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The Boy Recession

by Flynn Meaney (Goodreads Author)

3.51 of 5 stars 3.51 · rating details · 560 ratings · 144 reviews

Where have all the boys gone?

Down-to-earth Kelly is always the friend and never the girlfriend. But as her junior year of high school starts, Kelly is determined to finally reveal her true feelings for her long-time crush and good friend Hunter - that is, until the Boy Recession hits.

Over the past summer, an overwhelming number of male students have left Kelly and Hunter's...more

247 pages

Published August 7th 2012

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Best books of August, 2012

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The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

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Aug 02, 2012 Giselle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, own, contemporary

If you're looking for a really light, fluffy, funny read, The Boy Recession will give you just that. At a very small school, after an awful lot of boys have moved away, the girls are left with a very limited number of date and prom choices. Providing quite a few chuckles and even some laugh-out-loud moments, it's an overall satisfying, quirky novel.

Combining the dual perspectives of Kelly and Hunter, we meet two students at this school who are both on different grounds. One is striving to get no...more If you're looking for a really light, fluffy, funny read, The Boy Recession will give you just that. At a very small school, after an awful lot of boys have moved away, the girls are left with a very limited number of date and prom choices. Providing quite a few chuckles and even some laugh-out-loud moments, it's an overall satisfying, quirky novel.

Combining the dual perspectives of Kelly and Hunter, we meet two students at this school who are both on different grounds. One is striving to get noticed by the opposite sex, while the other is fighting them off. Despite the characters being quite enjoyable, I didn't find them particularly complex. We're only shown the surface of what they are both like, nothing deep rooted that truly gets our emotions involved. Both POVs are fairly well done and end up intertwining quite wonderfully. When it comes to Hunter's POV, though, I found some of his inner monologue extremely typical, making it obvious it was written by a female author.

*Giselle in a husky voice impersonating Hunter* "I'm a guyyyy, I sleep until 2 and I eat Fritoooos. I wrestle my with my friends and play World of Warcraft all niiiiight. I like to be a slacker and be irresponsibleee."

Ahem.
Yeah, so Hunter is a pretty stereotypical teenage boy. His personality is a bit hard to grasp, as well, as he does things that are contradictory to his slacker behaviour - like suddenly joining a school play. Oftentimes I simply felt awkward reading his perspective. Eventually, once passed a certain point, he does get a better development where he seems to come out of his shell; becoming more endearing and keeping up with the humoristic jabs that got me laughing.

Kelly's character is a bit more convincing, coming off as having more substance. She's not the most popular, nor the loner, just a normal everyday kid who realizes she's got a crush on a boy. She's a sweet girl that also got some laughs out of me with her clever sense of humor. Together, they surprisingly fit very well. Their relationship from the start -- as friends -- is adorable. It's not a steamy, all encompassing romance, but an honest teenage relationship that can be both cheesy, and endlessly romantic.

A fun kookie adventure that is sort of a guilty pleasure drama fest, The Boy Recession is recommended for those who want a quick, no frill, read.

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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Sep 22, 2011 Candyap rated it 3 of 5 stars

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Sep 07, 2012 Emily (Book Jems) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, romance, wishlist, young-adult, first-person-pov, released, fun-to-read, library-borrow, sweetling, little-brown, stand-alone, makes-me-smile, humor

3.5/5 Stars

The only thing word I can think of to describe this is "cute." It was a great read for a day where I just wanted to chill out. There wasn't a lot of depth to it, you didn't have to really think about what you were reading - which is not a bad thing. The Boy Recession had an interesting plot that the author pulled off very well. The characters were relatable and funny. This novel had some super fun scenes that had me giggling! I would definitely read other YA contemporary works by Ms....more

