[Review] Amplified by Tara Kelly

Title: Amplified {goodreads}

Authors: Tara Kelly

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 25/10/11

Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
RRP: US$16.95

Source: Bought
Age: 15+ Sexual references and alcohol.

Pages: 290

My Rating:

Summary:

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . .

In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified.

My thoughts: 

One word: Badass!

Tara Kelly strikes again! I loved this as much as I loved 'Harmonic Feedback', just in different ways. We've heard the story before: Teen gets kicked out of home because they're a disappointment to their parent/s. Teen goes off to fulfill their dream, whatever that may be. What really appealed to me though, was the musical aspects and the band and what the band brings to Jasmine, the protagonist.

'Amplified' is super atmospheric; Kelly really describes music perfectly. When I first started reading books with music in them, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to 'hear the music', but so far I haven't had such a problem. It would be really cool if some of C-Side's tracks got recorded somehow, but that's probably wishful thinking. There are a few terms that, should you not be so musically inclined, you might need to look up. A little research on industrial rock also wouldn't hurt. I'll admit I'd never actually heard of the sub-genre before, but that's exactly what I love about reading. New stuff.

The band members of C-Side are eccentric and they each have their own distinct personalities that just magically drew me to them. I adored Felix's wicked fashion sense, Bryn's biting wit, Sean's quiet allure and Veta's spunk and sense of pride. I found myself chuckling and laughing way too much. They just have way too much fun together and their dialogue and actions with each other are so natural that I was able to believe they were real people.

What I most loved about AMPLIFIED, however, is the journey that Jasmine takes. She goes through so much development and has to endure quite a few obstacles in order to actually get where she does at the end. She suffers from intense stage fright, which is a big deal when she's going to be filling in for one of the hottest lead guitarists in the local industrial rock scene. What shines through with her is her innate ability to rock out and make things work, make them different and innovative. Like I said before, I could actually HEAR what was playing.

There is a romance, and one that I enjoyed a lot. The guy and Jasmine just get off to a really bad start, and first impressions make quite the impression. But over time they just start warming to each other and before we all know it, they're friends and leaning into something more. They had great chemistry; they're safely one of my top 5 fave couples for this year. Realistic - no insta-love going on ANYWHERE in here.

AMPLIFIED is fired-up and passionate, and is sure to catch interest of musically inclined readers. Kelly's sophomore release plays a familiar tune to her debut, but is a much lighter read - you might even chuckle a couple times. Jasmine is a great heroine whose endurance and strength of will persist time and time again.

Quotes:

""Are you waiting for the bathroom? 'Cause it looks open."
"I need to talk to Sean. I'm just waiting for a good time . . ."
Bryn walks past me and slammed his fist into Sean's door. "Hey!" The music inside cut off.
Sean answered, crinkling his brow at Bryn. He was already dressed for work--blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, cargo pants, and boots. "What?"
"Jasmine said she's waiting for a good time. Does now work for you?" Bryn slapped Sean in the chest and sauntered off, chuckling his way down the stairs.
Sean's eyes widened at me, his lips parting. This was not the opening I had in mind. (pp. 118-119)

Buy:

* cheapest Australian e-store price

AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS

Fishpond * | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

INTERNATIONAL READERS

Amazon | The Book Depository

All links from Booko, because I'm too lazy to search each individual store anymore.

I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: ---

[Review] Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee

Title: Somebody Everybody Listens To {goodreads}

Authors: Suzanne Supplee

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 09/06/11 (US PB)

Publisher: Penguin (Speak)
RRP: $8.99 (US)

Source: Bought
Age: 12+ Clean

Pages: 280

My Rating:

Summary:

Retta Lee Jones is blessed with a beautiful voice and has big dreams of leaving her tiny Tennessee hometown. So with a beaten-down car, a pocketful of hard-earned waitressing money, and stars in her eyes, Retta sets out to make it big in Nashville. But the road to success isn't a smooth one, and a girl's gotta figure out who she can trust in a town full of showmen and scammers. Soon Retta begins to have doubts: Can she make her mark and still stay true to herself?

