Title: Her Defiant Heart (Damaged Hearts #01)
Author: Monica Murphy
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to Social Butterfly PR and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
Life can feel like a cruel joke. I grew up poor and motherless, with a father who never got over his wife’s abandonment. But now he's gone too, and I'm dead set on finding the woman who so carelessly tossed me aside when I was a baby.
I want revenge. And I'm going to get back at my mother any way that I can.
I change my name. Start my new life in college, and just happen to cross paths with the gorgeous, ultra-rich Rhett Montgomery. He's immediately interested in me, not that I'm surprised.
You see, I planned it that way. I meant for him to find me. He's the one connection to my mother, and I'm using him, so I can destroy her. But I didn't plan on Rhett being so charming. Sweet. Sexy.
And I definitely didn't plan on falling for him either…
I struggled with Her Defiant Heart for the same reasons I couldn't fully enjoy reading Summer Heat by Rachel van Dyken - it's a book published by Apple first. Exclusively. And since I'm not a huge fan of Apple as a company, I was biased, thinking why the hell would my favorite author cooperate with them?! Why would they exclude many, many fans, not owning an iBooks account, not owning any Apple products?! I was devastated, heartbroken, yes. And then super glad when I found out the books would finally get published for the public market, letting every reader dive into the series'. Wooop!
At first, I was really excited to start reading Her Defiant Heart. I love Monica Murphy for multiple reasons, she's definitely one of my favorite authors out there. But I was so tired and could only read like two chapters until I decided to go to sleep. During that night, I even dreamed about the story, wondered how it would go on. That's a fabulous sign, right?! I'm not even sure if this happened to me before, but I felt the spark, felt hopeful this could become something great... And then I hated the female lead - Jenny/Jensen. Like, seriously. I hated her. Still do. She's super messed up, ice-cold, slutty (though that's refreshing to all the virgins in YA/NA books, but has become kind of a trend as well). Sure, her past is tragic, I wouldn't want to trade places with her, but wow, she's bitter.
And Rhett is way, way, way too good for her. I just couldn't imagine why he would go for her, chase after her like he did, be as kind as he was. That's because Monica Murphy creates guys like that. If you have read her Never series, you'll know what I'm talking about. She either writes bad boys or she writes those perfect, hot and charming dudes every mother would want to magically come to life from the pages. Dreaming is the key word here. And swooning, lots of it. I was swooning over Rhett so hard, he's described as cute, hot, charming, smart and just about every other positive feature there is. Unlike Jenny/Jensen. Ugh. All the wrong choices for all the wrong reasons. I know her character probably has to be this way for the story itself to work out, but she's just so annoying. And what was that about doing the same mistake twice, packing her things again? I don't understand.
There's some sort of darker shade to this novel compared to the other books I have read written by Monica Murphy. Everything's more mature, darker, a bit more of the forbidden fruit kind. So don't expect a light read, this will leave you thinking and also wondering how far one will go for revenge. The idea itself is pretty good, but gah, I just couldn't stand the female lead, I'm sorry. However, I know I'll read book two and three in the series as well. I just have to know how it continues. Plus, it's still a series written by Monica Murphy after all. She's great!
Title: Summer Heat (Cruel Summer #01)
Author: Rachel van Dyken
Rating: 3.5 - 4 / 5
Thanks to Social Butterfly PR and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
Spoiled Princess is what he used to call me.
We were an inferno of hate and passion wound up with a dash of chaos.
For four years I watched him mow my lawn.
For four years I watched my friends make fun of him.
For four years I hated myself for wanting him, but even more for the way I treated him.
And then I had him.
For one night, we put all labels away and I spent the best night of my life in his arms.
Then the next day, with my secret night under lock and key, I looked the other way while my friends shamed him.
But now the jokes on me, because the scrawny lawn boy who I secretly loved from afar is now the director of Hollywoods most exclusive summer camp.
And I'm on his staff.
Now it's his turn to punish me.
His turn to make me pay.
His turn to take his revenge after years of humiliation.
He's no longer a boy you can ridicule.
But a college graduate who can have any woman he wants.
