MCs and having a mentor and all the different publishing struggles.

Anyway, recommended for ages 16 and up. There's talk about losing virginity, kisses, mention of drugs, definitely some drinking. Parties mentioned. It's high school kids, what do you expect? And there wasn't anything BAD, it was just mentioned that some lived those kind of lifestyles.

The best part? It wasn't miserably cliche. And I needed something not cliche desperately.

Thumbs up to this author. Looking into more of her work. :D

[Rachelle Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I Loved

I almost never use the bookmark feature on my Kindle, but I couldn't help but make a note of all the times Stephanie Morrill's Ellie Sweet made me groan or grin. This one made me laugh out loud.

"I turn away and bury my burning face in my math book. Now would be a really good time for the rapture."
- Ellie Sweet

{And you'll just have to read the book to discover what embarrassing moment takes place prior to that stupendous statement.}

That voice is one of the things I like best about this novel: Ellie Sweet can be as true to her last name as can be, but at other times she can be downright hilarious.

"'Go away,' I murmur, as if a headache can be sweet talked. 'I have a book to get published.'"
- Ellie Sweet

The story of this teen writer drew me in immediately because I can relate. I was a teen writer! Ellieattends high school, hangs out with the popular crowd (well, sort of), and is hard at work revising her novel so she can submit it to a great big writer's contest. (Which totally hit home for me and made me sympathize with Ellie all the more since I entered the Genesis this year.)

"I've noticed, since I started studying writing, that it's hard to lose myself to reading."
- Ellie Sweet

She's a dedicated writer who is not only working on writing and preparing to take this big step of entering a contest, but she's also reaching out for advice (she has a mentor) and studying the craft. Stephanie does a superb job of getting this across while not slowing the story down. There's a lot more to this novel than Ellie working on a novel.

For instance, her best friend receives devastating news that foretells serious consequences for Ellie. There are two very different guys in the picture. And there's the very big deal that Ellie has kinda sorta based the main cast of characters in her medieval (woot!) book on people she knows--which spells very bad news. I'm looking forward to the sequel!


What I Didn't Like As Much

There are a few mentions of a partying lifestyle, but Ellie, a Christian, does a good job of staying away from all that. To be honest, I winced when I realized she was considering a relationship with a guy who is not a Christian. Other than that, though, this is a clean novel with a lot of take-away value (without any essence of "preaching").

Why I Recommend This Book

I recommend The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet to all of my writer friends, teen or otherwise. Whether or not you started writing while still a teen, you can still relate to Ellie's struggles to learn the craft, revise her story, and deal with rejection.

For those who are not writers but enjoy a solid YA novel, check out Ellie's story. The underlying theme is a great one:

"'You can't control what people are going to say, and paying too much attention to it can cost you your dreams.'"
- Ellie's aunt

[Katie Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread this last week when I was sick because I like reading light, fluffy contemporary books when I'm sick.

[C.B. Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy moly. This book was really good. I enjoyed it so much. The character were interesting, as was the plot, and I loved that Ellie was a writer! The romance wasn't much my style (hence the docked star) but other than that, wonderful!

[H.S.J. Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet dropped me into the body of a quiet, writerly high-school girl who sometimes bore such a similarity to myself it was scary, though I do have the great advantage of getting along much better with my family.

The book was highly engaging, creating a character so real I could practically reach through the pages and poke her. Her struggles and frustrations made me ache, and though I loved her, there were so many times when I just wanted to shake some sense into her. While I couldn't relate to many of her experiences through high-school (thank goodness), I totally connected with her struggles of writing and fears of rejection when pursuing publishing.

But while the story was very well-written, I did have some problems with it. For one...Chase Chevantes. Lots of girls like the idea of reforming the bad boy (who doesn't like the idea of redemption?), but in this story its actually working. Which worries me that some teenage girls might start thinking that guys like Chase on the outside are like Chase on the inside. Which some might be. But I personally find it a very bad idea for the Christian girl to try to bring it out, rather than a really great friend who's a guy. Oh sure, there was all the good wisdom from mature figures about guys being on their best behavior around a girl for only a little while, and Chase was certainly far from perfect. And it's cool that Ellie's parents are now in on the loop (she kept WAY too many secrets from them) and that Chase is considering going to church. Still, I'm wary about the effect this might have on girls. Also, it was strange that the bad rumors about Chase were pretty much just brushed aside.