My thoughts: 

I have a fairly good feeling that if I had read this back in year 10, when dreams of my own endeavour were flying off the walls, I would have simply adored this book. SOMEBODY EVERYBODY LISTENS TO is about dreams, and how even in the face of personal/financial issues, those with the will and strength to power on will prevail, at the least to an extent.

Retta Jones has lived in her small town Starling in Tennesee her whole life. And ever since she could remember all she's ever wanted to do is sing. After she graduates high school, she's in such a mad rush to get out there to Nashville to live out her country music dreams. However, the road to stardom is much bumpier than it at first appeared. First she needs to find a way to get there, as in, a car. Then she needs to find a job to earn money in order to facilitate her ambitions. When things finally start looking up, she's needed back at home...

Retta has a genuine, great voice. She isn't overly confident or cocky about her singing, she knows how tough it would be to make it big in the music industry; her passion for singing shines through, as does her natural ability to string together the events going around her into these beautiful lines of poetic lyrics.

Supplee is evidently a huge country music fan and enthusiast, and it REALLY shows in her book. Retta's experiences are incredibly realistic and detailed, as well as humorous! I couldn't help but chuckle at the horrible situations that Retta got herself into.

The prose isn't all that special, but it did read pretty quickly. The thing that really stood out (which I shouldn't need to mention again but will, to prove a point) were those lyrics that Retta wrote.

"Home"

The pull of home will always be here.
Running fast or running slow.
It's the place to get away from, the place I long to go.
I can hear it in the treetops, feel it whispering against my skin.
It's the air I breathe, the way I am.
Home is my beginning and my end.

(p. 188)

The novel has a clear focus right from the beginning: Retta dreams of becoming a recognised country musician. But the world around Retta is shifting - at home and in Nashville. I love the connections that Retta makes with those around her at home. It all just felt so . . . genuine.

What some people may be wondering is ANY ROMANCE? Sadly, I have to tell you that there is hardly any. Retta has a crush on a guy, but there is never much development with it. Though I do wish there had been something more definitive with their relationship, I found the absence of a romance okay. Instead of having all the drama that a new relationship would involve, Supplee chose to let us focus most of her dreams. I felt that a romance may have gone one way or the other - flat (as in, just a happy ending fluff thing) or completely dramatic (which I would have not liked), so I guess this book is one exception where having no romance was perhaps good? Opinions?

Fans of country music will want to read this. Even as a part-time country music listener I enjoyed reading the little biographies of some of the BIG country music stars. A fun, quick read that may inspire people to follow their dreams; if things go wrong, imagine how interesting the story leading up your Big Break will be!

Buy:

* cheapest Australian e-store price

AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS

Fishpond * | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

INTERNATIONAL READERS

Amazon | The Book Depository

All links from Booko, because I'm too lazy to search each individual store anymore.

I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: ---

[Review] Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Title: Where She Went {goodreads}

Author: Gayle Forman

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 05/04/11

Publisher: Dutton (HB)

Source: Netgalley (ARC); Won (HB-preorder)
Age: 15+ mild language, drug use and sexual scenes

Pages: 260

My Rating:

Summary:

It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

My thoughts: 

Read at your own risk if you have not read If I Stay!!!

I have been anxiously waiting for the release of Where She Went, the sequel to Gayle Forman's If I Stay, ever since I heard that the story of Mia and Adam was going to continue! If anything, Forman surpassed what I could have expected of the sequel, or just what was going to happen after the events of IIS. Really, it's just amazing.

The majority of this book is set in New York, and I really got a feel for the setting when . . .  (spoiler) Mia takes Adam on a tour of New York's biggest landscapes. Just, New York! :D

Once again, Gayle Forman hits the spot in the characters department. In Where She Went, not only did she completely alter the way I felt about all of the characters I'd met in If I Stay, but she then changed it back around again to allow me to sympathise with them. Take Adam for instance. Three years after the events of If I Stay, and he's a druggie; narcissistic, wry and sarcastic. Yet, I couldn't help finding him endearing in a way, and especially when I read into what his behaviour represents and roots from. I really like how there are definite links from the two books; the family make a few appearances, in Forman-style memory fashion.

