Book Sketch: Coming Up for Air by Miranda Kenneally

COMING UP FOR AIR
By: Miranda Kenneally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: July 4, 2017
Series: None
Pages: 320
Genre: Contemporary
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Swim. Eat. Shower. School. Snack. Swim. Swim. Swim. Dinner. Homework. Bed. Repeat.

All of Maggie’s focus and free time is spent swimming. She’s not only striving to earn scholarships—she’s training to qualify for the Olympics. It helps that her best friend, Levi, is also on the team and cheers her on. But Levi’s already earned an Olympic tryout, so Maggie feels even more pressure to succeed. And it’s not until Maggie’s away on a college visit that she realizes how much of the “typical” high school experience she’s missed by being in the pool.

Not one to shy away from a challenge, Maggie decides to squeeze the most out of her senior year. First up? Making out with a guy. And Levi could be the perfect candidate. After all, they already spend a lot of time together. But as Maggie slowly starts to uncover new feelings for Levi, how much is she willing to sacrifice in the water to win at love?

First Thought After Finishing: I really love Miranda Kenneally’s books!

As a teenager and in my early adult years, I was never a huge sports person. I remember when Catching Jordan released, and I almost didn't read it because it was about football. But a friend told me how good it was, so I gave it a chance. Looking back now, I can't believe I almost missed the great stories of Hundred Oaks!

Maggie eats, sleeps, and breathes swimming. As a competitive swimmer hoping to make an Olympic trial, she has time for little else. Her best friends are also athletes, and though they take one night a week off, the rest of their time is spent training. But Maggie knows that high school is ending soon, and college life without her friends is getting closer and closer. She doesn’t want to be the only girl there with no experience. So she asks her friend and swimming teammate Levi to teach her how to hook up. It was supposed to be easy and fun. Her Olympic trial was supposed to fall into place. So what is she to do when feelings might make everything fall apart?


Maggie is one of those teens that even as an adult I admire. She knows what she wants, and she has the discipline to get there. It’s hard to have that level of focus and drive in high school, but Maggie has it. Only that means her social life has suffered quite a bit. I found myself relating to Maggie from the beginning. In high school, I spent all of my time doing homework and missed the whole social scene that other teens seem to have. I found myself living vicariously through Maggie. I wish I had been brave enough to ask what she did—or even to ask someone out. She took charge of what she wanted (and what she didn’t want), and I applauded her for doing so.


But this book has more than swimming and sex—there are relationships with friends, relationships with parents and teachers/coaches, and relationships with frenemies. I loved how this book showed all the different facets of life. Jordan (from Catching Jordan) plays an important role here, and it was fun to see her again and see the Hundred Oaks characters’ lives interwoven. And then there was Levi, Maggie’s friend-turned-teacher. He wasn’t perfect by any means, but the chemistry was undeniable. Finally, I loved how involved Maggie’s swimming coach and her parents were in her life. So many young adult books have absentee parents, and it was nice to see a different perspective here.

I have to admit that I'm not ready to say goodbye to this world. The way characters favorite characters have cameo roles and their lives intertwine made these novels something special. But I am looking forward to seeing what magic Miranda spins next!


Most Memorable Aspect: The life lessons that Maggie learns.

Teaser Tuesday (94)

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Books and a Beat. To participate:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I’m scared to put myself back out there again, but this is Ezra. The guy I’ve known forever. The friend I can talk to. The one I can trust?"


Taken from p. 119 of DEFENDING TAYLOR
by Miranda Kenneally
Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Book Sketch: Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally

DEFENDING TAYLOR
By: Miranda Kenneally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Series: None
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: There are no mistakes in love.

Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor's always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that's what is expected of a senator's daughter. But one impulsive decision-one lie to cover for her boyfriend-and Taylor's kicked out of private school. Everything she's worked so hard for is gone, and now she's starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor's escape from the pressures of school and family, but it's hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she's going through is her older brother's best friend, Ezra. Taylor's had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it's hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?



First Thought After Finishing: I’ve missed Miranda Kenneally’s books and her wonderfully relatable characters.

Sometimes you read a book that just fits your day or your current situation even when you weren’t expecting it. Defending Taylor happened to be just that. Miranda Kenneally’s books deal with issues that go beyond the high school setting or the sports field and speak to different phases of life.

