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Making Out #21
Trouble with Aaron
Trouble with Aaron - so what's new! Claire's crazy about the guy, but it's still hard to forget that she once hated him. Everyone seems determined to break them up, and now it looks as if Aaron's secretly seeing someone else. It's time for him to decide what he wants - or lose Claire for ever.
217 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
188 people want to read
About the author
Katherine Applegate
270 books6,128 followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written many books for young readers, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
Katherine’s picture books include THE BUFFALO STORM, illustrated by Jan Ormerod (Clarion Books); THE REMARKABLE TRUE STORY OF IVAN, THE SHOPPING MALL GORILLA, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Clarion Books); SOMETIMES YOU FLY, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt (Clarion Books); and ODDER: AN OTTER’S STORY, illustrated by Charles Santoso (Feiwel & Friends).
She’s written or co-written three early chapter series for young readers: ROSCOE RILEY RULES, a seven-book series illustrated by Brian Biggs (HarperCollins); DOGGO AND PUPPER, a three-book series illustrated by Charlie Alder (Feiwel & Friends). With Gennifer Choldenko, she co-authored DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG, illustrated by Wallace West (Feiwel & Friends).
Books for middle-grade readers include HOME OF THE BRAVE (Feiwel & Friends); THE ONE AND ONLY series, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, including THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY, and THE ONE AND ONLY FAMILY (HarperCollins); the ENDLING trilogy (HarperCollins); CRENSHAW (Feiwel & Friends); WISHTREE (Feiwel & Friends); WILLODEEN (Feiwel & Friends); ODDER (Feiwel & Friends); and the forthcoming POCKET BEAR (Feiwel & Friends).
With her husband, Michael Grant, Katherine co-wrote ANIMORPHS, a long-running series that has sold over 35 million books worldwide. They also wrote two other series, REMNANTS and EVERWORLD, and a young adult novel, EVE AND ADAM (Feiwel & Friends.)
Katherine’s work has been translated into dozens of languages, and her books have won accolades including the Christopher Medal, the Golden Kite Award, the Bank Street Josette Frank Award, the California Book Award Gold Medal, the Crystal Kite Award, the Green Earth Book Honor Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Award, and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award. Many of her works have appeared on state master lists, Best of the Year lists, and Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and New York Times bestseller lists.
Katherine lives in Nevada with her husband and assorted pets. She is represented by Elena Giovinazzo at Heirloom Literary and Mary Pender at WME.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 7, 2023
* Zara is going to AA meetings, and sucking up to her father while secretly still drinking beer every Thursday. She's also still trying to get back with Jake when she knows he has a girlfriend.
* Zoey goes off to Washington where she ends up feeling lonely. She's asked to stay on for longer which she accepts, but then manages to get her purse stolen so isn't very happy.
* Lucas spends some time with Nina, and there seem to be sparks between them that I really don't want to be there 🙈
* Kate struggles with her depression and Jake works out what's going on. He gets her to ask her doctor for a new prescription and goes with her to the pharmacy to pick it up. Kate doesn't take the pills though and seems to have no intention of taking them.
* Jake receives a letter from Kate's mum telling him that she has to go home, Jake doesn't want this to happen, but Kate finds the letter and panics.
* Benjamin seems to be paying attention to everyone except Nina, and she feels rather rejected. Benjamin then seems to be jealous that she's spending time with Lucas. He is so flakey!
* Christopher is obviously hiding something from Aisha that he desperately doesn't want her to know. We learn from a conversation with his sister though that he's been married previously! 😲
* Claire gets some phone calls where someone is just breaking down the phone and they worry her a bit. She also starts receiving photographs in the mail, and she eventually realises that they're photos of her, naked, in her bedroom, from outside the window 😲
* Aaron's band are doing a show, and everyone goes. Claire gets really pissed off when a girl called Mia turns up claiming to be Aaron's girlfriend. Claire has a little fun, then she dumps Aaron.
* Nina gets sick of Benjamin choosing to do anything other than spend time with her, so she dumps him too.
* Zoey goes off to Washington where she ends up feeling lonely. She's asked to stay on for longer which she accepts, but then manages to get her purse stolen so isn't very happy.
* Lucas spends some time with Nina, and there seem to be sparks between them that I really don't want to be there 🙈
* Kate struggles with her depression and Jake works out what's going on. He gets her to ask her doctor for a new prescription and goes with her to the pharmacy to pick it up. Kate doesn't take the pills though and seems to have no intention of taking them.
* Jake receives a letter from Kate's mum telling him that she has to go home, Jake doesn't want this to happen, but Kate finds the letter and panics.
* Benjamin seems to be paying attention to everyone except Nina, and she feels rather rejected. Benjamin then seems to be jealous that she's spending time with Lucas. He is so flakey!