I want him to look at me the way he did that one night we had together, but right now the look in his eyes tells me he's going to enjoy having me under him for two straight months.
I don't know where his hatred ends, his passion begins.
All I know is he wants revenge.
And I'm his lucky target.
So, this is kind of a hard thing for me to do. I don't really like Apple as a company and this book has been published for their iBooks section first. Exclusively. Meaning, us die-hard fans couldn't get our hands on Summer Heat or the others books in the Cruel Summer series. I remember how upset I was over that. It's either Google or Apple these days. Talk about communism. Anyway... That's not the topic here. I'm glad that these days, all Rachel van Dyken books are available on all platforms. So when Summer Heat was up for grabs on NetGalley I one-clicked without giving it a second thought.
And now the second hard part: Since this was originally a story publishes for Apple, I couldn't get the same vibe I usually do when reading Rachel van Dyken's books. And that's not fair to her nor her story, I know that. But I think some of her readers can relate. At first, this didn't feel like her writing at all, then I wondered if the idea for the story had been developed by her only or was a meeting with Apple involved? I was going paranoid, seriously. And then I decided to turn my brain off and just enjoy the story. Because even though I struggled with the first chapter - I had to get into the story first - I loved the idea and how it's a camp story, but not a young adult camp story, but new adult. And there's so much heat and sexyness involved. And second chances, which I usually hate, but of course it's Rachel van Dyken's talent that makes me change my mind about that. Gosh, I love that woman so much.
There's also some Hollywood glitter involved here, talking about dancing and acting and achieving dreams. I liked that very much, to see that characters actually have to work hard in order to get something, making the reader believe in themselves, too. Good job on that!
Back to my fear about working with Apple - you know, the moment I realised this was a typical Rachel book was when there was her humor written on the pages. It's quite unique and something every of her readers is looking forward to when starting a book by her. She's just so funny and I often wonder if these scenes just pop into her head or if she has to plot it out. It's a talent, really. I think that's when my doubts finally started disappearing fully - when I recognized her writing, her sense of humor, just her in every one of the pages of the story, her special mark.
I'm not even talking about the story, I realise. Well, I'm sorry. I think the blurb gives everything away and all I can say is you better read this book! Especially if you're looking for a quick summer read and might be interested in reading a series. I can't wait to devour book two and three, also if it will probably take me some time to finally get them off my to-be-read pile. There's definitely more tears than usual, but I believed Ray for her crying and I believed Marlon to be the perfect guy, as Rachel van Dyken creates them every single day.
Titel: Golden Dynasty - Brennender als Sehnsucht
Originaltitel: Moonlight Seduction (de Vincent #02)
Autorin: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Bewertung: 4 - 4.5/5
Danke an NetGalley und HarperCollins Germany (Mira Taschenbuch) für das digitale Rezensionsexemplar dieses Buches vorab der Veröffentlichung.
Unfassbar reich, unglaublich mächtig - und sie füllen die Titelseiten der Boulevardpresse. Nikki Besson weiß nur zu gut, wie die Welt der de-Vincent-Brüder aussieht. Denn als Tochter der Haushälterin ist sie gemeinsam mit ihnen aufgewachsen. Aber nie hätte sie gedacht, dass sie einmal auf das Anwesen in Louisiana zurückkehren würde, um selbst für diesen skandalumwitterten Clan zu arbeiten. Dorthin, wo sie sich in Gabriel verliebt hat - den sie seit der verhängnisvollen Nacht von damals nie wiedersehen wollte …
Es hat sich nichts verändert - ich liebe Jennifer L. Armentrout nach wie vor, bin höchstwahrscheinlich voreingenommen deshalb und habe auch im zweiten Teil der de Vincent-Reihe auf Vampire oder andere übernatürliche Wesen gewartet. Und nichts passierte. Aber dafür war der zweite Band noch besser als der erste und ich wurde praktisch in die Geschichte hineingesogen mit Nikki als einer meiner neuen Lieblingscharaktere der Autorin.