Taylor is a senior in high school, captain of her soccer team, and Yale-bound. Her father, a US Senator from Tennessee, has tried to instill the best values in her and holds her to high standards. However, one major mistake lands Taylor expelled from her boarding school and attending Hundred Oaks High. She has to try and put her life back together if she wants to get into Yale, and she has to do it without her best friends and boyfriend, all while handling her family’s disappointment. As Taylor tries to get back on track, she begins to wonder if her father’s track is really the right one for her.

"What do I expect of myself? I have no clue. I’ve never felt so lost, but the more I think about it, I wonder if I’ve ever actually found myself to begin with. Maybe I’ve always been lost."

One of the reasons that I love YA books is that I enjoy the self-discovery stories. Taylor’s story was no exception. She’s courageous as she challenges the expectations from her family and herself. She learns that some things are beyond her control, there is such a thing as too little, too late, but sometimes we can only make the best of what we have. In the process of finding herself, she realizes that it’s okay to be passionate about what she wants and to try and make her own happiness. It’s a quality that I admire.

Another thing I love about Miranda’s books is that the characters are always more than they seem. And even when we don’t see a character very much, we still get to know them. For instance, Taylor’s love interest, Ezra, is a guy that we all hope to have. Like Taylor, he’s trying to make his own path, but there is more to his story than simple rebellion against his parents. I enjoyed watching the two of them develop a relationship that was meaningful. Taylor’s soccer friends and family also play a role in the book. It was refreshing to see such a well-rounded picture of life, very real, encouraging, and sweet.

Most Memorable Aspect: Taylor’s morning conversations with Ezra. I love that they cared enough about each other to talk about hard things.

"Waiting on" Wenesday

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's selection is:

DEFENDING TAYLOR
By: Miranda Kennally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: July 7, 2016
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor’s always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that’s what is expected of a senator’s daughter. But one impulsive decision—one lie to cover for her boyfriend—and Taylor’s kicked out of private school. Everything she’s worked so hard for is gone, and now she’s starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor’s escape from the pressures of school and family, but it’s hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she’s going through is her older brother’s best friend, Ezra. Taylor’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it’s hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?



Why it's Wanted:
I've loved the other Miranda Kenneally books that I've read. She writes such gripping stories that need to be told, and I can't wait to read more from her.

#BIR2013: Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey and Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

ASHES ON THE WAVES
By: Mary Lindsey
Published By: Philomel
Release Date: June 27, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Liam MacGregor is cursed. Haunted by the wails of fantastical Bean Sidhes and labeled a demon by the villagers of Dòchas, Liam has accepted that things will never get better for him—until a wealthy heiress named Annabel Leighton arrives on the island and Liam’s fate is changed forever.

With Anna, Liam finally finds the happiness he has always been denied; but, the violent, mythical Otherworlders, who inhabit the island and the sea around it, have other plans. They make a wager on the couple’s love, testing its strength through a series of cruel obstacles. But the tragedies draw Liam and Anna even closer. Frustrated, the creatures put the couple through one last trial — and this time it’s not only their love that’s in danger of being destroyed.

Based on Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling poem Annabel Lee, Mary Lindsey creates a frighteningly beautiful gothic novel that glorifies the power of true love.

From the very first page I was transported to the mystical island where the love story of Liam and Anna unfolded. There were Poe quotes at the beginning of each chapter that set the stage and told the story in their own way, and out of them grew a wonderfully tragic narrative. The writing is both lyrical and vivid, and everything about the island came to life in a story that I didn't want to put down. Despite everything that happens, there is always an undertone of hope, reinforcing the idea that love never dies. I hated turning the final page, because even though I knew that the story was over, I still wanted more.




THINGS I CAN'T FORGET
By: Miranda Kenneally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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…

In this book, through Kate, Miranda Kenneally tackled the tougher issues about how to decide who you want to be - not just who, but what kind of person, questioning long-held beliefs, and the self-discovery that can only come when you're in a different environment from that in which you were raised. Kate's time at camp reminded me not only of my own summers spent at church camp as a child but also the first time I was away from home and surrounded by people with vastly different backgrounds from myself, and how I changed as a result. I enjoyed watching her journey and was glad to see her find something that worked for her. Of Miranda Kenneally's three books, Things I Can't Forget is a definite favorite.

"Does being in love mean forgetting everything you know? Or is it about folding that love into your life? Because right now, I have no idea how to balance that.

Love weighs a million pounds."

Be sure to check out the Best I've Read blog to find more amazing books featured this week!

Review: Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

THINGS I CAN'T FORGET
By: Miranda Kenneally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Series: Hundred Oaks (#3)
Pages: 320
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA Midwinter
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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…

Note: Mature themes, sexual situations, religious discussions.