Since Ellie was a Christian, I would have liked to seen her pursue her walk with God a bit more, besides prayers in moments of panic. It might have helped her in her lonely or confused times.

Language Content - None.

Sexual Content - This is YA contemporary novel set in very morally loose high school. While nothing is ever shown, it is indicated that several of the kids lead sexual lifestyles. And while, Ellie is a sweet Christian girl with a fairly strong moral compass, even she is so affected by today's modern culture, she thinks that first date means first kiss. And there are a few kisses. Plus, plenty of break-ups. Yep. High-school romance drama. Not my thing.

Violence - Pretty much none, aside from some rumors.

Other Negatives - Ellie's former friends are all jerks. And Ellie herself is one of the most proficient liars I've encountered in quite a while. : /

So...was Ellie a great example for young ladies of today? No, not really. Was she an great example of a young lady? Absolutely. None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes, all struggle. And Ellie is maturing. This a book of coming of age, of discovering who you are and gaining confidence in it.

It was a great YA contemporary novel. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of YA contemporary novels. But it was good, nonetheless.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie is minding her own business in math class when Chase announces to everyone that Ellie has a crush on Parker! How does he even know that when Ellie has told no one? And why would he tell everyone like that? What is the matter with him? Ellie doesn't know, but to help her cope with the drama in her life, Chase gets put into Ellie's novel, along with all her other friends and Parker. Because writing is how Ellie copes with life.

Wonderfully entertaining! I inhaled it. Ellie is an endearing heroine. I loved how she was confused about everything going on around her yet did her best to be herself. I adored Chase's character. In fact, all the characters in this book were living, breathing, true-to-life, so much that I'm pretty sure I've met several of them before. The writing aspect of this book was super fun. I loved that Ellie was seeking traditional publishing for her historical novel. This was such a fun book, and I can't wait for the sequel!

[Melani Crone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to tell you. I’m very confused about my feelings toward this book. If it’s marketed as a non-Christian novel, I like it. If it’s marketed as a Christian novel, I do not like it.

I’ll explain. 😂

Ellie Sweet, the protagonist, calls herself a Christian on more than one occasion. But, I think a more accurate statement is that she simply believes there’s a God. If I recall correctly, she never picks up her Bible or prays throughout the entire book.

I’m not supporting the whole “Christians must be portrayed as perfect in fiction.” Not at all. It doesn’t bother me a bit when book characters make bad decisions. I just don’t understand when a book is marketed as Christian, but there’s really no evidence to support it.

To me, I’d say the Revised Life of Ellie Sweet is a YA non-Christian novel... that happens to be about a Christian girl. Anyway. Moving on.

All the guys in this book are JERKS. 😂 She’s trying to decide between two of them, and I’m just so confused because both these young men party and drink and sleep around. Like... what?

Like I said, I don’t care if there are mature themes in books. I’m 19. I’m not condemning the book because of these guys’ moral behaviors.

I honestly just didn’t like Ellie. Her faith means so little to her, and in the end of the story... she ends up with the worse guy. The school “bad boy,” the one who’s gotten in trouble with the law, the one who’s had sex with his best friend’s girlfriend, the one who gets totally drunk more than once.

Maybe I’ll have to read the other books for the story to make sense. Maybe she breaks up with him later in the series.

But for now... good grief, Ellie. 😂

[Cookielover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, I loved it. The whole book was perfectly written, perfectly paced, suspenseful, exciting, and just--beyond words. This is definitely in the top five best I've read this year...even though its July. The characters made the story. The backstory of Gabrielle's Italian life was perfectly timed every time. This book couldn't have been more perfect if it came with a pack of Oreos. But don't listen just to me gush--read it!

