Review: The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

The Summer After You and Me by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Series: Standalone
Published: May 1st, 2015
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
320 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary young adult
Acquired this book: Via NetGalley in exchange for honest consideration
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

Sunbathing, surfing, eating funnel cake on the boardwalk—Lucy loves living on the Jersey Shore. For her, it's not just the perfect summer escape, it is home. And as a local girl, she knows not to get attached to the tourists. They breeze in over Memorial Day weekend, crowding the shore and stealing moonlit kisses, only to pack up their beach umbrellas and empty promises on Labor Day. Lucy wants more from love than a fleeting romance, even if that means keeping her distance from her summertime neighbor and crush, Connor.

Then Superstorm Sandy tears apart her barrier island, briefly bringing together a local girl like herself and a vacationer like Connor. Except nothing is the same in the wake of the storm. And day after day, week after week, Lucy is left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and broken home. Now with Memorial Day approaching and Connor returning, will it be a summer of fresh starts or second chances?

The Summer After You and Me is a light, summery read. It doesn’t deal with anything too heavy, which is nice since a lot of the YA books I’ve read lately are "issue books" and leave me feeling emotionally spent. This was nice to sit and relax with and pretend I was on the beach with the main character, Lucy. 

Lucy was a very passionate girl. She wanted to be a marine mammalogist, and she was clearly focused and driven about her chosen area of interest. She volunteered for ReClam Our Waters and other local groups, and was doing her junior thesis on the mating rituals of sea life. A snippet from her thesis started off each chapter, which was fun and interesting, and I learned a lot (in fact, I kept texting a friend different facts I found interesting that I thought she’d enjoy too). I liked Lucy, but she was all over the place. She was obviously really smart, but she did some pretty dumb things. However...even when I was shaking my head and rolling my eyes, I was able to reason that I couldn’t really fault her, because she was only (almost) seventeen, and that’s not an easy time. Hormones and emotions are raging, and you could definitely see that in Lucy’s sometimes wishy-washy, impulsive behaviour. Her friends and jerk-face brother didn’t help matters and were sometimes over the top dramatic and just plain mean. Despite being able to understand Lucy’s behaviour in a way, it did annoy me at times. If she’d just talked to people instead of waiting for them to talk to her (“Why didn’t he call?” “Why didn’t she text?” Umm...your phone works both ways), a lot of her problems would have been solved. This theme started at the very beginning of the book and continued right through the end, with almost every person she was associated with.

It was interesting to see a different side of New Jersey. Most books, movies, and TV shows portray Jersey in a not-so-flattering light and it’s easy to form a certain idea of it being a less than desirable place to live or visit. I liked how much Lucy loved where she lived and talked about how great it was. She wanted to stay there and wasn’t anxious to get out and put distance between herself and her home. I was able to picture it all clearly, from her house to her work to the beach she went to. I haven’t read any books set in a place that was hit by Superstorm Sandy, so it was interesting to see some of the aftermath, both to the place itself and to the people.

Overall, I mostly enjoyed The Summer After You and Me. It was a bit choppy, and it seemed formulaic in some ways, but there were things - Lucy’s interests and hobbies namely - that made it different from other books. There’s quite a bit of drama, and I think that affected my feelings toward the story, probably because I’m older and past all that and can see how easily a lot of the situations could have been rectified. In that case, I’d recommend this to a younger audience who might relate more to the situations. If you’re looking for a sweet, light summer read, you might want to check out The Summer After You and Me.  

Have you read The Summer After You and Me? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? What are some of your favourite beach reads? Have you read anything set post-Superstorm Sandy? Let's talk here or on Twitter!

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Review: The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jessica Verdi

The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jessica Verdi

Series: Standalone

Published: April 1st, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

352 pages (eARC)

Genre: Contemporary young adult/LGBT

Acquired this book: From the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Book Depository || Chapters/Indigo}

{Read my review of My Life After Now}

Ever since her mom found out she was in love with a girl, seventeen-year-old Lexi’s afraid that what’s left of her family is going to fall apart for good.

You are on the road to truth. Help is on the way.

The road signs leading to New Horizons summer camp promise a new life for Lexi—she swears she can change. She can learn to like boys. But denying her feelings is harder than she thinks. And when she falls heads over heels for one of her fellow campers, Lexi will have to risk her mother’s approval for the one person who might love her no matter what.

 

I want to start out by saying I have so much respect for Jessica Verdi. She’s not afraid to push boundaries and write stories that are bold, brave, and different. When I read her debut novel, My Life After Now, I thought ‘the world needs a book like this’ and I feel the same way after reading The Summer I Wasn’t Me. I can’t wait to see what Ms Verdi comes up with next.

After Lexi’s dad dies, her mother falls apart. Things become worse when she finds out Lexi is gay. Hoping to make her mother happy again, Lexi agrees to go to New Horizons - a camp that teaches young people how to beat the ‘sickness’ of homosexuality. *insert initial ragey-ness here*

The whole idea of ‘de-gayifying’, and homosexuality being something you can 'overcome' made me so angry. I spent a good portion of the book with my mouth hanging open in shock and horror at the things that went on at New Horizons. The teens were told that a trauma in their lives caused them to be gay, and the camp focused on the importance of gender roles - girls wearing pink, boys wearing blue, girls being able to cook and clean, and boys being able to play sports and fix things. The idea of homosexuality being a ‘sin’ is nothing new, but these people took it to a whole new level, and it made me both sick and sad, because even though the book is fiction, places like this do exist, and a lot of churches/religious people do hammer those points home.

I really liked Lexi. She wasn’t afraid to be her own person, and she pretty much knew what she wanted from life. I admired her desire to make her mother happy, even though it would have meant changing who she was, living a lie, and possibly never being truly happy herself. She was mature and selfless for someone so young, and she came across as genuine and believable. Lexi’s group at camp consisted of Carolyn, Matthew, and Daniel. They were all well fleshed out, and each of them had something to teach Lexi. I especially loved Matthew - he was funny and caring and not afraid to be himself.

The romance in this book is so sweet. I love the way the characters bonded and grew a friendship that slowly turned into more. The ‘forbidden love’ aspect worked really well because of the situation the characters were in, and it made their interactions all the sweeter, while sometimes having that sexy exciting feeling of doing something you know you’re not supposed to be doing.

The Summer I Wasn’t Me made me feel so much. I spent quite a bit of the book being angry because of the situation Lexi was in, but it made me connect with her and the story even more. There were moments of humour and sweetness to balance the parts that were rage-inducing, heartbreaking, and sickening. This book is powerful and emotional. It’s a must read whether you’ve struggled with who you are or you’re completely comfortable with yourself. It’s full of beautiful messages about acceptance, friendship, and love.  

 

 

Have you read The Summer I Wasn't Me? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you ever done something you really didn't want to/didn't feel quite right about to make someone else happy? Do you read LGBT fiction?

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Review: 16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler

16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler

Series: Standalone

Published: March 4th, 2014

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

304 pages (eARC)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: From the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Book Depository || Chapters/Indigo}

Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.

I’ll be honest: I wasn’t expecting to love 16 Things I Thought Were True. It sounded really good, and I’ve heard great things about Janet Gurtler’s books, but I thought it would be something cute and fun to break up the feels-heavy books I’ve been reading lately, along with several books that have left me with a ‘meh’ feeling. And while it was cute and fun, it also packed an emotional punch I wasn’t expecting.

Morgan was a very complex character. She was raised by a single mother who smoked and drank too much, she had two older brothers who were clearly her mother’s favourites, and she had no idea who her dad was. Her mother always refused to talk about him or even give Morgan a hint if he was dead or alive…until she had a heart attack and her guilty conscience forced her to tell Morgan who her father was and where she could find him. Meanwhile, Morgan had been completely ostracized at school and work because of a video her ex-best friend posted of Morgan dancing in boys' underwear. She did her best to hide out, lie low, and not draw attention to herself. In her mind, the only friends she needed were the ones she’d made online.

Enter Amy and Adam. I loved these characters - and Morgan - so much. At first I didn’t think I was going to like Amy; she talked non-stop and said every little thing that came to her mind. I thought she would be obnoxious and annoying, but I ended up loving her. Her blunt honesty was refreshing, and she had this innocence about her that made me just want to wrap my arms around her and squeeze her. Adam was one of those boys who was perfectly imperfect. He was a jerk at work because he needed to be, otherwise people wouldn’t respect him as their boss since they were all the same age. But underneath that, he was sweet and caring, and so good to and for Morgan.

The interactions between Morgan, Amy, and Adam were absolutely hilarious. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much while reading a book. Their conversations were ridiculous and realistic and made me wish I were friends with them. The road trip was definitely my favourite part of the book. Even though it wasn’t the main focus of the story, it had all the elements of a great road trip - food, music, laughter, crazy situations, and meaningful moments. And, like any good road trip book, the characters learned a lot - about themselves and about each other.

The life lessons Morgan learned through the course of the book weren’t always easy. Some of them were painful, and many of them changed her life. I wasn’t expecting to form such a strong connection with the characters, but I did. I felt their triumphs and failures. I laughed with them and cried with (and for) them. These characters and their story will stick with me for a really long time.

Quite simply, 16 Things I Thought Were True was amazing. I ran through the gamut of emotions with this book. I laughed as hard as I cried, and I came away with a smile on my face, despite the tears I shed (and there were a lot of them). This book is a must read for fans of contemporary young adult, road trip books, books that have strong messages of friendship and love, and…well, really just anyone. I know I’ll be recommending this one to just about everyone I know. 

 

 

Have you read 16 Things I Thought Were True? What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you plan to? Have you read any of Janet Gurtler's other books? Are you a big hashtag user on Twitter?

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Review: My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

Series: Standalone

Published: April 2nd, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

287 pages (e-ARC)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: From the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Book Depository || Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it's all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.

And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?

Now her life is completely different...every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.

My Life After Now is a very emotional, authentic look at the life of a teenage girl who seemed to have it all but who made one mistake that changed her life forever. I’ve never read any novels about HIV, and I was curious to see how the author would handle such a serious subject. I think it was brave of Verdi to write this book - HIV is something that doesn’t get talked about enough, and My Life After Now explores it in an honest way that doesn’t sugarcoat things.

This book was a great contemporary read while also being an eye-opener about a very real, very scary subject. Lucy was an average girl - a good student and a talented actress who had great friends, a wonderful family, and a boyfriend. She had a well-balanced life and the only thing that set her apart was the fact she had two dads (which I loved, by the way - Verdi clearly wasn’t afraid to go all out and be different). Lucy’s safe little world was set off-kilter with the arrival of her birth mother, who had been in and out of her life a few other times, and had done nothing but leave Lucy feeling confused and hurt. Between that and other things that made Lucy feel like she was having the worst week ever, she needed an escape. That escape happened to be something a lot of people probably would have done, which made the book that much more real - it showed that one stupid choice, one seemingly harmless mistake can end up having serious, life-changing consequences.

I liked Lucy a lot. There were times I wanted to shake her for the way she acted, but I also understood her motives and her line of thinking. Nobody knows how they would react to life-altering news, and everybody deals with things differently. She didn’t necessarily handle it in the best ways, but she was scared and angry, plus she was only seventeen. Her attitude, actions, and reactions all felt very genuine to me, and I liked her even when I didn’t like what she was doing or how she was acting. What really got to me was the fact that she was sweet and smart with a bright future to look forward to - the exact type of person you would never think would end up sitting in a clinic being told she had HIV.

My Life After Now had all the elements of a great contemporary - strong, likeable heroine, a great cast of secondary characters, romance, and real life problems. Lucy’s best friends Max and Courtney were the type of friends anyone would be lucky to have, and her dads were loving and supportive. I enjoyed the different relationships and dynamics between the characters, and I liked the element of romance and that it wasn’t the main focus of the story.

It was clear that Verdi did her research for this book. Through the eyes of a scared teenage girl, we get to see everything from the types of tests involved when diagnosing HIV to the questions that would be asked by counselors and doctors to the steps required/suggested after diagnosis. I appreciated that the book was educational without ever being the least bit preachy. Sex education is obviously something that needs to be a bigger part of schools and home lessons because many people are still ignorant about STIs (when did they start being called that? I feel so old) and HIV/AIDS. I know that if I had a teenage daughter, I’d want her to read this book.

My Life After Now shed light on a serious subject in a way that was thought provoking, heartbreaking, and yet inspirational. It wasn’t always comfortable, but it was always honest and real. With elements of humour, romance, and personal triumph mixed in with the frightening reality of life with HIV, My Life After Now is a sparkling debut from Jessica Verdi that shouldn’t be missed. 

 Have you read My Life After Now? What did you think? How do you feel about books that deal with tough, real-life situations? What are some of your favourite 'issue' books?

 

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Stacking the Shelves - Book Haul - April 21st

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Hello beautiful book lovers! I'm back with another ebook edition of Stacking the Shelves. These are the ebooks I've received for review, bought, or won in the last few weeks. 

FOR REVIEW:

Dare You To by Katie McGarry {GoodReads}

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi {GoodReads}

The Truth About You & Me by Amanda Grace {GoodReads}

True by Erin McCarthy {GoodReads}

Winter Queen by Amber Argyle {GoodReads}

The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard {GoodReads}

Game. Set. Match. by Jennifer Iacopelli {GoodReads}

BOUGHT:

Waiting For You by Shey Stahl {GoodReads}

Crossing the Line by Katie McGarry {GoodReads}

The Boys of Summer by CJ Duggan {GoodReads}

Afterlife Academy by Jaimie Admans {GoodReads}

If You Stay by Courtney Cole {GoodReads}

Impossible by Komal Kant {GoodReads}

Unpredictable by Eileen Cook {GoodReads} - FREE this weekend on Kindle!

*As you can maybe tell, I have an obsession with collecting new adult books on sale...the thing is, most of these are for Kindle, and while I've had my Kindle for about 11 weeks now, I don't have WiFi and I haven't left the house much because of a back injury so I haven't been able to set up my Kindle...so I keep collecting all these books but haven't been able to read any of them!*

WON:

Falling for Hadie by Komal Kant {GoodReads}

From Mickey at I'm a Book Shark 

*A huge thank-you to Harlequin Teen, Sourcebooks Fire, Flux, Penguin, Amber Argyle, Laura Howard, Jennifer Iacopelli, and Mickey*

What books did you get this week? Tell me in the comments below or post a link to your Stacking the Shelves/Book Haul/In My Mailbox/Showcase Sunday, etc. Happy reading! <3

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Blog Tour Review + Giveaway: Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

 

Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on this tour for more reviews as well as guest posts, giveaways, and more!

Things I Can’t Forget by Miranda Kenneally 

Series: Hundred Oaks, book #3

Published: March 1st, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

320 pages (e-ARC)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: From the publisher as part of blog tour

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Buy this book: Book Depository || Amazon || Chapters/Indigo}

 

{Read my review of Catching Jordan || Read my review of Stealing Parker}

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker 

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Most of the people who have read Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker will likely agree that Miranda Kenneally is quickly becoming one of the queens of contemporary young adult. She’s got a knack for writing stories that touch you, make you laugh, make you fall in love, and make you think.

I’m not the first person to say this, but I was a little wary going into Things I Can’t Forget. There was quite a strong theme of religion in Stealing Parker, but it didn’t bother me because Parker was questioning her beliefs and the hypocrisy that often runs rampant in religion, which is something I can relate to. In Things I Can’t Forget, the religion aspect was a major part of the book, and that worried me.

I won’t lie - when I finished reading this book, I was a jumble of emotions and thoughts. The heavy religious themes made me slightly uncomfortable at times, but I also understood it in a way. Kate comes off as very judgmental, but this is how she grew up - religion for her was very black and white, and she believed what the Bible told her and what her ministers preached to her. For Kate, there was right and there was no wrong, and there was no in between.

I really liked Kate. Despite her faults and her zealous religious beliefs (that’s not a reason not to like someone, it’s just for the purposes of this book, it was hard to swallow at times), I thought she was a great character. She held onto her beliefs, no matter what - even when people called her a Jesus Freak at school, even when her faith was tested, and even when people found her hard to handle because they thought she was judgmental, she held onto her faith, and I admired and respected her for that. There were times it was hard to believe she was eighteen because she was so naïve and sheltered, but it was nice to see her changing, developing, and growing as a character. She realized that not everyone has the same beliefs, and while in the beginning that was a major point of contention for her when it came to making friends, she slowly begins to realize that her truth doesn’t have to be everyone else’s truth. We don’t all have to believe the same things, and I think that will resonate with people, even if it has nothing to do with religion.

I loved seeing Parker and Jordan again, and I’m glad Parker was a big part of the book, and that she had a role in Kate’s growth. I also liked Matt, and enjoyed his and Kate’s relationship. 

A big part of the reason I love Kenneally’s books is because they’re completely different. There are no cookie cutter stories for her. Kate’s struggles were very real, and although they were regular teenage struggles on one hand, they were completely different in many other ways, usually because of her strong beliefs. It’s not something you come across in many YA books. Kenneally has a way of writing characters you can connect to and feel for, even if they’re the complete opposite of you - there’s just something about her writing that makes you feel like you can relate to the characters.

I give Miranda Kenneally huge kudos for being such a brave author. She’s not afraid to take chances; I thought that when I read Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker, and after reading Things I Can’t Forget, I have even more respect for her. This book won’t be for everyone. There are people who will be turned off by the religious aspect (I very rarely read books with religious themes, but I made an exception because I love Miranda’s books so much), but that didn’t stop her from writing this book, and I really admire that. I like authors who are willing to take chances and maybe even force some readers to step outside their comfort zone. 

Things I Can’t Forget is about friendship, love, heartache, life lessons, and so much more. It packs an emotional punch while still managing to be fun and funny. I can’t wait to see what Miranda Kenneally comes up with next!

  Have you read Things I Can’t Forget? What did you think? Have you read the companion novels, Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker? Which is your favourite so far?

Be sure to enter for the amazing grand prize - a grab bag of Miranda’s favourite books! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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Book Review: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Series: Hundred Oaks High, Book #2 (companion to Catching Jordan - could technically be read as a standalone)

Published: October 1st, 2012

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

242 pages (paperback)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: Bought

Warning: May contain spoilers

Read my review of Catching Jordan

{GoodReads || Purchase this book: Book Depository || Amazon}

After her family's scandal rocks their conservative small town, 17-year-old Parker Shelton goes overboard trying to prove that she won't turn out like her mother: a lesbian. The all-star third-baseman quits the softball team, drops 20 pounds and starts making out with guys--a lot. But hitting on the hot new assistant baseball coach might be taking it a step too far...especially when he starts flirting back.

 

Stealing Parker had all the charm, humour, and originality of its companion, Catching Jordan. Miranda Kenneally has a knack for telling stories that are honest and real, and that evoke a wide array of emotions.  

I absolutely adored Parker. She was one of the most relatable, authentic characters I’ve come across, and at times, my heart absolutely broke for her. She thought that being a good Christian meant being perfect and never sinning. Then when she did something wrong she was wracked with guilt, even though most of the time it was just normal teenager stuff. She wanted so badly to be a good person, and she was, but all she could see was how the church and God would see her. I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and hug her tight and tell her everything was going to be okay.

I was aware of the religious aspect of this book going in, and I was worried it might affect my overall impression of the book. I’m not a religious person, and I tend to avoid books with religious themes, but after reading Catching Jordan, nothing would have stopped me from reading Stealing Parker. Parker’s Christianity is a big part of the book, but it was done in a way that didn’t bother me. Her letters to God, her questions, doubts, and anger were so achingly real it didn’t matter that I don’t have the same beliefs - I believed in her. I was angry at the hypocrisy around her, but thrilled and even proud when she learned to rise above it and realized that Christianity doesn’t have to be black and white, and it doesn’t have to be practiced in a strict, specific way. I give Kenneally huge kudos for taking a subject I normally stay away from and making it something that was enjoyable to read about.

Then there were the boys in the book - Parker’s best friend Drew, her rival-turned-friend Corndog aka Will, and Parker’s crush Brian, who also happens to be the new coach at school. I loved Parker’s interactions with all three guys - they were alternately hilarious, touching, maddening, sweet, and heartbreaking. I honestly couldn’t imagine how things were going to turn out, but I liked that. In the end, the romance didn’t come easy, it wasn’t insta-love, and I loved that Parker learned who she was and what it meant to be herself before she ended up with a boy.

Refreshingly original, bold, laugh-out-loud funny, sexy, and touching, with stand-out characters that won’t soon be forgotten, Stealing Parker has bumped Miranda Kenneally to the top of my ‘new favourite authors’ list. 

 Have you read Stealing Parker or Catching Jordan? What did you think?

How do you feel about books with religious themes?

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Book Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Series: Standalone

Published: December 1st, 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

252 pages (ebook)

Genre: Contemporary young adult

Acquired this book: Bought

Warning: May contain spoilers

{GoodReads || Purchase this book: Book Depository || Amazon}

ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?

Catching Jordan is unlike anything I’ve ever read - for that reason alone, it gets major bonus points. And Jordan isn’t your typical leading lady - she’s the captain of her school’s football team, a tomboy, and her best friends are all guys.

Jordan is strong, independent, and focused. She works hard and goes after what she wants. She has her flaws - she can be a bit short-sighted - but it makes her even more believable as a character. I think it’s those flaws and her secret insecurities that make her relatable since it’s likely that the majority of girls who read this book might not necessarily relate to her on the athlete/tomboy level.

One of the things I really love about Jordan is her progression as a character. She learned so much, not only about herself, but also about life in general. Growing up is hard and sometimes painful, and you don’t always get what you want or what you thought you wanted, but sometimes it’s because there’s something even better out there. Jordan overcame a lot of obstacles and never gave up, and I love that she was a tough, fierce character with a lot of heart.

Jordan’s friends are also amazing. Books with standout secondary characters are quickly becoming my favourites. This book has made that list - not only is Jordan a terrific, multi-dimensional character, we also get to know her best friend Henry, her other best friends/teammates JJ and Carter, her love interest Ty, a couple of newfound girl friends, as well as her family. I love that her mom is always there, but in a quiet, understated way - she’s the type of mom most people dream of having. Her dad is made out to be a bit of a villain at first, but as Jordan develops and grows, she sees that he always had her best interests at heart, even if he had a funny way of showing it.

Another fantastic element of this book is the humour. Jordan’s inner dialogue and her conversations with family and friends had me cracking up. Because Jordan isn’t your ‘typical girl’, it’s hard for her to do girly things - wear dresses, fix her hair and makeup, act ladylike, come to terms with having feelings for guys. There was a perfect mixture of humour and genuine relatable emotion. But despite being funny, the story had a surprising amount of depth too, and more than once I actually got teary-eyed.

And finally, I thought the romance was extremely well done. It’s not instalove and it’s definitely not easy - but it’s sweet and funny and different. It’s not all hearts and roses and sunshine, because Jordan’s not that type of girl. It kept me guessing, and also kept me grinning. 

If you’re looking for something that’s funny, cute, heartwarming, and real, with well-developed characters, a sweet romance, and a plot that’s different from the usual YA contemporary, Catching Jordan is a must read.

 Have you read Catching Jordan? What did you think?

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