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May 06, 2013 Paige Erickson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Boy Recession was written by: Flynn Meaney and published in 2012 and costs $17.99 in the US. Although this book might be a little pricey, it is definitely worth it. The genre of this book is Realistic Fiction with a little bit of romance and comedy. This book is a double- perspective novel coming from both a girl’s and boy’s point of view.
The author has only written two books. Her other book is called Blood Thirsty. Both of her books are not apart of a series. Since the author is younger, he...more The Boy Recession was written by: Flynn Meaney and published in 2012 and costs $17.99 in the US. Although this book might be a little pricey, it is definitely worth it. The genre of this book is Realistic Fiction with a little bit of romance and comedy. This book is a double- perspective novel coming from both a girl’s and boy’s point of view.
The author has only written two books. Her other book is called Blood Thirsty. Both of her books are not apart of a series. Since the author is younger, her writing is easier to relate to and more fun to read. In few parts of the book she does use dirty language so if you are a younger, this might not be an appropriate book for you yet.
This book is in the perspectives of both Kelly Robbins and Hunter Fahrenbach who have been friends for years. Over the summer, most of the boys that attended Julius P. Heil High School “leave” and the boy recession has begun. The two are in their Junior year of high school when, due to budget cuts, the music program is no longer an available course. Kelly and Hunter team up to create a music program for younger kids to learn how to play instruments. The two have always had secret feelings for each other, but when Hunter is dragged into another relationship, Kelly feels the need to step it up and find a boyfriend of her own. With the help of crazy friends on both sides, this year will be crazy. Until the last few pages you will be questioning if Kelly and Hunter will ever be together.
Since the book was just recently published, there are many references to real-life things such as Taylor Swift songs. I am not a big fan of reading anything, ever. I am not one to sit down before bed and read 100 pages. This book was so good that I actually wanted to read it and when it was over it left me wanting more! I liked reading the sections from Kelly’s perspective more because it was easier to relate to.
The author of this book was trying to make you wonder how it would affect you personally if most of your boys from school just disappeared. She succeeded in this task because she put it in the perspective of both male and female. Before you read this book, you might think that would just impact girls, but as you continue reading, you will find that it affects each gender immensely.
I really liked this book because it was fun, relatable, romantic, and silly. All of these things mixed together and put into 246 pages is my kind of book.(less)

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Mar 30, 2013 Sarah W. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Found myself skimming the inside cover of this several successive weeks at my library. This particular time, however, I decided to pick it up and begin reading it for quite some time before adding it to my check-out pile. I'll admit, it took about 50 pages to convince me. I finished this in about two hours, so definitely a fluff read for me. But on spring break, a girl needs a little lighthearted, comedic YA, don't ya think?
The Boy Recession definitely entertained me. Some of the witty banter b...more

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Dec 02, 2012 Celeste rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: can-t-get-enough-of, in-possession-of, wish-there-was-a-sequel

“In August, we agreed to go to the prom together this year,” Pam reminds Josh. “So I’m just formalizing the agreement. You sign here”—she points to the first page—“and initial here.”

“Shit,” Josh says, shaking his head. “This thing is four pages? What does it say?”

"The first page is the agreement to be each other’s dates,” Pam says. “The second page says you’ll pose with me for at least twenty-five pictures. The third page lists acceptable colors and styles for your tux. Read that carefully, bec...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Lulie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read my reviews at looking for seattle

The Boy Recession was so cute. I don't have anything negative to say about it, but it didn't exactly change my life or anything, so I think a 4 is appropriate.

The book opens up in Hunter's point of view, which excited me. I LOVE YA's told from the male POV. Teenage boys are... interesting. Of course, the book eventually starts to switch back and forth from Hunter's POV to Kelly's. But I didn't mind - Kelly is a very down to earth, real character. She's afra...more Read my reviews at looking for seattle

The Boy Recession was so cute. I don't have anything negative to say about it, but it didn't exactly change my life or anything, so I think a 4 is appropriate.

The book opens up in Hunter's point of view, which excited me. I LOVE YA's told from the male POV. Teenage boys are... interesting. Of course, the book eventually starts to switch back and forth from Hunter's POV to Kelly's. But I didn't mind - Kelly is a very down to earth, real character. She's afraid she's too normal - and nothing good ever happens to anyone normal - but really, she's just very sweet and everyone loves her.

When I started to read into the boys involved in this novel - Hunter, Eugene, Derek - I thought, these guys are basically losers. They hang out at a gas station, never with any girls. Eugene is an "entrepreneur", and Hunter is very smart, but they don't want to seem to do anything about it.

Then comes The Boy Recession. All the school's eligible boys are whisked off to other schools, and the girls of the school no longer have so many to pick from. And Eugene has this plan to get with one of the "spandexers", and it actually works. The thing is, these boys are kind of losers, but at the same time, they're not. Hunter certainly turns his life around by teaching younger kids music, actually finishing a song, starring in the school's musical, etc. And it turns out, they really know how to treat girls. Except Derek, of course:

"Be a gentleman. When she walks in a room, you stand up. When she gets to a door, you open it. When she gets to a chair, you pull it out."

"Bullshit!" Derek calls out, his voice muffled by his hat. "Women can hold their own doors and pull out their own chairs. You're a sexist pig, Eugene."

And that, my friends, is what I was really looking for in this book. A romantic comedy. And if I'm perfectly honest, this book is fucking hilarious. No, there's nothing special about the writing style, but that's okay, because Flynn Meaney is really, really funny. Between Aviva's witty newspaper articles, Hunter and Kelly's relationship as it blossoms, Eugene's binder of boys (Mitt Romney, anyone?) - it was all so cute. This book tells a sweet story about teen love that's honest and intelligent and I think more YA contemporary writers could gain from following its model.