Can I also say that I'm glad that Adam turned into a total ass? He's broken: both due to his rising stardom and his losses. In his flaws, he actually became more fleshed out as a person. I mean, if he was still that sweet Man he was in IIS, after all this, then I'd start thinking he was in need of a backbone. But no, he's snarky and does what he wants. Kind of.

The colossal outpour of emotions that flow seamlessly, packed tightly in yet another little book. You'll want a couple of tissues to get through this book. While I personally think that If I Stay holds more weight to it, Where She Went is beautiful in what the heartbreak and anger represents. All that tension in the three years that the couple is about; revisiting the family home and coming to terms with what happened . . . .

*sigh* This book is just so powerful. Its characters all have their strengths and weaknesses, making them multi-faceted, complex and fleshed out so that they are realistic and relatable. Of course, it's hard to relate to them on an extremely personal level, but I was so able to empathise with them. It was refreshing to read about Adam's thoughts on the events, how he seems to bluntly talk about the situation in his mind as opposed to Mia who seems to embrace it as part of her life. That her family still lives on, which is an uplifting take on Mia's part: I appreciate Forman for expressing Mia as someone who has developed and strengthened, taken the accident in stride; rather than falling apart and losing it all. She finds her way back to music: and through Adam and her encounters, Adam, too, is found again with music.

I thought that If I Stay ended in just the right way, but I found the continuation of events profound and eye-opening. The future. There is so much tension that exists, and I love when things finally reach breaking point. I really bawled my eyes out during this one scene (which Forman commented was 'satisfying to write'). The ending is also just so satisfying, that makes me glad that their story is at an end. Really? I can imagine this being an amazing movie.

Really, what can I say to convince you how amazing this book is? Where She Went and Gayle Forman are prime examples of the highlights of contemporary YA fiction. Painted with a lyrical prose that leaves readers with satisfaction and with an intrigue of the notion "after tragedy strikes, what happens to those who are left behind?" Character-driven and chilling, Gayle Forman's sequel is emotional and uplifting, stifling and perpetually stimulating. Love love love. Can't wait to finally see what new story Forman has in store; though I'm sad to finally have to say goodbye to those Oregon-originated characters.
 

Quotes:

First Lines

"Every morning I wake up and I tell myself this: It's just one day, one twenty-four-hour period to get yourself through. I don't know when exactly I started giving myself this daily pep talk--or why. It sounds like a twelve-step mantra and I'm not in Anything Anonymous, though to read some of the crap they write about me, you'd think I should be. I have the kind of life a lot of people would probably sell a kidney to just experience a bit of. But still, I find the need to remind myself of the temporariness of a day, to reassure myself that I got through yesterday, I'll get through today."

Favourite Quotes

"I feel this mad rush of anticipation, even though I know that unlike that night, tonight I won't kiss her. Or touch her. Or even see her up close.
Tonight, I'll listen. And that'll be enough."
(p. 38)


"What are you sorry about, Mia?
Even if I could bring myself to ask that--which I can't--she's jumping out of the booth and running toward the bathroom to clean the beer off herself like she's Lady Macbeth."
(p. 104--love the Macbeth reference :))

Buy:

Live in Australia?

Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

Live elsewhere?

Amazon | The Book Depository

Other:

Official Site

Gayle Forman's Blog

Email | Facebook | Twitter

I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: --

[Re-Review] If I Stay by Gayle Forman

I thought to celebrate the release of Where She Went (in stores now!), I'd re-review If I Stay, which I've only ever reviewed one before, and I believe that was on Goodreads. My review for Where She Went goes live same time tomorrow. I'm sorry--I kind of went nuts and just kept on typing, so I think just this review alone is 500 words.

Title: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 09/04/09 (HB); 10/04/10 (PB)

Publisher: Dutton (HB); Penguin Speak (PB)

Source: Bought (HB); Won (PB)
Age: 14+ mild language, violence and sexual scenes

Pages: 230

My Rating:

Summaries:

"Mia has no memory of the accident that changed her life. This inexperienced 17-year-old only recalls riding on that slippery Oregon road with her family, then, in an instant, seeing herself lifted from the twisted wreck. This affecting story of one young woman's struggle through tragedy and grieving will appeal to readers of books like Thirteen Reasons Why."