Auch in Brennender als Sehnsucht geht es sehr mystisch und dunkel zu, aber irgendwie hat es mir die Reihe angetan, auch wenn ich diesem Sub-Genre für gewöhnlich nichts abgewinnen kann. Ich schätze, es liegt an Jennifer. Sie vermittelt dem Leser ein ganz klares Bild ihrer Geschichten, entführt sie in ihre Welt und erschafft eine ganz eigene rundum die Charaktere, die wirklich jedes Mal gelingt - zumindest bisher. Das Setting - New Orleans - passt einfach hervorragend zu der Stimmung der Story um die drei de Vincent Brüder. Der Leser traut keinem von ihnen, verliebt sich aber dennoch in jeden einzelnen. Irgendwie gruselig.
Ich dachte, Lucian könnte nicht vom Thron gestoßen werden, aber da habe ich mich wohl geirrt, denn Gabe ist wunderbar. Klar, er ist ein typischer Frauenheld, aber doch ist er "der Gute", wie ihn alle nennen. Das glaubt man sofort. Ihm kauft man Verbrechen noch am wenigsten ab und denkt, das hätte er nicht im Blut. Aber wie er diejenigen beschützt, die er liebt, was er hat durchmachen müssen. Ach, sei still, mein Leserherz. Die Chemie zwischen ihm und Nikki stimmte bereits von Anfang an. Eigentlich sind Second-Chance-Romances überhaupt nicht meins. Ich mache für gewöhnlich einen großen Bogen um sie, aber so recht trifft diese Kategorie auch nicht auf die beiden zu, würde ich sagen. Sie haben definitiv eine Verbindung, aber seit Nikkis jugendlicher Schwärmerei für Gabe sind vier Jahre vergangen und alles, was nun passiert, lässt das Leserherz höher schlagen.
Der Fluch der Familie wird auch im zweiten Band des Häufigeren erwähnt und es geschehen so einige Vorkommnisse, bei denen dem Leser das Herz bis zum Hals schlägt, einen ein gruseliger Schauer durchfährt. Eine sehr gute Spannung, die Jennifer L. Armentrout da aufgebaut hat. Auch diese psychologischen Punkte sind sehr interessant zu lesen, denn ja, irgendwie scheint es immer Personen im Umfeld der de Vincents zu geben, die wahnsinnig werden. Aber wie Mischung auch leichtem Thriller und Romantik gelingt der Autorin wahnsinnig gut. Man sollte meinen, es fällt ihr unglaublich leicht, die Geschichten zu tippen, weil sie so gut durchdacht wirken, niemals verkrampft. Denn im Gegensatz zu Größer als Verlangen wirkte in diesem Teil auch nichts unnötig ins Endlose gezogen. Die Geschichte ging zügig voran und das trotz ihres Umfangs, aber das Tempo stimmte perfekt.
Tatsächlich würde ich vielleicht soweit gehen, zu sagen, Brennender als Sehnsucht könnte glatt zu meinem Lieblingssroman der Autorin werden. Es stimmte so viel - das Paar, das Setting, ihre Vorgeschichte, der Lauf der Dinge und ihre eigenen Gedanken und Probleme. Gut, zum Schluss wurde es etwas brutal, aber das verlieh Nikki direkt wieder Stärke, zeigte den Kontrast zwischen dem Prolog - ihrem Teenager-Ich - und ihres heutigen Charakters. Der Leser erlebte, wie sie wuchs und das ungeschuldet von Gabe. Oh, ich kann es kaum abwarten, den dritten Teil zu lesen - die Geschichte zu Devlin, der mürrischste der drei Brüder, aber gerade deswegen auch so interessant. Leider erscheint dieser erst im September, doch ich weiß, dass das Finale sicherlich das Warten wert sein wird.