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Aug 20, 2012 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What happens when all the boys are gone? From your school, that is. When the most popular guys in school transfer to greener pastures, the Boy Recession hits. Guys who are usually ignored gain the girls' interest and new found popularity. The girls are scrambling to get a guy before they're all taken. Sweet Kelly likes slacker Hunter, who suddenly becomes the biggest catch in school. But now that he has all the girls' attention, Kelly realizes that she may be too late, because in a recession, it...more What happens when all the boys are gone? From your school, that is. When the most popular guys in school transfer to greener pastures, the Boy Recession hits. Guys who are usually ignored gain the girls' interest and new found popularity. The girls are scrambling to get a guy before they're all taken. Sweet Kelly likes slacker Hunter, who suddenly becomes the biggest catch in school. But now that he has all the girls' attention, Kelly realizes that she may be too late, because in a recession, it's every girl for herself.

The Boy Recession was a super cute, though very light, story. Kelly is the fairly typical character found in a lot of young adult books. She's just popular enough to fit in, kind of shy, very sweet, and feels like she isn't noticed. I did like her, but didn't feel overly invested in her story. Hunter, on the other hand, was pretty great. He's a bit of a slacker (Be still my teenage heart!), does just enough to get by, is very cute but doesn't seem to realize that, and is a really nice guy. I loved his story, maybe because he has more to work through than Kelly. He was funny and just made me smile. Their friends were fun and I did enjoy their part in the story. The one who stood out the most was Eugene. He's a bit of an exaggerated character. He's a teen entrepreneur who apparently makes his money from supplying beer and other difficult to come by items to his schoolmates. There were some aspects to his part of the story that felt a bit unrealistic, but it did help move the story along.

The Boy Recession was a good story, for me, that could have been really good or even great if it had dug deeper. I felt some aspects of the story were an overview. Almost an entire year passes, and I felt like so much more could have been discussed. Kelly and Hunter's families are mentioned, but other than a few scenes between Hunter and and his father and one (I think) with his mom, they are absent. Kelly remains largely the same throughout the book, but Hunter makes huge changes. I felt that this was never really examined. I would have liked to have gotten a real sense of his motivations. Maybe The Boy Recession was never meant to be a particularly deep story.

All of this is not to say that I didn't enjoy The Boy Recession, because I absolutely did. Meaney's writing was enjoyable. Her characters were witty, and the dialogue was excellent. If you want a fun, mostly light-hearted story that will put a smile on your face, The Boy Recession just may be the book for you!
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Aug 10, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've had this review in draft for several days now because I just can't decide what to say. This is the worst sort of review to write: the meh review. I had fun reading THE BOY RECESSION, but I just don't have anything to say.

Hunter Fahrenbach and Kelly Robbins are both seniors and band members at Julius P. Heil High. But when they come back to school from the summer, they find out that there have been a number of changes due to budget cuts. There is no band. And, more importantly in the minds o...more I've had this review in draft for several days now because I just can't decide what to say. This is the worst sort of review to write: the meh review. I had fun reading THE BOY RECESSION, but I just don't have anything to say.

Hunter Fahrenbach and Kelly Robbins are both seniors and band members at Julius P. Heil High. But when they come back to school from the summer, they find out that there have been a number of changes due to budget cuts. There is no band. And, more importantly in the minds of their classmates, most athletic funding has been cut. All of the true athlete hopefuls decide to go to private schools, leaving Heil High bereft of its most popular boys.

I did enjoy Hunter's character arc. He's happily slacked off for years, but he's realized that he needs to do something if he wants to go anywhere after graduation. His big idea: start a music tutoring program for elementary school students. And responsible Kelly is the perfect person to help him. I've read a lot of stories about people trying to clean up their act, and they usually start with crazy schemes. Hunter's idea is a little bit crazy, but it benefits others in a very real way. He doesn't need to make a complete lifestyle change, just learn how to be more motivated.

As they spend more time together, Kelly realizes Hunter is a pretty good songwriter and possibly good boyfriend material. But as soon as he performs in the school talent show at Kelly's behest, all of the girls can see for themselves that he's talented. Pretty soon he's got a girlfriend and a role in the school musical with little time left for Kelly or the tutoring program.

I'm sure you can guess how everything turns out. THE BOY RECESSION is not a novel full of surprises. It's cute, but there's nothing to distinguish it from the million shy-girls-in-love-with-in-demand-boys books out there. Flynn Meaney's first book, BLOODTHIRSTY, sounds fun and I might pick it up and read it sometime. There's nothing wrong with her writing. I just have no passion for THE BOY RECESSION. (less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Kris rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, ya-books, favorites, books-reviewed

I. Freaking. Love. This. Book. I was seriously just short of rolling on the floor laughing out loud. What I did do was laugh out loud and bang on the couch so much that my family thought I was going nuts. Needless to say, my mom demanded to have full rights to reading the book after I finished, so she can see what the deal is! (And because she knows if I loved the book, then she's going to love it too!)

