I am a huge Jenny B. Jones fan. I love her books, especially There You'll Find Me, and so last year for my birthday my best friend G got me The Charmed Life series in one book. Of course, three books in one is always intimidating, and so I've been putting it off and putting it off. Recently, I was on a class field trip to Canada, and I thought to myself, "This is the perfect opportunity!"

Unfortunately, Jenny B. Jones did not live up to my high expectations. So Not Happening wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. Some people would be annoyed with Bella's behavior, but to me she is the only character that makes sense to me. She has just been uprooted from her life, and change after changes hit her family. Of course she's angry and upset and a little bit bratty. Who wouldn't be? Her mom is a character I really had to actively try to understand because she really didn't seem to do so for her daughter. Bella is always painted as the bad guy, which is really unfair. Actually, I think Bella is fairly strong as a character. She's vulnerable, honest, and utterly human. Most of the supporting characters were also well-developed, my favorite being Luke. I was rooting for a romance there way before I knew it was going to happen.

What makes So Not Happening fall flat for me was the plot itself. I kept a running commentary going to my friend Katie while I was reading, and one of the things I kept saying was, "This is like Christian Nancy Drew". As someone who is actually on their high school paper, I can safely say that stories like the one Bella chases never happen in high schools, and if they did we certainly wouldn't be allowed to cover them. Bella shows little to no good judgment, and if wasn't for Luke she probably would've gotten herself killed. Also, Jenny B. Jones is known for being a Christian writer, and yet it wasn't something touched on much in the novel. Bella is said to be a Christian, but we learn very little about her faith or even see her practice it. Christianity serves as a side note here rather than the focus it has in her other novels.

Having read the second book, I can say this series gets better, but you might have to laugh your way through this one. It is funny (if not ridiculous), and fans of Jenny B. Jones will be satisfied. I guess that's all we can ask for.