[Laura Kurk · Rating 5 out of 5]

YA author Stephanie Morrill (author of Me, Just Different) captured the true voice of the American teenage girl again in The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet. From the first line, I knew Ellie was a girl I wanted to know yesterday. She's made of stubborn, sprinkled with wryness, and wrapped with heart.

Using the classic literary device of a story within a story, Morrill keeps readers turning pages. We get to live in the contemporary lives of Morrill's high school characters while also traveling back in time to medieval Italy where Ellie's friends have become players in a courtly scene. The story within the story reveals so much about how Ellie's mind works and how she has absorbed and interpreted the drama in her life. Plus there's the "can't look away from the train wreck" aspect because we know that if Ellie's friends get hold of her manuscript, they'll be furious about how she has depicted them.

I loved so much about this book--the solid advice it gives for writers of any age who dream of publication, the presentation of a teenage girl who isn't afraid to be an intellectual, and the characters (male and female) who sound real enough to be in any high school hall.

But what tugged at me most was the lesson Ellie learns (one I learned over and over) about how to balance speaking truth with protecting the feelings of others, and why it's not always the best decision to keep secrets from everyone.

Morrill understands the delicate social lives of teen girls better than most writers these days. I highly recommend this book for girls looking for honesty about the awkward situations we find ourselves in so often in high school. Morrill doesn't pull punches about things like deceiving parents and friends or keeping secrets, but she's also gentle with Ellie and allows her to come to an awareness that's uncommonly mature by the book's end.

I can't wait for the sequel to find out how Ellie's writing life takes off and what happens to the characters she plucked from real life!

[Cynthia Marcano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie Sweet is a lot of things—good girl, novelist, silent adorer of the new boy at school, Palmer. But when “outcast” gets added to the list, she decides it’s time to take reality into her own hands … and tweak it as needed.

In the pages of her book, she’s Lady Gabrielle, favorite of the medieval Italian court. Her once-friends are reduced to catty ladies-in-waiting, and the too-charming Palmer—who in real life never spares her a second word—gets to be nothing more than a rake wracked by unrequited love for her. She even has a perfect real-life villain in the brooding Chase, who hails from the wrong side of town.
But just when she’s getting along great in her fictional world, the real one throws her a few curves. With Chase pursuing her, Palmer wanting to date her—but in secret—and the details of her manuscript going public, Ellie suddenly receives more attention than she ever really wanted. And when her former-friends discover what she’s been writing, they’re determined to teach Ellie a lesson about the severe consequences of using her pen as her sword.

What I Loved...
Stephanie Morrill did a wonderful job taking me on a journey with Ellie. I felt like I was living Ellie's life.

I also loved the perspective of an aspiring author and all it entails. It added another level of Ellie's character that I really liked.

I loved how both boys liked her for exactly who she is.

Continue reading review at who YA reading?...

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. Fans of Stephanie's Skylar Hoyt series, go buy The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet right now!!

I was super excited to be able to review Ellie's story, especially after I enjoyed Skylar's so well. I must confess, Ellie is now my favorite. A introverted teen, who secretly loves to write, finds herself wanting in seemingly everyone's eyes. Including her parents. The way Miss Morrill styled Ellie's character and personality really shines and is attractive, making it easy to like Miss Sweet despite her flaws.

I love how this book is written in first person. The words flow so smoothly! I seriously could not stop reading once I begun. The need for sleep and a dying laptop battery are the only reasons I ever quit. It's that good, everyone. It's that good.

I also really loved how Stephanie incorporated all of the writing things Ellie experienced and learned. Like how to draft a query letter, proposal, etc. I also liked all the bits about the conference Ellie went too, that was really cool for me, as a teen writer. ;-)

I received this book from the author via Team Novel Teen, thanks!! :)

[Gillian Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew that I would love this book as soon as I saw the tag line: Don’t just get even. Write a novel.