The story is told from the alternating points of view of Kelly and Hunter. I like this because...more I. Freaking. Love. This. Book. I was seriously just short of rolling on the floor laughing out loud. What I did do was laugh out loud and bang on the couch so much that my family thought I was going nuts. Needless to say, my mom demanded to have full rights to reading the book after I finished, so she can see what the deal is! (And because she knows if I loved the book, then she's going to love it too!)

The story is told from the alternating points of view of Kelly and Hunter. I like this because it shows how the boy recession impacts normal girls like Kelly who want to find a good guy and slacker guys like Hunter who become hot commodities seemingly overnight. Kellly wishes her life were more like Grease and that she could find someone to love her, but with the boy recession all the girls are out to find dates for the status of having one. Many are so desperate that they are turning to boys they would never have considered date material before. Hunter, on the other hand, is the slacker. The one girls only hooked up with in dark corners and never for long term. Now, he's becoming somewhat of a star, being one of the more decent slackers and with his musical talents becoming more well known.

While this story starts from Kelly's perspective, this story is really about Hunter, and he is the one who captured my heart. He starts off as a slacker who idles his days away, not caring about getting a job or doing his homework. If people weren't reminding him, he wouldn't know what date it was. After meeting Kelly, however, Hunter changes. He starts caring about what he does and what image he presents. He wants to become deserving of her. To her joy and dismay, he starts becoming something and drawing attention from other girls. Hunter's voice is well portrayed. He's an easygoing guy and doesn't like being put on the spotlight. Throughout the novel, he just wants to do his thing, but with the motivation to impress Kelly he cleans up his act while trying to remain true to himself.

The best part of this book is, of course, the humor. I don't typically enjoy books filled with girls chasing after guys and talking like they have no brains. In this book, it was priceless. With the boy recession going on, I want to see girls chasing after guys, fighting over guys, and being bitchy about other girls over boys. I loved seeing Hunter being clueless about what to do about girls fawning over him. The Boy Recession is filled with hilarious scenes in addition to some really sweet moments between Kelly and Hunter. It is a book that I'm going to be keeping on my shelf--for all the LOLs.

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.

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Jun 09, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Even in the fairly affluent halls of Julius P. Heil High, there are cuts being made. The music program is completely demolished, which makes Kelly and Hunter sad. Cuts to the sports programs have encouraged a large number of boys to go to private schools. While Kelly and her friends Aviva and Darcy are not happy that there are fewer boys in the school, this works out well for Hunter and his goofy friend Eugene, who are suddenly more appealing to the girls given the sheer dearth of available male...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Boy Recession is just what the doctor ordered. When I came home last night and opend the package I was jumping up and down because I have been dying to read this book. I started reading it and could not put it down. Thank you to Around The World ARC's for allowing me to read this book.

The Boy Recession is a fun book that had me laughing so hard I was in tears! The girls are celebrating their last day of summer before school starts and they are on the beach tanning enjoying the sun. The next...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Sarah ♥Loves Dimitri Belikov♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review can also be found here.

**I've gone back and forth between 3 and 4 stars and I really don't know which to choose. I liked the story I just had some issues with it.**

This book was pretty cute and I found it to be a quick read. I did like the book. It was pretty short and at times was pretty funny. I found myself laughing at times because of some of the things the characters said. I just wish the characters and the romance could have been a little more developed.

A lot of the characters...more

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Dec 03, 2012 Kailia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, read-in-2012, review-book, young-adult

There comes a time during your week when you're incredibly tired or bored and you just want something fun to read. This was how I was feeling when I began reading this book. I'll be honest; I wasn't expecting anything deep or overly sentimental from this book. I was hoping to be entertained and boy was I! The Boy Recession is a quick, funny, and adorable read that will make you smile and get you out of any reading funk.

The plot is self-explanatory and my only complaint was that this book was too...more

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Nov 08, 2012 Angie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic-fiction, romance, teen-fiction, website

Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin is your typical small suburban town. Typical that is until most of the boys in the high school move away or transfer to other schools. Suddenly there is a definite lack of male companionship, girls are scrambling for boy's attention and prom dates. Boys who would usually not have a chance are suddenly hot commodities because of the boy recession. Hunter is one such boy. He is a lazy slacker with no ambition other than sleeping. He and his friends hang out at the gas stat...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Kristin (Beneath Shining Stars, I Read) rated it 4 of 5 stars

When your school's cute boy population dwindles, what do you have? Well, according to Eugene, you have a boy recession. Suddenly the boys who usually go overlooked are getting a ton of attention and Kelly comes to the realization that she likes Hunter, just as he skyrockets in popularity.

Told in first person and alternating between Hunter and Kelly, The Boy Recession certainly lives up to its name. It's not precisely what I thought it would be, but I definitely ended up liking it! And I'm just...more When your school's cute boy population dwindles, what do you have? Well, according to Eugene, you have a boy recession. Suddenly the boys who usually go overlooked are getting a ton of attention and Kelly comes to the realization that she likes Hunter, just as he skyrockets in popularity.

Told in first person and alternating between Hunter and Kelly, The Boy Recession certainly lives up to its name. It's not precisely what I thought it would be, but I definitely ended up liking it! And I'm just going to toss this out there, but Eugene is a mastermind and the Pride and Prejudice bit was adorable and hilarious. Honestly, I think as far as minor characters go, he was definitely my favorite and the most memorable out of the bunch. I think I personally would've liked more of the Derek and Darcy dynamic and maybe a bit more of Aviva too. (Darcy being Kelly's friend who is out to change the world and does a ton of reading while Aviva on the other hand is a bit boy crazy.)

Hunter was pretty darn adorable--and not the most motivated guy in the world, but he manages. I think my favorite part about him was how he taught the elementary kids how to play the drums--you'll see what I mean. Kelly on the other hand, well, she acts as a balance between her friends and it's through band that she knows Hunter--they've actually known one another for a while.

As for the plot itself, I definitely enjoyed it! I will, however, admit that--at least to me--it felt like the romance could've meshed with the plot a little bit better (if that makes sense). I really feel like the highlight was prom and I refuse to spoil it for you, but there are several reasons behind why I loved the prom scene so much. This is--what I'd consider to be--a light read and if you're looking for a straightforward contemporary romance to read before the summer is over, you might want to consider checking The Boy Recession out. (Also, Hunter's inspiration behind the song that he wrote made me laugh--it fit him all too well.)(less)

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Jan 16, 2012 Hpboy13 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: best-of-ya, best-of-2012

Okay, at first glance, this does not look like a book I would like. Multiple narrators? Not a fan of the format. High school romance and dating as the focus? Commence eye-rolling now. But, since I got an ARC of it (and since Flynn Meaney's first novel "Bloodthirsty" was hilarious), I read it. And, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.

The best thing about this book, just like her debut novel, is how damn funny it is. She makes me laugh out loud more than any author except maybe Rick Riordan. From hysterical ref...more Okay, at first glance, this does not look like a book I would like. Multiple narrators? Not a fan of the format. High school romance and dating as the focus? Commence eye-rolling now. But, since I got an ARC of it (and since Flynn Meaney's first novel "Bloodthirsty" was hilarious), I read it. And, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.

The best thing about this book, just like her debut novel, is how damn funny it is. She makes me laugh out loud more than any author except maybe Rick Riordan. From hysterical references to Zefron and Disney Channel movies and Taylor Swift, to the sarcasm and occasional dirty jokes teenagers are so fond of using, Flynn Meaney kept me giggling non-stop. In fact, it’s hard to believe Flynn isn’t a teenager herself, she is so good at writing the voices of teens. And she’s not above the occasional swear-word to make it realistic, but she doesn’t overdo it like so many books trying to be “edgy.” When the school stages a musical, it reminded me of “Carter Finally Gets It” – except, unlike that book, this isn’t peppered with a dozen derogatory gay jokes. Thank goodness for that.

The flow of the book is excellent – and, again, the way a teenager would tell it. “I failed all my midterms” is a throwaway line, but a page is devoted to the dating status of the characters. And talk of characters, the story focuses on a group of friends, but there are also enough hilarious acquaintances to paint a good picture of the entire high school. Kelly’s friends, Aviva and Darcy, I really loved. As for Hunter’s friends, Eugene stood out, but I couldn’t really distinguish between the 3 “D-Bags,” as they call themselves. Kelly and Hunter’s narrative voices sounded distinct enough that I was never confused as to who was narrating, which drove me crazy in Allyson Condie’s “Crossed.”

Final word: just like “Bloodthirsty,” this book was always witty, sometimes cute, and almost always hilarious. Just like “Bloodthirsty,” I will instruct all my friends to drop whatever they’re reading and read this. 5/5 stars stars for this fantastic book!(less)

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Jun 16, 2012 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a sweet high school read that will appeal to lots of different kinds of readers.

The premise is simple. During Kelly and Hunter's senior year of high school, a large number of boys transfer schools, leaving Julius High with a high girl to guy ratio. Something that I'm sure happens all the time. Suddenly the status of overlooked, geeky and nerdy boys skyrockets them to the same popularity of star quarterbacks. Flynn Meaney takes advantage of the situation, by creating lots of hilariously...more

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May 07, 2013 Cathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think this book read more for the much younger adult, even though the characters were juniors or seniors they talked and seemed more like freshman or middle school. It could just be me, who knows but it was just an okay read. Very fluffy and quick.