Title: All the Worlds Between Us (All the Worlds Between Us #01)
Author: Morgan Lee Miller
Rating: 3/5
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books, Inc. and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Seventeen-year-old Quinn Hughes needs to be in top shape if she wants to medal at the swimming World Championships in ten months. This means no easy distractions, no matter how pretty they are. She’s still piecing her confidence back together after not qualifying for the Olympics, her relationship with her twin brother is getting worse the more he hangs out with the popular kids, and then Kennedy Reed suddenly squeezes herself back into Quinn’s life. The girl who was her best friend. The girl who gave Quinn her first kiss. The girl who hasn’t spoken to her since. Soon, Quinn finds herself juggling her new girlfriend, training for the biggest competition of her life, and discovering she’s not the only Hughes twin with a crush on Kennedy Reed. All these distractions are getting to her, and if she wants that medal she needs to find a way to stop drowning on dry land.
I'm not much of a sports featuring romance novel fan, let alone swimming as the main topic. What made me curious about the book was actually the cover. It screamed indie to me and I longed to read some great indie book again. And the writing seemed so very different from the mainstream novels there are out there, but I didn't get to fully enjoy the book as much as I hoped I would.
LGBTQIA is a huge thing in young adult novels these days. It's a huge thing in our daily life and I'm glad there's an increasement of this topic being featured in young adult and new adult novels, it's super important and shouldn't be considered as something else - it should be a given to talk about sexuality in teenage romance novels. But somehow, it's still considered special. Books concerning gay teens are still super hyped and though I'm kind of glad for it, it's for the wrong reasons. Because you still need to look at the story, at the plot, at the writing, at the characters and everything else. Just because gay teens are involved, doesn't mean the book is a masterpiece. And surely, All the Worlds Between Us was good, but it didn't fully convince me, sadly.
I'm probably taking my anger out on the author, that's not fair. I'm not even sure what I'm angry about. I can't put my finger to it. So let's point out the positive things - Quinn is anything but a clichee. She's very self-confident, but there's still some uncertainty to her character. She's still getting to know herself, even though she has experienced some relationships with girls yet. But when it comes to Kennedy, there's shyness. Probably because the two of them used to be best friends before Kennedy moved away. There's this kind of intimacy between them - apart from the sexual tension. They just know each other so well. But things have changed and Kennedy has become someone Quinn doesn't recognize anymore. That is before she finds herself crushing on her.
It was exciting to follow Kennedy's path of coming out. Quinn has been there, her friends have been there, but since Kennedy still isn't sure about her feelings, the reader gets sucked into her world more than in Quinn's, I found so, and cheers her on to come out, to just stand up to her friends and shout it out. And I think what's best is that she'd doing this for herself. Not for Quinn. That wouldn't have been the right reason. Ugh, I actually hated Quinn a bit for forcing her secret girlfriend to finally come out. Sure, she had been patient long enough, but some things she said to Kennedy just weren't fair. On the other hand, I wanted Kennedy to ditch that bitchy friend of her as well.
But what about that Liam (Quinn's brother) story? I didn't get that at all. It seemed like the author wanted to add more drama. It came out of nowhere and made no sense to me. Especially since Liam had seemed interested in Kennedy after what the reader found out. It was confusing as hell and didn't add up to the story. I would have liked to skip that part, but also, if this hadn't been involved, Quinn would have easily forgiven Kennedy and well... The book would have ended.
Again, I like how fierce all of the characters in All the Worlds Between Us were. No matter if it was Quinn or Kennedy or even just their friends who made a short appearance. I liked that. And I also really liked the ending, because it seemed so real, so true. My heart felt heavy and light at the same time. This was like a telling, not just a thought-up-story.
Anyway, the sport took up a great place in Quinn's life and in the book, too. She put that above everything else, but I liked to see things beginning to shift at a certain point in her life, because that's what teenagers do - they start questioning things, questioning intentions. So maybe all my hard words in the beginning of this review were too harsh. I didn't mean to take it out on the book or the author. But I won't delete them either, because I still long for this natural, uncomplicated LGBTQIA novel. All the Worlds Between Us was good, I'm not doubting that. I just expected something different, maybe.
Title: Kickin' It (Red Card #02)
Author: Rachel van Dyken
Rating: 4/5
Thanks to Skyscape and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Successful, high-profile sports agent Matt Kingston thinks he can handle anything. Then soccer player Parker Speedman shows up at his door. She is young and gorgeous, has natural talent, and is looking for a team. She’s also a hothead with a punchy past who floored her last coach on live TV. Despite his misgivings, Matt agrees to be both her agent and her coach. Professional common sense says she’s off-limits. But what can he say about the raw attraction between them?
