Tangled by Carolyn Mackler

Surprise!  I kinda gave up on TMI for now, because I've read them wayyy too many times.  But I took my sisters to the library yesterday (I'm one of those overbearing crusader types) and picked up three new books, and I've already finished two...testament to my nerdiness.  So here's the first one I finished!

Tangled is about four teens, Skye, Jena, Dakota, and Owen, who journey to Paradise, an island in the Carribean (not Paradise, OH from I am Number Four...that's what I thought at first and was almost dissappointed.) for spring break.  Skye and Jena meet Dakota, a player with a sad past, and yeah...some stuff happens.  Dakota breaks Jena's heart by ditching her for Skye...interesting stuff.  Anyway, Owen is Dakota's brother, but we only see him once on this vacay and don't really learn his name until Dakota's chapters, and don't really learn who he is until Owen's chapters.  The story tracks these four teens through their daily lives, dealing with some deeply personal issues and finding their way in a cut-throat world.
The book is broken down into 4 parts, each told from one of the teen's point of view.  We start with Jena, then Dakota, Skye, and finally Owen.  As you read, you begin to put pieces together and figure out how they're all connected outside of Paradise. 
Mackler deals with some pretty tough stuff in this book.  Although from the outside it looked like a fun teen romance that would be a great break from semester finals, on the inside were some pretty real feelings that left you scared and sad, ecstatic and joyful, and also contemplative.  I found myself in the little quirks and characteristics of each character as they told their story.
I wish I could say I enjoyed it all, but some parts got too real for me.  Some of the language was terse, not something I expected to see, and sometimes something I struggled with (even more than Black vernacular in a Hurston novel).  It was really hard for me to push through the book and finish, even though it ended happily, and without the commentary on sex or the male anatomy.  As someone who prides myself on having values, it was really hard to push through this book, so even though the plot line was awesome, I had that strong and sinking feeling that if I owned the book, it would probably be marked beyond recognition so I could even feel comfortable reading it again.
As it was, I did enjoy the book beyond that minor detail.  Owen and Jena (the main characters, basically) were enchanting and real, even if some of the things they did or thought weren't.  The problems they faced were very...real is the only word I could use, and I found them reminding me of myself a lot more than I thought they would.


Teaser Quote: "As I closed my door, I wondered how it's possible that one person's entire world can change while the other person is still making watermelon soup."~Skye