We meet Hunter, who is a guy who doesn't really care about much, not getting a job, school, or anything other than sleeping and maybe hanging out at the gas station with his friends. Then there is Kelly who seems like a typical average girl. Who has...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, awesome-dialog, contemporary, couldn-t-have-been-better, female-protagonist, great-author, great-supporting-characters, hilarious, male-protagonist, multiple-povs, real-life-issues, tween, ya

First Impressions: I really liked Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney, so when I realized that The Boy Recession was written by her I was stoked! This book just sounded like such a fun read, plain and simple. I like how the cover art reflects what the book is about in a very creative way.

First 50 Pages: This isn’t a terribly long book and I read it in its entirety in just a couple of hours. It would be perfect for someone who is trying to squeeze in a book or two before going back to school (which is w...more First Impressions: I really liked Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney, so when I realized that The Boy Recession was written by her I was stoked! This book just sounded like such a fun read, plain and simple. I like how the cover art reflects what the book is about in a very creative way.

First 50 Pages: This isn’t a terribly long book and I read it in its entirety in just a couple of hours. It would be perfect for someone who is trying to squeeze in a book or two before going back to school (which is why I decided to read it when I did) because it’s so short and so enjoyable. There isn’t really anything deep or heavy about The Boy Recession. From the beginning to the end, it’s just a lot of fluff and the humor is awesome. I laughed so many times while reading this story. It’s the kind of book that you want to pick up if you are feeling down because you won’t be able to stop laughing. I thought that the author did a really nice job setting her scenes and giving each of her characters distinct voices.

Characters & Plot: The book synopsis that was provided by the publisher basically gives away most of the plot. The story follows Kelly and Hunter who each give their own perspective of the literal boy recession that is occurring at their high school. The points of view from each character are really well done and they seemed to go well together. Sometimes when you have more than one point of view in books the writing seems choppy, but that wasn’t the case here. Kelly and Hunter are friends, but I believe they were both secretly (and maybe unknowingly) attracted to each other before the shortage of boys hit their school.

The girls that go to their school are going bonkers and the recession brings out the worst in most of them. The book is full of drama llamas and silly high school chit-chat, bitchy teenagers, and girls that would do just about everything to make sure they have dates to prom. Of course, the guys love this; even the lesser known guys are getting a ton of attention. It’s like every teenage boy’s dream, to have a bunch of girls fighting over them.

Except Hunter. He is a low-key sort of dude and prefers to hang out under the radar. He’s a stereotypical slacker type that doesn’t have a lot of drive. When the recession hits, the girls start to take notice of him and he is considered one of the more appealing slacker kids.

Kelly is just your average teenage girl. She isn’t popular, but she isn’t a loner type either. She is Hunter’s friend, but she begins to realize that she has feelings for Hunter. The only problem? She has to compete with a zillion other girls who think they are into Hunter as well.

Of course, Kelly and Hunter form a relationship (finally) and it is really sweet and cute. Their relationship is very simple and it’s not overly done. Like the rest of the novel, it’s all fluff and fun. It’s romantic and very cheesy, just the way I like it!

Final Thoughts: This is a wonderful book to kick back with and relax. It’s totally cheesy, but cheesy can be awesome! If you ever wondered what it would be like if boys suddenly became a hot commodity, then this is the book for you. I definitely think that The Boy Recession is going to appeal to girls between the ages of 14-17 and maybe a little older. Most of the time I think that many YA titles have cross-over appeal, but I’m not too sure about this one. So if you are older, you might want to skip this one over.(less)

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Jul 27, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, oh-how-romantic, best-of-2012-list-pick

This book is for all of the fringe kids. You know..the friend of a friend of the popular crowd twice removed.
This is a bird's eye view of what happens if all of the popular kids (in this case boys) disappear.
The shocking thing is that readers get to see that the laws of adaptation that are often seen in nature apply in this book.
Noooo... that is not to say that any of the females at Juilus P. Heil High School became male over night like those fish on the nature channel; but some pretty drab sl...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Jade Inks rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bistro-books

The Boy Recession

The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney is a quirky stand alone novel about a Julius P. Heil High and all of their boy’s. Or lack there-of. The male population drops and the sheer desperation level reaches sky high. There are four girls to every boy, and the ladies aren’t liking it. The popular girls begin to date the guys who were formerly known as either lazy or uncool. Turning the weirdo’s into the perfect boyfriends for upcoming prom. Hunter Fahrenbach was one of the guys who was...more

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Feb 01, 2013 Antonia ♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was so much fun! I loved it ♥ and I would like to read a sequel, but unfortunately, it isn’t going to happen. It has romance too and it’s pretty awesome. I think ‘’The Boy Recession’’ is a book that every teenager should read.