* Christopher is obviously hiding something from Aisha that he desperately doesn't want her to know. We learn from a conversation with his sister though that he's been married previously! 😲
* Claire gets some phone calls where someone is just breaking down the phone and they worry her a bit. She also starts receiving photographs in the mail, and she eventually realises that they're photos of her, naked, in her bedroom, from outside the window 😲
* Aaron's band are doing a show, and everyone goes. Claire gets really pissed off when a girl called Mia turns up claiming to be Aaron's girlfriend. Claire has a little fun, then she dumps Aaron.
* Nina gets sick of Benjamin choosing to do anything other than spend time with her, so she dumps him too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2015
I think first I need to address that the cover Claire model has been replaced by a Valerie-from-Sabrina-the-Teenage-Witch-a-like with a Cindy Crawford mole and the bronzest lipstick I’ve ever seen. The Claire scenes in this book are pretty good. This book sees the introduction of Claire’s stalker. I think the build-up of tension is pretty good. Claire receives the odd nudie photo of herself through the mail, sometimes posted, sometimes hand-delivered. The Geiger household starts receiving breathy phone calls. Claire realises she’s dicked so many people over down the years that her stalker could be literally anyone on the island.
Secondly the inconsistencies in the series are getting out of control and I can barely keep up with them. I’m guessing the series was ghost written from some point. In this book we’ve got Aaron’s previously hazel eyes suddenly becoming “blue without a touch of hazel” and Christopher threatening to send Kendra back to Boston, even though his family is from Baltimore and it’s Aisha who’s from Boston. I guess in that instance Christopher might just be threatening to send Kendra to different places so she doesn’t reveal his big secret. Speaking of which, we the readers discover Christopher’s big secret that he’s digging his fingers into Kendra’s arm every other scene to conceal. He was married before! He’s a Ross! Marriage is his answer to everything! He simply has to propose to every woman he meets! I hope Aisha finds out soon so her storyline can be about something other than Christopher. Aisha and Kendra are now working together at the Gray’s B&B, which seems to have expanded into some massive Hilton-style establishment where the gals work up a sweat all day making beds.
Zoey is in Washington. Lucas misses her but is starting to notice that Nina too, is a woman. Nina is ignored by Benjamin throughout the book and breaks up with him (sad!). Benjamin has contracted Zoey’s obliviousness to other people’s feelings. Kate is depressed and re-creates scenes from The Bell Jar. Jake is a non-character in the book which makes me sad because he’s been one of my favourite things about this re-read. Also his job at Burger Heaven must have ended because he never mentions work and has time to spend hours in a tree outside Kate’s room watching her play solitaire.
All in all, despite Aaron’s crazy chameleon eyes and Aisha’s tardis-house, this was a great instalment. The dialogue was better than it has been in a little while and for some reason (I’ll have to think about why this is) I’m so so happy that Claire’s stalker is now in the mix.
Fave Moments:
-“Once when we were on vacation in Montana, we stopped at a convenience store and I tried to order a large Coke and the guy wouldn’t give it to be unless I called it a Big Hoss.”
-“And when I say hash browns, I mean hash browns; I don’t like hash whites.” I think of this every time I eat hash browns!
-Child-Nina gets a crank call: “…and then the man said ‘Nina I have something hot and heavy in my hand; what do you think it is?’ and I said, ‘Um, a potato?’…”
Secondly the inconsistencies in the series are getting out of control and I can barely keep up with them. I’m guessing the series was ghost written from some point. In this book we’ve got Aaron’s previously hazel eyes suddenly becoming “blue without a touch of hazel” and Christopher threatening to send Kendra back to Boston, even though his family is from Baltimore and it’s Aisha who’s from Boston. I guess in that instance Christopher might just be threatening to send Kendra to different places so she doesn’t reveal his big secret. Speaking of which, we the readers discover Christopher’s big secret that he’s digging his fingers into Kendra’s arm every other scene to conceal. He was married before! He’s a Ross! Marriage is his answer to everything! He simply has to propose to every woman he meets! I hope Aisha finds out soon so her storyline can be about something other than Christopher. Aisha and Kendra are now working together at the Gray’s B&B, which seems to have expanded into some massive Hilton-style establishment where the gals work up a sweat all day making beds.
Zoey is in Washington. Lucas misses her but is starting to notice that Nina too, is a woman. Nina is ignored by Benjamin throughout the book and breaks up with him (sad!). Benjamin has contracted Zoey’s obliviousness to other people’s feelings. Kate is depressed and re-creates scenes from The Bell Jar. Jake is a non-character in the book which makes me sad because he’s been one of my favourite things about this re-read. Also his job at Burger Heaven must have ended because he never mentions work and has time to spend hours in a tree outside Kate’s room watching her play solitaire.
All in all, despite Aaron’s crazy chameleon eyes and Aisha’s tardis-house, this was a great instalment. The dialogue was better than it has been in a little while and for some reason (I’ll have to think about why this is) I’m so so happy that Claire’s stalker is now in the mix.
