This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Genres: Young Adult Romance
Released on September 30, 2014
Pages: 256
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
I stopped reading at 15% and I want to make it perfectly clear that this is one of those ‘it’s me and not you’ situations or at least I’ll take the hit for finding the heroine too immature. I am a hit or miss YA reader and I thought this sounded really cute when I picked it up. After I started reading, I discovered that I really felt too old for this story. I might come back for it later when I’m in a different frame of mind because there were lots of elements that totally had me smiling.
Aly needs to feel sexy and wanted by boys who treat her as a friend was sort of adorably sad. However, her little plot of Operation Sexy and using her best guy friend and secret crush to score the school manwhore/pop guy just left me impatient with her. This is not the girl with physical flaws or quirks that get her labeled as weird. She’s a good student, star athlete and has plenty of friends and fun so I couldn’t really buy her 911 need. There’s not even an actual event in her life that sends her into this desperate state. She sells herself short and is on a mission to embrace the shallow fleeting things and it was just…sad. Brandon telling her that guys respected her, liked her and felt she was commitment material translated in her mind to ‘unwanted and boring’- again, sad for her, but wanted to swat her for listening with her insecurities and missing what is right under her nose.
So yeah, probably going to be a really cute story in the Pygmalion or Ugly Duckling style and one I probably would have finished and possibly liked when I was younger. From what little I read, I think the writing is good, the characters are appealing and this would be a hit with many YA Contemporary Romance readers.
My thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this one in exchange for an honest review.
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Hey There Sophia: I’m not a YA reader, but I know a lot of people do enjoy them, and I’ve seen some killer reviews. I think my reason is the assumption that I may not be able to relate, even though that may not be the case if I ever actually picked one up! (lol) I suspect you have a HUGE TBR pile, so here’s hoping that you can get back for the other 85% soon and tell us more. I have a friend who is a Social worker in Ohio and worked with families like you did for a… Read more »
Some YA level reading I do fine with and love it. I don’t mind reading about situations that are specific to that age level. For some reason, I just wasn’t in the mood or mindset to watch an otherwise pretty, well-adjusted girl with good family, social, and academic situation, with lots of friends and admirers just flip out b/c she isn’t thought of as skank material. I suppose the point is that no matter how good we have it, we’re always looking at the greener grass over the fence. Oh well, yes, I might come back to it later, but… Read more »
That’s one of the reasons I don’t read YA, I feel like they are targeted to a much younger crowd and I just can’t relate to it.
This is true of many for me too, Mary! I stayed away from the Contemporary YA and just read Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Dystopian for the longest time b/c their age wasn’t that much of a factor. But the Contemporary stuff can delve into issues that are unique to teens and sometimes its very hard to relate particularly when the issues aren’t ones that I had at that age.
I’m that way with NA Sophia. I like some of it but then others are just too young feeling for me even when they’re the same age.
Yep, me too! Both these age levels. If the characters are written a certain way and their dilemmas feel like real dilemmas I love it, but I need to relate on some level. I just couldn’t see what all the fuss was about for this girl who seemed to have it pretty darn good actually.
Hey There Sophia: I’m not a YA reader, but I know a lot of people do enjoy them, and I’ve seen some killer reviews. I think my reason is the assumption that I may not be able to relate, even though that may not be the case if I ever actually picked one up! (lol) I suspect you have a HUGE TBR pile, so here’s hoping that you can get back for the other 85% soon and tell us more. I have a friend who is a Social worker in Ohio and worked with families like you did for a… Read more »