The story is about Hunter and Kelly, two teenagers: Hunter is lazy (but cute) and he only cares about music and Kelly is a good and smart girl who loves music just like Hunter. Till now, they had music in common, but when Hunter starts to open up to Kelly, she rea...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Tina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A really easy-to-read chic-lit novel about the senior year in high school.
It's got a bit "Clueless" and "Gossip Girl" going on with just a tad bit of "Sex and the City" mixed in here and there.

I liked the main characters and the group of girls just as much as the circle of guys. The fact that each chapter is either told from the point of view of the male or female protagonist is something I enjoy, because it gives a different insight on the character and story development.

There wasn't too much...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Dani rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary

When a large percentage of the hot, eligible male population makes a mass exodus from the financially struggling Julius P. Heil High School, the girls left behind quickly notice the deficit and the boys left behind quickly begin to realize that their stock and desirability has suddenly gone up. Meanwhile, the boys aren’t the only thing leaving the high school in a hurry. Because of massive budget cuts, many extracurriculars are being pruned from the class schedules… including Kelly Robbin’s favo...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Britta rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is one of those feel-good-quick-read kind of books. It is cute and funny, extremely funny at times with witty observations, but there is not much else going on - no depth I guess you could say. However, with a title like The Boy Recession, I was not expecting any sort of life changing epiphany. So I am not disappointed, nor am I blown away, but I did have a fun time reading this story and it would be a great "in-between" read.

School is starting up again after summer break and the gi...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Merary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: backstabbing-fun, you-are-an-idiot, activate-insta-love, cheesy-cute-romance, it-s-all-about-sex-baby, that-s-why-i-hate-boys, ya, guilty-pleasures, it-was-okay, i-wasn-t-expecting-to-like-this, chick-lit, mean-girls, characters-i-want-to-befriend, arc

Note: The copy I read was an ARC. The final copy may be change or altered. This is a review of the ARC.

Have you ever seen one of those typical, cheesy, teen movies? You know, the type where two best friends don't know that they're in love with each other because they are too stupid to realize that, then some sudden drama occurs because of that unresolved romance, but at the end they realize their stupidity and start dating, and then go to prom, because, you know, every teen movie has to have a p...more Note: The copy I read was an ARC. The final copy may be change or altered. This is a review of the ARC.

Have you ever seen one of those typical, cheesy, teen movies? You know, the type where two best friends don't know that they're in love with each other because they are too stupid to realize that, then some sudden drama occurs because of that unresolved romance, but at the end they realize their stupidity and start dating, and then go to prom, because, you know, every teen movie has to have a prom?

The Boy Recession was exactly like that.

You have these friends called Hunter and Kelly, who deep down, like each other as more than friends. Then, a boy recession occurs at their school and the girls start getting all desperate and slutty to find a guy to be with. The guys are actually enjoying this because that means that the popular, hot girls will eventually go out with them. This boy recession is affecting said best friends because of certain newfound feelings.

Meanwhile, you have Kelly's other best friends. Aviva, the boy-crazy one, and Darcy, the political one. Hunter's other best friend, Eugene, is one of those sexist, pervert pigs, that you can't help but either strangle them or laugh at his jokes. Either way, these secondary characters are involve in their own drama that I just simply didn't care. In fact, I didn't care for the drama at all!!

And check this out: This book says that if you're in an athletic team (and with a Spandex uniform to match!), you're either a bitch or a ditz.
Also, if you like somebody, you should act like you're not interested towards her and date someone else (a manipulative bitch or the new student is a big plus!), because, you know, she/he was never going to like you back anyway. Repeat those steps, and wait to be both infected with mono, because everybody knows that you can only get mono with a kiss (Ha, ha.) and then, a few days later, TA-DA!, your boyfriend/girlfriend is going to break up with you because you were a "dirty cheater". Oh, and by the way, it is always the other girl's fault that a relationship is destroyed. Fear the mistress!
And now, enjoy your loneliness and get together. THE END.
And let's not forget, if you are a guy, and you date a girl who doesn't want her boobs to be touched (even though she is the hottest girl at school!) act like an asshole and break with her. Getting some is more important than someone else's feelings! Date other girls, but expect to miss that hot, "frigid" girl because you're still "in love with her". And, hey, maybe that girl is going to fix the "Best Couple" results at Prom, because she also still in love with you, despite the fact that you treated her like trash. Jerkiness is so hot and attractive!
Get back together, and be frustrated, once again, that you won't get to have sex with her. Ever. Or at least until marriage.