Brilliant, right? And once I started reading, I didn’t want to set it down. I connected with Ellie Sweet right away. She’s clever and quite witty, but unmistakably human. A very real character with real struggles, feelings, and mistakes. By the end of the first chapter, she’d wormed her way into my heart and I felt like I’d known her for a long time.

As a writer, I especially enjoyed Ellie’s journey through the writing, querying, and publishing process. This book will especially appeal to the many teen writers out there, but you certainly don’t have to be a teen or a writer to love it.

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet has all the elements of a tremendous YA contemporary novel and is one I know I’ll be reading again … and again. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a great summer read with a dash of wit, heart, and truth.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ellie Sweet is a high school junior who feels like an outcast even with her friends. Instead of trying to fit in, she uses her feelings to fuel her writing.

When she begins pitching her book, reality takes over. As others begin to hear about her work, will her secrets, including her crush on Palmer and her true feelings about her "friends," come out?


I enjoyed this book. Ellie is a good character--a little too good, which makes it fun to watch her fall for the bad boy Chase.

What I liked best was the "lesson" on the writing world. As Ellie chases her dream, the author includes behind the scenes peeks to how books go from a writer's mind to the readers' hands.

This part of the book ties into the author's website, goteenwriters.blogspot.com.


I recommend this to fans of Christian YA, especially those who love writing.

[Heather Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Characters:
I absolutely adored these characters. Ellie Sweet is just like me, so I really connected to her. I'm also a teenage author who got published at age sixteen! So many details in her life were exactly like mine. The author did an excellent job letting the reader understand the mind of a young author.
Chase was a very well-written character. He was the "bad-boy" type, and yet he had many edges like a real person does. I liked him throughout the book, even if I didn't agree with some of the choices he made.
Palmer was very sweet, and I liked reading about him. However, he faced real issues that real people do, making him very believable.

The Plot:
I literally could not put this book down. I kept turning the pages, and one night I told myself I would only read one chapter because I had work to do. I ended up reading four. This book had an excellent plot that left me craving the sequel.

The Setting:

I normally never read books in this setting. I am used to reading historical novels. However, this book was so good, and the setting was executed so perfectly, that it left me wanting to read more modern YA books. I really enjoyed this novel.

Overall:
I adored this book and recommend it. I loved every single page, never got bored, and adored the characters.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet is the first book in a series of young adult novels. Written from the first person point of view, this novel describes Ellie’s journey through high school and to become a published author. Ellie, an aspiring young author, narrates with such a unique and witty voice that is highly entertaining to read. Ellie’s fresh and youthful views on life make the book even more appealing to the reader.

Personally, I really enjoyed the entire novel. I thought the author did a wonderful job of capturing the thoughts of a teen writer and expressing all of the hesitations and worries of sending out finished novel drafts to agents. Additionally, the plot was so intriguing that I could hardly put the book down. As a whole, I thought the book was very enjoyable and refreshing to read, and I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series!

Even though I downloaded this novel as an e-book, I also plan to order the paperback when it releases. This is a must read for all young adult readers, especially those interested in writing!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually drawn to contemporary novels, but this one grabbed me and refused to let go. The characters are unique and well-drawn, and the love triangle kept me guessing. I enjoyed every minute of this read.

[vanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can be said about this book that hasn’t been said already in other reviews? A sweet read—pun absolutely intended—with a very likable and relatable main character. (The fact she’s a writer is a bonus.) I liked it a lot! Looking forward to reading the sequel.

[Abi Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 Stars.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 stars

Breezed through this in two sittings. I've read Morrill's The Lost Girl of Astor Street, which I consider far superior to this novel.

I was looking for something quick to read, and this certainly delivered on that score. I didn't particularly enjoy the story or the characters. Ellie had the typical characteristics of a bookish, unexceptional heroine whom all the guys fall for just because she's "different." Both love-interests (yup, the love triangle was annoying) were...not great. Neither one seemed like a truly good guy - or the right one for Ellie.

