The Reece Malcolm List - Amy Spalding

The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Source/Format: Bought || Paperback

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything? (modified from Goodreads)

It will probably come as no surprise that I liked The Reece Malcolm List. The book has a lot of appealing elements – (1) a quirky, fashionable, main character who (2) attends a performing arts high school, (3) has a penchant for making lists and (4) a mother who writes novels for a living. The combination of these elements reminded me of a Disney Channel original movie, what with its lively vibe, charming characters and family-based tale.

Devan, our main character, is quirky, with an eye for fashion and gifted with an incredible voice. Her mother, Reece Malcolm, has penned many a novel, but is pretty clueless when Devan becomes her responsibility. Her mother’s boyfriend, Brad, is a character I liked instantly, as he knows exactly how to handle Devan and Reece (and he’s British). There are Devan’s new friends from her school, among them a guy she likes and girl who doesn’t really like her (or acts like it anyway). I liked reading about everyone, but my favorites are Devan and her mother.

The matter of Devan’s relationship with her mother is really the heart of this book. Sure, there were other parts of the plot (like the romance, a new group of friends and a new home), but this was the part that really affected me. It started as a struggle, borne of a lack of familiarity. It felt jarring that a role that had been empty for most of their lives (Reece’s daughter, Devon’s mother) was suddenly being filled by a stranger. As they started to learn more about each other and how to deal with each other, the foundation of their relationship was being laid out. It was heartwarming to discover their true sentiments towards each other, and to watch as they tentatively began to embrace their mother-daughter relationship. Spalding did an admirable job of developing their relationship realistically, and that was definitely a strong point of this novel.

The only thing that really didn’t strike me as necessary in this novel was the romance. It was interesting to read, and both guys that liked Devan were great characters on their own. But I didn’t like the way the romance was approached, nor did I like how it all played out in the end. This is, however, more of a personal preference than anything else, as I know there are a number of people who really did like this aspect of the book.

The Reece Malcolm List was entertaining, and written with a lot of heart. I found myself smiling as I read it, particularly whenever I encountered a reference to something I was familiar with. But I also found myself feeling for Devan and Reece as they attempt to build a relationship after years of not really knowing one another. While the romance didn’t do it for me, and I felt an odd disconnect from Devan at points, I would say that The Reece Malcolm List is well worth a read.