Review: I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader - Kieran Scott

I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader
Kieran Scott
Series: Cheerleader Trilogy, #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Word Rating: Lighthearted
On Goodreads

I read this book a few years ago and once again stumbled upon it recently; thus, a review was born. Let's get to it, shall we?

This book can best be described as "cute." It's not a super eloquent, mind-blowing read that'll leave your emotions in shambles at the end or anything (which is what I am quite used to when reading books) but it's worth a read nonetheless. This is one of those books you pick up on a lazy day and finish within an hour or two and appreciate but don't really internalize as a super impactful read. Or it's a book that you read after you've finished something emotionally traumatizing and you want something light to read before you embark on the next heart-tugging novel.

It centers around Annisa Gobrowski, a teenage girl who moves from New Jersey to Florida and ends up going to a school where she is the only brunette. Seriously. According to Bethany, the first friend Annisa makes and who is the only other non-blonde at the school (her hair is purple), "even the mice in the bio lab are blonde." Annisa, who was a cheerleader back in New Jersey and makes the squad at Sand Dune High School, must deal with her fellow teammates ostracizing her, the most popular girls in school hating her guts, and having a massive crush on her hot new neighbor who just so happens to be dating one of the cheerleaders.

I really liked Annisa, mostly because she was funny and slightly awkward. A lot of the comments she made throughout the book made me laugh, although I mostly found her internal musings funnier than the things she actually said out loud.
One of my favorite thoughts of hers was:

"The party was like a scene from a movie. More because I was sitting in the corner, munching on popcorn and watching it happen, than because it was so wild."

The other characters were all interesting to read about, too. I feel like Kieran Scott only gave some of the girls personalities and made the rest of them clones of each other, but it wasn't particularly a hindrance to the book, because the characters that Annisa actually interacted with were shelled out quite well. I really enjoyed reading about the girls at her new high school and the things that made them who they were.

While the narration and style of the book were very well done, I think the conflict got resolved a little too abruptly. I won't give anything away but I feel like it happened very suddenly. That being said, it seemed appropriate to do it that way for a sweet and light book like this one, so that didn't take away from it too much.

Overall, three stars for being an enjoyable lazy-day read with a cute story and characters, perfect for that afternoon where you have nothing to do.

- Noor

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