Even though the main characters pissed me off from the start, I actually ended up enjoying this cheesy, and sometimes funny, novel with a very predictable ending and its annoying, yet realistic, characters. The writing was alright, but I still thought it was just okay. Nothing special. Just like those teen movies.(less)

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Aug 21, 2012 Sarah (YA Love) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012, realistic-fiction, young-adult-lit, contemporary-ya, more-than-one-pov

Review originally posted at YA Love

This summer I’ve realized that I need to read more light-hearted contemporary YA. The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney is a light and fun, quick read which is exactly what I needed when I read it. Don’t we all need that from time to time?

The premise of The Boy Recession will be easy to sell to my students this coming school year. I remember it feeling like there were hardly any guys to date in my high school, but if all the “cute” ones were gone?! I would have bee...more Review originally posted at YA Love

This summer I’ve realized that I need to read more light-hearted contemporary YA. The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney is a light and fun, quick read which is exactly what I needed when I read it. Don’t we all need that from time to time?

The premise of The Boy Recession will be easy to sell to my students this coming school year. I remember it feeling like there were hardly any guys to date in my high school, but if all the “cute” ones were gone?! I would have been devastated. I can’t imagine too many of my girls in class feeling any differently than I would have. I like that Flynn Meaney wrote the story so the girls in the novel start to look at these other guys in a different light.

I also have a number of students interested in books with more than one point of view, so there’s another selling piece. Readers get to see the story from Hunter’s side (representing the male population) and Kelly’s side (representing the female population). I honestly can’t picture this book being written any other way; I don’t think it would have been as enjoyable. I will admit that I wasn’t paying attention to chapter headings when I first opened this book. It says “Hunter” which explains why I was so confused when I started reading and thought, “This girl is acting kind of like a guy…” In my defense, I started reading this late at night. Anyway, the dual narration really works and it’s done pretty well. I wish the cover was a little more gender neutral (big part of the reason I thought a girl would be narrating the entire story) because I think some guys would enjoy it. I don’t know how easy it will be to hand The Boy Recession to one of my guys in class; they don’t always handle pink well.

The Boy Recession isn’t hilariously funny, but it’s humorous enough to get a few giggles here and there. One line that keeps coming back to me and making me laugh is when Hunter is getting dressed up for an event and compares his look and outfit to Scott Disick. *Warning he uses some poor language in the exchange.*

Hunter: “Holy crap,” I say. “I look like that douchebag who’s dating the other Kardashian sister.”
Eugene: “Don’t hate on Scott Disick,” Eugene warns me. “He’s my fashion role model.”

Taken out of context that may not be as funny, and poor language aside, I love that reference because I know exactly how to picture Hunter’s outfit/look in this scene. Flynn Meaney has little one-liners like this (not all tinged with similar language) dispersed throughout the book. It’s scenes like these that give the reader a broader understanding of who the characters are and what their personalities are like. It’s fun seeing Hunter not really caring about anything at the beginning of the story to worrying about his pants getting wrinkled and that a plan works out by the end of the book. His humor, however, stays constant which Kelly really likes about him as do I.

I really liked The Boy Recession and am looking forward to recommending it to my students. I suggest that the middle school teachers following my blog read this first before passing it on to your students because while I’m not overly concerned about some of the language choices, you may not feel as comfortable with it. Besides, it’s an entertaining book that should be read! Maybe Flynn Meaney’s new book can be one more book read before the summer’s over.(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Review was originally posted on Books Complete Me

I really wanted to read this book because it sounds pretty funny and intriguing! It didn't disappoint in making me laugh!

Kelly didn't stick out to me at all really, she was a pretty normal teenage girl. So I don't have much to say about her.

All of the girls in the book were crazy, doing things they never would have done if they weren't in a "boy recession." It was pretty comical.

Hunter and his friends were really where all the laughs came from. E...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Kayla Eklund rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews-completed

Flynn Meaney's second novel, The Boy Recession, was a good YA chick-lit novel. Chick-lit isn't my usual genre, but I really liked this book. The plot was interesting, and flowed smoothly. There were a few things that bothered me about the book. I dislike when authors use the f-word more than once in a young adult novel. The author probably used the f-word close to half a dozen times. Another thing that bothered me in the book was some of the article titles that Aviva uses. For example, "Skankolo...more

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About Flynn Meaney

Flynn Meaney is an alumna of the University of Notre Dame and the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Hunter College.

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Quotes from The Boy Recession

“If you skip one class, everyone knows about it. The teacher will track you down, or one of the guidance counselors will track you down and ask if you're smoking pot. According to the geniuses running this place, the only reason you would skip class is if you're smoking pot, though I actually find my classes more enjoyable when I'm high.” — 6 people liked it

“I've never had any summer lovin'. And I've never had any school year lovin', either. I've never had a boyfriend. I've never hooked up with a guy. And this morning, on my Internet browser, an article popped up about women marrying themselves. Even my wireless connection knows I'm alone.” — 3 people liked it

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