I loved Miranda Kenneally's first book, Catching Jordan - I was pleasantly surprised to find that the story was about so much more than just football. She did the same in Stealing Parker. Because Things I Can't Forget isn't so focused on sports, everything else that Miranda does so well - friendships, romance, addressing aspects of teenage life other books shy away from - was allowed to take center stage and create a book that really resonated with me.

After a rough couple of months, Kate is looking forward to being a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, the same church camp she went to as a kid. Even though she wishes her best friend was still going to be a counselor with her, and despite the fact that her outdoor survival skills aren't necessarily strong, she's sure she can make it work. Legend has it that every year someone gets a sign from God at this camp, and this year Kate's hoping that it will be her. She never expected to see Matt again - Matt, the first boy she kissed back at this camp years ago. Once again Kate finds herself drawn to him...but how could Matt like someone who did what she did? Kate was expecting everyone at camp to be "good Christian people." But what she finds is that things aren't always black and white, and sometimes you just have to decide for yourself.

"Does being in love mean forgetting everything you know? Or is it about folding that love into your life? Because right now, I have no idea how to balance that.

Love weighs a million pounds."

I have to admit that this book really bothered me at first, just like Stealing Parker did, not because of the religion aspect, but because of how it was portrayed. Kate seemed so narrow-minded, and even though I knew that was the point and certainly her right to believe that way, I found the first few chapters very frustrating. Fortunately, the book changed quickly, becoming more than a book about religion or about summer love at camp. Instead, through Kate, Miranda Kenneally tackled the tougher issues about how to decide who you want to be - not just who, but what kind of person, questioning long-held beliefs, and the self-discovery that can only come when you're in a different environment from that in which you were raised. Kate's time at camp reminded me not only of my own summers spent at church camp as a child but also the first time I was away from home and surrounded by people with vastly different backgrounds from myself, and how I changed as a result. I enjoyed watching her journey and was glad to see her find something that worked for her. Throughout the book there are flashbacks related to whatever Kate is sketching at the moment; I loved how these scenes were incorporated, as they helped show Kate's development as a character.

With one big exception, I really enjoyed the other characters that showed up at Cumberland Creek camp. Parker and Will both played a big role in the book, and it was fun to see them again. Jordan shows up as well, and I enjoyed her talk with Kate. But mostly, there is Matt, the incredibly sweet Matt, who was the first boy Kate ever kissed and who just might want to kiss her again. Matt's a couple of years older, and like Kate, he has things in his past that he'd rather not talk about. But the two always seem so right together. And there is one scene between them that is a definite "awwww" moment. My one character complaint is Megan. I kept hoping that there would be a bigger reason behind her behavior, or some kind of realization and apology, but there was nothing. Perhaps that goes to show that some people don't change. But for everyone else, it's safe to say that the summer at Cumberland Creek takes them to a good place.

Of Miranda Kenneally's three books, Things I Can't Forget is a definite favorite (though it may be more suited to older teens than younger due to some of the situations). You can read it without having read the other two, but really, they are all worth reading. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Opening Lines (14)

Opening Lines is a new feature here on Portrait of a Book that showcases the first lines of recent and/or upcoming releases. If you're looking for your next read, let these first lines help you decide!



THINGS I CAN'T FORGET
By: Miranda Kenneally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

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…

"Girls like me do not buy pregnancy tests."


LET THE SKY FALL
By: Shannon Messenger
Published By: Simon Pulse
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

Franny's supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can't blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . .

A broken past and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in this “charged and romantic” (Becca Fitzpatrick), lush novel.

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

"I'm lucky to be alive."


UNREMEMBERED
By: Jessica Brody
Published By: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (BYR)
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.

Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.

Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.

Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

From popular young adult author Jessica Brody comes a compelling and suspenseful new sci-fi series, set in a world where science knows no boundaries, memories are manipulated, and true love can never be forgotten.

"Today is the only day I remember."


WHEN WE WAKE
By: Karen Healey
Published By: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon

My name is Tegan Oglietti, and on the last day of my first lifetime, I was so, so happy.

Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027--she's happiest when playing the guitar, she's falling in love for the first time, and she's joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice.

But on what should have been the best day of Tegan's life, she dies--and wakes up a hundred years in the future, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened.

Tegan is the first government guinea pig to be cryonically frozen and successfully revived, which makes her an instant celebrity--even though all she wants to do is try to rebuild some semblance of a normal life. But the future isn't all she hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better future?

Award-winning author Karen Healey has created a haunting, cautionary tale of an inspiring protagonist living in a not-so-distant future that could easily be our own.