"In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands."

My thoughts: 

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK: POSSIBLE CHANCE OF SPOILERS.

Everyone said it was because of the snow.

In Oregon, the unthinkable happens: it snows. An innocent family trip to visit grandparents is cut to a halting stop when a 3-tonne truck rams through the family car's driver's side. Now orphaned musical-prodigy cellist Mia will have to make a choice: will she stay, or will she go? How can she even possibly think of leaving her family behind?

Wow. It's hard to write some form of a synopsis for this book. Without giving anything away. Anyway, you're not reading this for the synopsis, you want to get some dirt on this book right? Well I have only good things to say.

Seriously? Even after 3 reads of this book it hasn't lost a bit of its charm, and the only reason it might have is because we know there is a second book and therefore to the question "Does she Stay", the answer leans to a "yes". Still, the little moments and the chilling silences cut through me like a razor. I don't think that effect will ever be diminished.

The story is unconventional and formatted in unique 24-hour timeframe fashion. I love it. There's just something about the setting and situations that compel me time and time again to sit and read this book, even when I have other books that I must get to. If I Stay has a strange mystique about it that just drives the book. I appreciate the flashbacks, because they provide a sort of intermission between hospital scenes, all exhausting in and of themselves. Unlike many other dead people contemporary books, the tragedy that befalls this family is so innocent that it makes everything that happens later on that much harder to swallow and comprehend. I love the congruence that is shared among the family at the beginning. It's just all very well constructed.

Well, the characters . . . . I can't say too much without giving the book away, because much of this book is strung along because of the strong cast of characters that Forman has created. They're like real characters, and the good thing about books is that you're able to imagine what the characters look like for yourself. Mia is honest and passionate and a great narrator and protagonist. Her life rests on music and her cello, and with that, her family and Adam and Kim. Adam is so, so sweet in If I Stay that it's pretty shocking to see what he becomes in Where She Went. Anyway, there's so much room for fleshing out of the characters, even with 230 pages these characters held real emotion to their names. They weren't just names on a page.

I remember in my first reading I thought the writing was perfect. It is, but certainly not in the way I first thought. It reflects the mood of the book perfectly. It's brutally honest and easy to read but also hard to read. It's poetic, but only in its simplicity and quiet temper.

Before you dismiss If I Stay is just a sappy contemporary read, there ARE funny parts. There's the unique and freaky sex scene between Adam and Mia, Adam jumping through hoops to look at Mia in the ER . . . . Through all my readings, I've only ever cried through two parts of the book. Every single time. All the rest of the time during, I share my thoughts and feelings with Mia as she explores her memories and sees what is happening in her comatose state.

Love it, read it. If you didn't read it before Where She Went, then you're a wee bit silly. It doesn't matter that there is a second book. This book will still be able to be amazing and an all around powerful, emotional read. Gayle Forman is a force to be reckoned with, with a writing prowess that cannot be touched.

You know what? I haven't heard much about Gayle Forman's other, earlier books. Anyone read any?

Quotes:

First Line

"Everyone said it was because of the snow."

Favourite Quotes:

Too many spoilers! Every one of my favourites are spoilery. Censored haha.

Buy:

Live in Australia?

Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

Live elsewhere?

Amazon | The Book Depository

Other:

Goodreads Page

I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: --

[Review] Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Title: Harmonic Feedback

Author: Tara Kelly

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 19/05/10

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Price: $17.99

Source: Won
Age: 16+

Pages: 280

My Rating:

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old, music- and sound design-obsessed Drea doesn’t have friends. She has, as she’s often reminded, issues. Drea’s mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on “a touch of Asperger’s.”

Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a band after an impromptu, Portishead-comparison-worthy jam after school. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea’s preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like like Drea.

It’s obvious that Drea can’t hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she’s found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?