Parker plays soccer with her heart and soul. But after the events of the last year, she’s shaken. She’s already seen what a powerful man can do to a female athlete’s career. And her beloved dream is in the hands of a sexy, gorgeous man with the uncanny ability to slip past her defenses…and into her heart.
Now Matt and Parker are about to learn that when it comes to love, the only way to win is by breaking every rule they know. And by playing nice. Real nice.
Whenever I finish a book by Rachel van Dyken, I'm convinced that one is my new favourite by her. Needlessly to say all of her books are practically flawless, which also makes it hard to choose a favourite. Luckily, I don't have to. I can just be happy about another masterpiece written by her. So much love for that woman!
As mentioned in my Risky Play review, as a German girl I'm a big fan of soccer. Yay for including that sport in the Red Card series. Women and soccer on the other hand... I know we're living in the 21st century, it shouldn't even be discussed, but watching women's soccer... It's not for me. And that means a lot coming from a woman myself. Anyway... I think it's still important to send a message out there - you can do any sport you want, girl or boy, and that's why I still rooted for Parker, the main character.
She's such a strong character, her story being so special. I'm glad Rachel decided to pick up this important topic, what Parker had to go through. Things like this have to be addressed. Unfortunately, lots of things still aren't addressed in today's sports society. Hopefully one day. It needs one person to speak up, to make people think, speakup as well and start a discussion, getting closure, too. This book is also about gaining confidence. And what's super important, I think, is that this confidence comes from deep inside of Parker and not because of anybody else. She doesn't depend on anyone. Sure, there's support, but that's different.
Yes, Kickin' It - which can be read as a standalone - is very serious at times. But those who enjoy Rachel's books because of her humor don't have to fear of missing out. The balance between serious and funny and also romantic is just right. Having read as many Rachel van Dyken books as I have, you will find (many) similarities to other books created by her. It seems there's always a grandmother involved, no matter what. And though I would probably critize this, I come to think of it as Rachel's thing now. Just certain involved details seen as a trademark - typically van Dyken. And those details contribute making me feel like coming home while reading her stories. There's that special vibe to it.
And that special romance, too. Favourite couple by the author? I could never decide either. Although Parker and Matt's chemistry will probably take up a big spot in my heart. The two of them felt right, starting at the very beginning. And Matt might also be one of my favourite male characters. He's so tough, but so very charming and that support... I melted away.
Not sure if Rachel had this in mind while writing, but girls can learn so much from this story (as mentioned above) - also that you should never settle for someone who doesn't support you, someone who easily lets you down without looking back. Parker knew she was worth so much more (though her past had her insecure) and that message should be sent out to every single woman out there!
There's so much strength floating in Kickin' It, so much greatness, so many funny moments, just the expected flirty scenes in Rachel van Dyken style, the friendship goals scenes and everything fans by the author love.
Titel: Du bist der Liebe nicht egal
Originaltitel: Listen To Your Heart
Autorin: Kasie West
Bewertung: 4/5
Danke an HarperCollins Germany und NetGalley für das digitale Rezensionsexemplar dieses Buches.
Mit anderen Menschen zu sprechen, zählt nicht zu Kates Lieblingsbeschäftigungen. Daher ist sie auch nicht begeistert, dass sie die Podcast-Sendung in ihrer Highschool moderieren soll. Plötzlich sitzt sie hinter dem Mikrofon und gibt anderen Ratschläge. Überraschenderweise ist sie sehr gut darin, anderen bei ihren Problemen zu helfen. Doch als »Mr. Looking for Love« sich in der Show meldet und nach Tipps in Herzensdingen fragt, wird es kompliziert. Denn auf einmal steckt Kate mittendrin im Liebeschaos und merkt, wie schwer es ist, die eigenen Ratschläge zu befolgen und vor allem, auf sein Herz zu hören.
Mit Kasie West ist die Sache die, dass ich sie sehr gerne habe. Ihre Bücher sind genau die richtige Wahl, wenn man nach etwas Leichtem sucht, etwas das einen in eine leichte Sommerstimmung bringt mit dem richtigen Hauch von Romantik und Teenage-Drama. Doch nachdem mich ihr Roman 5000 Gründe, warum ich dich liebe etwas enttäuscht hatte, war ich mir nicht sicher, wie es sich mit Du bist der Liebe nicht egal verhalten würde. Weshalb ich so lange gebraucht habe, um über meinen Schatten zu springen und das Werk (ihr zehnter Roman) endlich anzufangen. Zu meiner Erleichterung habe ich mich schnell eingefunden und die Vertrautheit zu ihren anderen Jugendromanen gefunden. Dasselbe Gefühl stellte sich bei mir an und ich genoss die Geschichte wirklich sehr und das durchgehend.
Auch wenn ich selbst eine Podcast-Hörerin bin, fand ich das Kunstrukt um die Idee sehr schön ausgebaut, auch was die ganze Detailarbeit im Hintergrund anging. Die Autorin hat sich wirklich Mühe gegeben, möglichst viele Arbeitsschritte bis zu einer fertigen Episode zusammenzusammeln und darzustellen. Sicherlich, die Protagonistin Kate steht mit ihrer Moderation im Vordergrund, aber durch ihre beste Freundin und den Podcast-Kurs an sich, wird viel beleuchtet. Durchaus interessant. Zumal ich zu Beginn befürchtete, es würde sich viel um Kate Naturliebe drehen und ihrer Liebe zum See des Ortes, in dem sie wohnt. Damit hätte ich mich nicht wirklich identifizieren können bzw. hätte mich dieses Thema als Hauptaspekt nicht angesprochen.
In praktisch allen Romanen von Kasie West spielt die Familie der Protagonistin eine große Rolle. Und ich finde es zur Abwechslung im Gegensatz zu anderen Büchern des Genres sehr schön, dass sich hierbei nicht unbedingt auf fehlende Kommunikation zwischen Kindern und Eltern konzentriert wird. Es geht doch eigentlich immer eher harmonisch zu und die Eltern unterstützen die Protagonistinnen. Auch diese Aussage empfinde ich im Jugendbuch-Genre als wichtig und viel zu wenig untergebracht. Dafür liegt der Fokus stattdessen auf typischen Teenager-Schwierigkeiten, die niemals überspitzt dargestellt werden, sondern eben so, dass sich der Leser in die Hauptperson hineinversetzen kann. So auch bei Kate. Sie war mir ein sehr sympathischer Charakter und auch ihre Ängste rund um den Bootsverleih - ihr bisheriges Lebensziel, diesen einmal von ihren Eltern zu übernehmen - war so beschrieben, dass ich ihre Angst und ihre Wünsche teilte.
Ich fand es etwas schade, dass wir als Leser bereits von Anfang an wussten, um wen es sich bei "Mr. Looking for Love" handelt; zumal ich immer noch gedacht habe, vielleicht irrt sich Kate und es ist doch jemand anderes. Aber an und für sich ist die gesamte Idee mit ihrem Schwarm gut umgesetzt. Wobei ich von ihrer zweiten Option auch nicht abgeneigt gewesen wäre, doch hierfür standen die Chancen nicht besonders gut und es war ohnehin abzusehen, wie diese Seite der Geschichte ausgeht. Alles sehr herzerwärmend, um es zusammenzufassen.
Ebenfalls spielt Mobbing in diesem Roman eine Rolle - eine kleine, aber trotzdem ein sehr wichtiges Thema, das mich sehr beeindruckt hat von der Umsetzung her. Als Leser weiß bzw. ahnt man direkt, um wen es sich handelt. Die Person, die gemobbt wird, wendet sich an Kate und Victoria (die zweite Moderatorin des Podcats) und bittet die beiden um Rat. Nach einigen anderen Beobachtungen mutiert der Leser zum Detektiv und möchte, dass Kate ebenfalls begreift, wer die betroffene Person ist, damit sie ihr helfen kann. Erwartet bitte nicht, dass dieses Thema einen Großteil ausmacht - das tut es nicht. Und es wird auch nicht sehr brutal oder lebensbedrohlich beschrieben, aber ich drücke Kasie West meine Anerkennung aus, auch diesen Aspekt des Teenagerlebens eingebracht zu haben.
Weiteres? Ehrlich gesagt würde ich mich nur wiederholen und viel fällt mir auch gar nicht ein. Ich habe das Buch sehr genossen, fand es mit eines der besten Romane von Kasie West und lege es jedem, der dem Jugendbuch-Genre so verfallen ist wie ich, wärmstens ans Herz.
Title: Ask Me Anything
Author: Molly E. Lee
Rating: 3.5 - 4/5
Thanks to Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book.
I should’ve kept my mouth shut.
But Wilmont Academy’s been living in the Dark Ages when it comes to sex ed, and someone had to take matters into her own hands. Well, I’m a kickass coder, so I created a totally anonymous, totally untraceable blog where teens can come to get real, honest, nothing-is-off-limits sex advice.
And holy hell, the site went viral overnight. Who knew this school was so hard up.
Now the school administration is on a war path to shut me down, and they have Dean—my coding crush—hot on my trail. If he discovers my secret, I could lose his trust forever. And thousands of teens who need real advice won’t have anyone to turn to.
Ask me anything…except how to make things right.
I've read so many great things about this book and every review made me feel bad for putting mine on hold, trying to gather my thoughts around it in order to write something that actually means something. Empowerment? Check. Great topic? Check. Nerdy? Check. And yet... I totally understand this book being hyped. And it totally deserves it, too. It's just that I missed the certain spark. And I'm only talking about me here. I can see why other people loved it so much. I did too. Ask Me Anything is fabulous and so unlike any other young adult novel.
These days, people think that speaking up about sex-ed and everything involved in it is given. That's why I think this book is so important, because surely, there are schools and people that would like to just close the door on teens. They aren't informed about what they would like to know. Just because you don't talk about sex with teens, doesn't mean they won't have it. And I loved that message in the book, too. Because it's true. The less attention you give to such an important topic, the more likely it is teens will just try, know nothing about protection and end up in a bad situation. Why be so closed off? Why not just talk about it?
As I'm writing this, I realize how hard it is to actually review Ask Me Anything. There will always be people disagreeing with sexual education and there will be tons of discussions about it. Though we're living in the twenty-first century, this is still something we have to address, to fight for as well. Fighting for a healthy sex education system? Definitely. The principal of Amber's school will probably remain one of my least favourite characters in the history and sure, his point of view on sex-related things was way over the top, but I can totally imagine this happening at schools - no matter where in the world. And we can't have that.
So Amber took matters into her own hands, starting a blog, answering sex-related questions. As a virgin. Yes, there's a teenage virgin as main character. And I think the author actually thought something when she created her, which is why I'll decline to comment on that. Talk about empowerment. Amber wants to make a change and she does. Only nobody knows the girl pulling the strings of the blog is her. The questions she was asked... Seriously, teens should read Ask Me Anything. The questions are so good, the emotions so well-captured and it's so exciting to read along. The author gave teens a voice, you never once get the impression those questions were formed by an adult author who has no idea what teenagers are thinking about.
The only thing bothering me was that often used hacker language. The actual reason why Amber even created her blog is because she had a challenge going on with her crush Dean. Both of them are computer nerds, hacking and programming the hell out of everything. And while I liked Dean, liked his point of view (very solid!), I clicked off whenever the two of them talked about codes, about the different programmes you could use and all that stuff. I wonder if the author herself knows so much about it or if she had to do research. Just out of curiousity. Anyway... The way things develope between the two of them is great. I liked the chemistry and I adored them. Especially their first date. As I'm looking back, I find more and more things that I enjoyed very much.
Ask Me Anything isn't meant to teach teenagers things, I think. It's to make people think about stuff, find out what informations are being kept from them, learning about oneself, trusting oneself, knowing when to speak up, inspiring someone. It's about so many things, addresses so many things (not only the sexual education part). I support the meaning of this book and I hope it'll spread the word.