"My name is Tegan Oglietti. One of my ancestors was a highway-man, and another was a prince."



Do any of these opening lines grab your attention? What are your favorite first lines that you've read lately?

Teaser Tuesday (72)

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Maybe the Chicksaw Tribe was right. Maybe this land is where heaven meets the earth.

The last things I draw before going to meet my campers are the laugh lines around Matt's eyes and mouth."


p. 81 (ARC) from THINGS I CAN'T FORGET by Miranda Kenneally
Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's selection is:

THINGS I CAN'T FORGET
By: Miranda Kenneally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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…



Why it's wanted:
I loved Miranda's first two books, Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker. I can't wait to see what's in store in this book!

Blog Tour: Dear Teen Me edited by E. Kristin Anderson and Miranda Kenneally

DEAR TEEN ME edited by E. Kristin Anderson and Miranda Kenneally

Dear Teen Me includes advice from over 70 YA authors (including Lauren Oliver, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Holder, to name a few) to their teenage selves. The letters cover a wide range of topics, including physical abuse, body issues, bullying, friendship, love, and enough insecurities to fill an auditorium. So pick a page, and find out which of your favorite authors had a really bad first kiss? Who found true love at 18? Who wishes he’d had more fun in high school instead of studying so hard? Some authors write diary entries, some write letters, and a few graphic novelists turn their stories into visual art. And whether you hang out with the theater kids, the band geeks, the bad boys, the loners, the class presidents, the delinquents, the jocks, or the nerds, you’ll find friends--and a lot of familiar faces--in the course of Dear Teen Me. (From Goodreads)

I'm very excited to be one of the stops on the blog tour for Dear Teen Me! Even though I'm no longer a teen, I have enjoyed reading the letters from all of these different authors. There were funny stories, moving stories, shocking stories, and through them all there were good messages for teens and adults alike.




~INTERVIEW~


I'm very excited to have Miranda Kenneally, one of the editors of Dear Teen Me, here today. She was kind enough to answer questions about Dear Teen Me and things about her life as a teen. Please take a few minutes to learn more about this author!

Dear Teen Me started as a blog and evolved into the book it is now. What was this process like?

When the co-creator (Emily Kristin Anderson) and I first started reaching out to potential contributors, the feedback was insane. We had over 70 people sign up within days. We had a six-month waiting list for the blog within a month. In the first month, we had hits on the blog from all fifty states and over 150 countries. The concept pretty much drove itself! When Emily met Hallie Warshaw, the owner of Zest Books, Hallie was very enthusiastic about the project. And within a few days, Hallie and my agent, Sara Megibow of Nelson Literary Agency, were on the phone trying to figure out if it could become a book.

So, to sum it all up, the idea of Dear Teen Me made the blog to book deal process nearly effortless, but actually putting the book together was INSANELY HARD.

What was it like to work as the editor rather than the author?

The best part of being an author is that I am in control of my work. With Dear Teen Me, I had to place my trust in other authors to complete their work. Luckily, all of the Dear Teen Me authors were fantastic to work with, and they made it easy. However, the amount of submissions and the paperwork made me pretty stressed out! I had to get up at like 4am every day to work in order to make my deadline on this book.

What surprised you the most while working on this project?

Joseph Bruchac, an American Indian YA author, sent us a teen picture of himself in a tight swimsuit looking all buff. My reaction was O_O

The picture made it onto the cover of the book!

What was the most rewarding thing about working on this project?

I get ideas everywhere. Nature, news, and life are full of intriguing things. In fact, it’s hard to go a day and not get some sort of a plot idea.

Believe it or not, it was actually working with my husband and my sister. My husband formatted all the pictures and autographs (each author's photo and signature is in the book) before we sent them to the publisher, and my sister helped us keep the paperwork straight. It was nice to have my family's support. I needed it!

What advice did your family give you then that you didn’t understand until you were an adult?

I can't answer this question. My family didn't give me advice. Gar.

Is there anything about your adult self that would shock your teen self?

Yes. In high school, I always felt down about myself and I let other people look down on me. Now, I'm very happy and successful, and if there's anything I would tell my teen self, it's Don't Let Other People Decide Who You Are. You Decide That. So what would shock my teen self is hearing from me that I was actually pretty cool.

Is there anything you would tell your teen self that isn’t in the letter?

Nope. Everything that happened when I was a teen made me who I am today, and I am very happy with how everything turned out.



Be sure to add Dear Teen Me to your reading lists - this is one unique book you will not want to miss!