Fave Moments:
-“Once when we were on vacation in Montana, we stopped at a convenience store and I tried to order a large Coke and the guy wouldn’t give it to be unless I called it a Big Hoss.”
-“And when I say hash browns, I mean hash browns; I don’t like hash whites.” I think of this every time I eat hash browns!
-Child-Nina gets a crank call: “…and then the man said ‘Nina I have something hot and heavy in my hand; what do you think it is?’ and I said, ‘Um, a potato?’…”
October 10, 2018
I skim read this book because I've lost interest in most of the narratives. Skipped Christopher/Aisha, Kate/Jake and Clair/A-aron. So basically I'm just reading Lara's bits and the love square that is Zoey, Lucas, Nina and Benjamin. Ew, imagine being in a love anything with your brother *throws up in Spanish*.
June 16, 2019
After a few very average books in a row, this one is so much better. I feel like it's more like some of the original few books, like maybe this is one that wasn't ghostwritten.
I LOVE the interactions of Nina and Claire in this book. So much of the time in other books they're just fighting, and they have that here but it's more sisterly than nasty and there are some really funny moments between them. I also loved the scene of Lucas taking Zoey to the airport. Their relationship just seemed so real and sweet at that point, and it was them at their best since the first few books. I also like that they finally have some realistic drama in their relationship (not just him reading her journal or being obsessed with sex). Another high point is Jake and Kate. Unlike the previous book, her depression seems more realistic now, and I love how Jake tried to help her and support her through it. Jake was so boring for so long, and he was always portrayed as the bad boyfriend (in comparison to Lucas, who is really not all that special), and I like seeing him be so great.
Also, the Claire stalker storyline is my absolute favorite!
I LOVE the interactions of Nina and Claire in this book. So much of the time in other books they're just fighting, and they have that here but it's more sisterly than nasty and there are some really funny moments between them. I also loved the scene of Lucas taking Zoey to the airport. Their relationship just seemed so real and sweet at that point, and it was them at their best since the first few books. I also like that they finally have some realistic drama in their relationship (not just him reading her journal or being obsessed with sex). Another high point is Jake and Kate. Unlike the previous book, her depression seems more realistic now, and I love how Jake tried to help her and support her through it. Jake was so boring for so long, and he was always portrayed as the bad boyfriend (in comparison to Lucas, who is really not all that special), and I like seeing him be so great.
Also, the Claire stalker storyline is my absolute favorite!
May 14, 2020
Aaron gets what coming to him.
Lucas and Nina are getting closer.
Zoey is miserable and misses Lucas terribly.
Benjamin is continuing to be a selfish jerk.
Kate is unwilling or unable to accept she needs help.
Lucas and Nina are getting closer.
Zoey is miserable and misses Lucas terribly.
Benjamin is continuing to be a selfish jerk.
Kate is unwilling or unable to accept she needs help.
September 24, 2023
It is all about the Geiger sisters for me now and their love-hate relationship.
October 2, 2023
I really liked the running background story of Nina getting further and further into debt with her father. Hating Christopher more with every instalment but now also really disliking Benjamin too.
January 3, 2025
This series is too long but I'm determined to make it to the end because NOSTALGIA.
February 28, 2017
Feeling nostalgic for the books of my youth, I revisited Katherine Applegate and her Islanders omnibus editions (first released as the Making Out series way back in 1993. Yes, I am that old...).
While I found them to be overly-dramatic and a little bit cheesy on second reading, I think they would be loved by teenagers today. YA has taken a much-welcome step in the sphere of fantasy, science fiction and Dystopia, largely, in recent years so for teenagers looking for the traditional romance novels filled with teen-angst and buried secrets, these are a good series to turn to. A little bit Dawson's Creek in it's setting and it's drama, The Islanders is the perfect teen soap opera.
While I found them to be overly-dramatic and a little bit cheesy on second reading, I think they would be loved by teenagers today. YA has taken a much-welcome step in the sphere of fantasy, science fiction and Dystopia, largely, in recent years so for teenagers looking for the traditional romance novels filled with teen-angst and buried secrets, these are a good series to turn to. A little bit Dawson's Creek in it's setting and it's drama, The Islanders is the perfect teen soap opera.
December 6, 2023
I remember being obsessed with this series when I was 14! I made my mom buy me all 29 books (in Germany a 29th book was published, there is no English translation) after borrowing the first one from my then-best friend.
Looking back, the plots got wilder and wilder with time: A lost half-sister, Claire's stalker, Ben miraculously being able to see again etc. I don't think I would enjoy it as much now as I did ten years ago, but it will only have a special place in my heart.
Looking back, the plots got wilder and wilder with time: A lost half-sister, Claire's stalker, Ben miraculously being able to see again etc. I don't think I would enjoy it as much now as I did ten years ago, but it will only have a special place in my heart.
January 9, 2017
diese Buchreihe hat mich während meiner Teeniezeit begleitet. ich habe sie so geliebt...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews