ARC, 354 pages
Release Date: December 9, 2014Published by: Harper TeenStand-aloneSource: Around the World ARC ToursFor fans of: Romance, Contemporary, Chick-lit, Sparkly Covers, Diversity, GLBTQAmber Vaughn is a good girl. She sings solos at church, babysits her nephew after school, and spends every Friday night hanging out at her best friend Devon’s house. It’s only when Amber goes exploring in the woods near her home, singing camp songs with the hikers she meets on the Appalachian Trail, that she feels free—and when the bigger world feels just a little bit more in reach.
When Amber learns about an audition at the North Carolina School of the Arts, she decides that her dream—to sing on bigger stages—could also be her ticket to a new life. Devon’s older (and unavailable) brother, Will, helps Amber prepare for her one chance to try out for the hypercompetitive arts school. But the more time Will and Amber spend together, the more complicated their relationship becomes . . . and Amber starts to wonder if she’s such a good girl, after all.
Then, in an afternoon, the bottom drops out of her family’s world—and Amber is faced with an impossible choice between her promise as an artist and the people she loves. Amber always thought she knew what a good girl would do. But between “right” and “wrong,” there’s a whole world of possibilities.
*MY THOUGHTS*
When I first started reading this I was impressed. The writing was beautiful and to top it off, the cover was gorgeous too, Pair in music with those things, I KNEW I was going to love this one. Unfortunately, the more I read, the less impressed I was.
“‘I wonder if the faithful are meant to be so blind.“
pg 3
I don’t mean it was terrible, because it really wasn’t. The back of the book says it’s reminiscent of The Sky is Everywhere (which I really could see) and This Lullaby (which I haven’t read). The main character in this one was really a strange girl. She got herself into some really compromising and awkward situations. Like things that I don’t think would happen in real life. No one could be that crazy to do things like that. She was just kind of dumb in my opinion.
“‘It’s easy for lies to get buried when you’re surrounded by so much beauty.“
pg 57
I did like the writing though. It was so lyrical and beautiful, and the way she represented the music and Amber singing was beautiful. I really wish I could hear her singing voice. Hopefully there will be one on the audio book. But, even with how beautiful it was, there was some things I didn’t like.
“‘Dreaming is free.“
pg 77
This book was also full of diversity. It featured GLBTQ characters and characters that were part of the minority. That’s great and all, but this is what brought on the uncomfortable part. There’s a part in the story (at the very beginning mind you) where I almost DNF’d this because of one small statement, “red dot, not feather.” If you decide to read it, you will understand. It definitely put me in the mood to put it down, but I was already invested and wanted to see what would happen to Amber. Just putting that out there so no one else is as surprised as I was….
“‘Because come on. This is no place to fall. Once you’re down, you’ll never get up.“
pg 226
Then there was the romance I was not at all happy with who she picked. I say “picked,” not because it was a love triangle, but there was another guy. It was really weird the things she did for the other guy. I just didn’t connect to her and her guy at all. Maybe because I didn’t feel that it was real. In the story she basically says she feels this way only at a certain time…. So does she not like him when they’re not doing this together? I was a little confused.
“‘It’s hard to let go of everything I’m holding inside.“
pg 259
Overall, I did like this one, but some things did make this rating go a little lower than what I would typically give a contemp paired with music. Although the words were beautiful, some of her choice words were not. Then there was the super weird romance she had… It just all didn’t connect to me, but for the most part it was ok.
Overall, I give this