The intended audience for the book was also confusing. At times, the story/narration seemed extremely juvenile with plot points that seemed geared (somewhat condescendingly) toward middle grade or younger children (e.g. Ellie's misunderstanding about her name and totally imagined "conflict" with her parents about their adoration of her older brother and indifference towards her.) At these times, the characters seemed much younger than high school-aged. Other times, though, several heavier topics/subjects were referenced, some of which seemed more appropriate for older YA readers (like substance abuse, cheating, etc.) I don't know...there was this strange disconnect throughout the novel, which I believe is marketed as YA fiction.

I just wasn't a fan, but I did zip quickly through it, which I appreciated. It was also interesting reading about a teenage writer and seeing the behind-the-scenes of writing and publishing from an aspiring writer's perspective (something that is quite rare in the genre.)

[Arlette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet was the first book of Stephanie Morrill that I've read and I definately liked it. The book shares the life of teen author Ellie who regularly escapes her life by writing a better version of it.

The first thing that I really liked about this book was that it was so easy to relate to. It might be because I like writing myself, but definately also because Stephanie made Ellie or any of the characters so easily relatable. For me Ellie was parts of: the more studying type, less outgoing and loves writing, but even if that is not hundread percent you there are enough other characters in the book that will relate to you or someone you konw. They feel real!

The book includes some great references as well! What do you think about: "I turn away and bury my burning face in my math book. Now would be a really good time for the rapture." I know, awesome right?

For the (teen)writers amongst you, this book has something extra: a lot of tips, suggestions and encouragement, you'll love it.

The only thing I could point out as something I like less, was that it took rather long for the rest to find out about Ellie's writing life. As it is part of the backcover copy of the book, I would have expected to play a bigger role in the book. It felt a little bit like it was rounded off too quickly. But besides that, it was a great book.

4/5 STARS

[Emii · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet had me smiling so big. No, really -- it was around midnight when my sister looked at me from her bed.

"Are you reading my Facebook messages?"
I kept reading. "No."
"Are you sure? You look really excited."

The story is about this girl, Gabrielle Sweet -- but everyone calls her Ellie. No-one calls her Gabrielle because, according to her parents who had picked out the name before she was born -- she "didn't look right."

Her friends are sort of a hazy confusion right now, and someplace in it all surfaces these two guys with about the best names in a book ever -- Chase and Palmer. How cool are they?

Stephanie Morrill's latest book (that would be this one) made me smile. Snort. Giggle. Sigh with happiness.

If you like to read, if you like to write, if you've ever lived an awkward or embarrassing moment and if you love the name Palmer -- you should probably check out this book. And if you're not allowed to stay up late reading, I'd recommend investing in a good torch. Because you'll need it... okay, that was a really great line, but since the paperback version isn't out yet, you'll be holding the iPad or whatever device you use and won't need a torch...

[Alexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So generally when I take travels to other parts of our contemporary world, I don’t enjoy them as much. I mean, not to say that I dislike contemporaries, cuz that would be totally untrue, but they normally don’t hold the same appeal for me that, say, a fantasy or a sci-fi world does.

Not so with Ellie Sweet.

I LOVED THIS TRIP. By far my favorite one of the summer (besides Hacker). The plot was interesting, the characters’ dynamics were fascinating and engaging when they totally could’ve come off as cheesy and cliche, the charries themselves were SUPERB and CUTE and freaking GORGEOUS. (I mean, Chase. Just Chase.)

I especially loved how much Ellie sounded like a teenage writer. I completely related to her struggle, everything from the way her mind processed things to the way she handled rejection to her general tentativeness to enter the big, bad publishing industry. The whole thing was just great and glorious and OH MY GOODNESS I JUST HAD SUCH AN AMAZING TIME WITH THIS ONE.

Anyways. I highly recommend it :D

If you'd like to read more of my thoughts on this book, you can find the full review on Verbosity Book Reviews.

[Zara Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that resonated with you on a profoundly deep level because, while reading it, you felt as if your life was splayed out before you on the printed page? That's how I felt reading The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet.

Story
Ellie Sweet is your regular high school girl with boy troubles, friend drama, and an imaginative mind. But she’s unique. Why? Because instead of ranting on Facebook, or tweeting cryptic messages, Ellie is using her real life strife as fuel for her historical romance novel–that no one knows she’s writing.

Style
Ms. Morrill creates a believable love triangle and recreating the crazy world of high school and does an amazing job of creating a believable teenage voice and a compelling story. In fact, the story was such a page-turner that I finished it in three hours flat.

Other Notes
Definitely a chick lit novel, but even if you’re a guy, you might want to give it a try. You don’t have to tell people you read it (unless you want to), but it could provide some nice insight into a teenage girl’s mind. The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet is definitely in my top favorites list.

[R.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finding and reading Stephanie’s (and Jill Williamson’s) Go Teen Writers blog about a year ago and reading Jill’s Safe Land series, I have really wanted to read this book to support Stephanie. My expectation of this book was well exceeded.

The main reason that this was such a great book was because it was so realistic yet it still had that fairy-tale twist to it. Being a writer myself, I could relate to Ellie in more ways than one, and she was an incredibly developed character. Stephanie did a great job on all of her characters and should receive a medal for the “most swoon-worthy heros”!

The storyline itself was so well thought out and pieced together so beautifully that I have to wonder how long Stephanie babied this before she finally declared it finished. It is the most perfect fictional book that I have probably ever read!

There were a few kissing scenes as well as some drug references, and partying that involved alcohol that might be distasteful to some readers, however they were not considerably detailed.

This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review

[Reaganstar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet is a fun, witty quick read, that really puts you into the lives of teens these days. From the crush that never really goes anywhere to the crush you never knew about.. this book is a fantastic fun adventure as you follow Ellie going through her life as she tries to make her life happen and her relathionships through it all.

Stephanie made it so easy to relate to Ellie, as a reader and writer myself may have made this easier as well but Ellie as well as the other characters were so realistic and well rounded I found myself falling for all of them.

Now if real life was just a revision away... we could all possibly enjoy that... Cute romance and one that may surprise you in the end. Fully enjoyed this story and puts me into the mood to read some more from Stephanie Morrill.

[Katelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie is adorable. Absolutely adorable. And she's pretty crazy for naming her friends/characters alike. But, that's Ellie.

This book is fun and light. If you don't want to get into a deep book that forces you to rethink life and everything around it, pick this one up. It's sweet and fun, but it does deal with certain issues. Stereotypes, love triangles, etc.

It's easy to read. I was able to fly through the pages and finish the book in about a day. The characters were fascinating. Each one had their own personality and their own thoughts. It was easy to imagine they were real.

All in all, I give this book 4 stars. It's fun and cute. I think most teen writers can relate to Ellie. Stephanie Morrill did a great job with this. It'd be a crime not to read it.

[JoJo Sutis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Stephanie Morrill's latest release THE REVISED LIFE OF ELLIE SWEET is fun, funny and fantastic! I loved so much about this book, it's hard to know where to start... Fun funny main character Ellie Sweet is so endearing and being a lover of books myself and also having dabbled some in writing, I could totally relate to Ellie, her insecurities, her dreams for the future. I love that the author allowed Ellie to be put in some situations that sort of tested her character. And I know book lovers and aspiring authors everywhere will appreciate all the writing "goodies" thrown in this story. I wish I had my own Bronte!!! THE REVISED LIFE OF ELLIE SWEET has all the "write" stuff to make it a huge winner in my book!!!

[Roseanna White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Which is saying something. But I identified completely with Ellie--with her dreams, her fears, her goals. And Stephanie Morrill writes with such wit and sass that I was engaged from page 1!

[Kian Aleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book in one day. I don't think I've ever done that before. Even though Ellie and I are rather different in some ways, I relate to her in so, so many other ways. You know those books that just speak to your soul? This is one of them for me.

[Haley Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPELLBINDING. WHERE'S BOOK TWO??????????
I kind of just want to read it again.
*spaz*