My thoughts: 

Drea has never been good with people: always the "odd sock", the social misfit, the freak. She doesn't need her mother to remind her, and others, of her additional "disclaimer" -- that she has been admitted, by professionals, with a hint of Asperger's. Drea doesn't get why she's always had such a hard time understanding the unspoken language of being socially adept; she prefers to stick to her love of music over conforming along with all the "common denominators" anyway . . . . But along with her latest move with her mum, for the first time she finds people who seem to care about her.

That cover is perfect for the book. It really takes on a new meaning once you've read through it. Sure, one look at the cover and I knew I needed to read it, but now? Now, it's become more, a little bit more special. I've always loved this cover, and the presentation of the book in itself is lovely. The jacket flap has a sort of sheen to it. Not incredibly shiny (like Unearthly), but really smooth.

The characters are well-drawn out and have depth and complexities to them that I really appreciated and is really, really important in a contemporary novel. Drea is snarly and keeps to herself. I liked her character a whole lot, and I found it hard not to as Kelly so very easily gave Drea vulnerabilities that elicited sympathy towards her. Her neighbour and to-be best friend, Naomi, was a little bit different. She had that same love of music that Drea had, but she's airy and reckless and fun. Then there is Justin, who Drea meets on her, and his, first day of school. He's cool enough and I love their moments together. The interactions between these best friends seemed genuine and realistic.

The story is groundbreaking and chilled me to the bone. Kelly knows how to create a quiet story that slowly creeps up on you. You don't even realise that something has changed until something big has occurred. To me, a great contemporary novel is one that is quiet and full of precise little moments, and dramatic and life-altering scenes when the author has built the characters up with personalities and lives and you get them. There was a lot of head-shaking in this book, because drugs and smoking and booze play quite a big part in among all the music and friendship and boy-craziness. And that's fine, because it shapes the characters and gave the book a whole different edge, claiming a place in with the title, "older YA". This is one of those books I can see getting censored in the future, which would be a shame because it's powerful and is so much more than the partying and drugs.

At its core, Harmonic Feedback is about finding a place in the world: having friends for the first time in for ever; hiding inside a hobby or passion (e.g. music); not wanting to let a supposed mental disorder define who you are. Kelly understands this. She knows what it's like to be thrown into a box for being different. This book is quite a heavy read, but it's one I'd definitely read again, and I'll be looking out for Amplified, which is Kelly's second novel coming out in 2011.
 

Quotes:

First Line

"ONE IN THIRTY-EIGHT. Bet on a single number in roulette, and those are the odds of winning. Getting struck by lightning is a little more difficult--one in seven hundred thousand. Winning the lottery? Forget it."

Buy:

Live in Australia?

Fishpond | Readings | Dymocks | Angus & Robertson | Borders | The Nile

Live elsewhere?

Amazon | The Book Depository

Links:

Official Site
Goodreads Page


I have received this review copy in return for an honest review.

Challenge: --

[Review] Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

Title: Rival

Author: Sara Bennett Wealer

Publication (dd/mm/yy): 15/02/11

Publisher: Harper Teen
Price: $16.99

Source: Bought
Age: 14+

Pages: 320

My Rating:

Summary:

BROOKE

I don't like Kathryn Pease. I could pretend everything's fine between us. I could be nice to her face, then trash her behind her back. But I think it's better to be honest. I don't like Kathryn, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

KATHRYN

I saw a commercial where singers used their voices to shatter glass, but the whole thing is pretty much a myth. The human voice isn't that strong.

Human hatred is. Anybody who doubts that should feel the hate waves coming off of Brooke Dempsey. But I don't shatter; I'm not made of glass. Anyway, the parts that break aren't on the outside.

~~~

Brooke and Kathryn used to be best friends . . . until the night when Brooke ruthlessly turned on Kathryn in front of everyone. Suddenly Kathryn was an outcast and Brooke was Queen B. Now, as they prepare to face off one last time, each girl must come to terms with the fact that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had.

My thoughts: 

Whether you're an aspiring musician, choir member at some point or other, or just the average music appreciator, Sara Bennett Wealer caters to all with her debut novel Rival. With a whole lot of the high school drama that seems to always come with music geeks, as exemplified in the hit TV show Glee, Rival is one book that will keep readers engaged until its heartwarming conclusion.