To see more stops on the blog tour, with everything from interviews to videos to more Dear Teen Me letters, click here.

Review: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

STEALING PARKER
By: Miranda Kenneally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: Oct. 1, 2012
Series: None
Pages: 245
Genre: Contemporary
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

After a 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.



I loved Miranda Kenneally's first book, Catching Jordan, so I was very excited to read Stealing Parker. The book turned out to be different than I expected, but it still had so many of the characteristics that I loved from Catching Jordan.

Parker Shelton's life used to revolve around softball...until her mother left her family to be with another woman. Suddenly the subject of all the town gossip, Parker was desperate to prove that she wasn't like her mother. She quit softball, lost weight, and started kissing a lot of guys. And yet she can't give up the sport entirely. She becomes the manager of the boy's baseball team, which lets her spent time with her best friend Drew but also puts her right in the path of the new assistant coach, Brian. Even though he's a teacher, there is an undeniable spark between Parker and Brian. But there just might be someone else who is intent on stealing Parker's heart...

Only Miranda Kenneally could turn a book about sports into a wonderful romance story that even someone who is anti-sports would want to read. Once again, the playing field is just a backdrop for the story, and so much of the action happens outside of that setting. Stealing Parker explores the difference between love and lust, hookups and relationships. Even though Parker's flirtation-and-maybe-more with Brian should theoretically be doomed from the start, it's impossible to not root for them. After all, he's just the guy Parker needs...at least in the beginning. But Parker has other things going on in her life at home and even at school. I loved that nobody in this book was one-dimensional; they all had their own stories. Because they were all so dynamic, I felt like a student at Hundred Oaks High along with them. And for fans of Catching Jordan, we do see Jordan and Henry again.

I have to say that religion plays an important part in this book. Parker was raised in church, and she has a habit of writing down her prayers and burning them. I liked reading her prayers, as they gave more insight into her thoughts. However, I couldn't help but be bothered by the conservative nature of the church she attended. It was necessary for the tension, and it makes the small-town setting come to life, and yet I still wished it could have been different.

Stealing Parker is a great coming-of-age story about a girl choosing who she wants to be and what will rule her. With romance, great friendships, and more, this is a book you will want to add to fall reading lists. I can't wait to read the next book by Miranda Kenneally!

Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

CATCHING JORDAN
By: Miranda Keneally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: Dec. 1, 2011
Series: None
Pages: 281
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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 now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate.



Even though this book sounded interesting, I didn't give reading it much thought because I don't like football. And when I say I don't like football, I mean that I won't even watch the Superbowl to see the commercials because it's a football game. But Cari from Cari's Book Blog insisted that I had to read this book, so I did. And once I started reading, this book became one of those "drop everything and read" books for me.

Jordan Woods is not your typical girl. Instead of wanting to date a football player, she wants to be one - and she's one of the best. She's the quarterback and captain of her high school team in Tennessee with her sights set on playing in college at Alabama. Jordan doesn't see any reason why this won't happen or any reason to change the friendships she's always had with the other guys on her team. Then Ty shows up and changes everything. He's a quarterback too, and for the first time Jordan has to worry about her position. That's not all - she might actually like him, a guy on her team, when she's never liked a guy before. And when one thing changes, it seems that everything changes. As Jordan deals with her feelings, she comes to realize that unlike in football, in life, there is no playbook...and no rules.

First things first. Even if you don't like football, don't let that stop you from reading this book. I think I constitute the worst football fan ever (if you didn't get that before), but none of the football scenes in this book bothered me (I even got the references to players and plays. Go me!). That being said, Catching Jordan is about so much more than football. It's about relationships on many levels - those we have with a significant other, those we have with our friends, and those we have with our family. I loved Jordan as a character. Her love for football and her status as "one of the guys" made her different from a lot of the female protagonists in YA, but even still she had to deal with the same issues that we all do, which make her very relatable. I really enjoyed watching Jordan explore the different relationships, especially the one with her dad, and I could appreciate how she came to realize that sometimes there isn't only one path to making your dreams come true.

Another thing I loved about Catching Jordan was how honest and real everything felt. All of the main characters had their own stories that made me love them that much more. Not only did the characters come to life, but also the emotions were raw and acutely felt. Jordan's poems especially added so much depth to the story. Both Jordan's struggles and the characters themselves have stuck with me even though I've read other books since then.

Catching Jordan is a fantastic debut novel with a story that will by turns tug at your heart and make you smile. I cannot wait to read more from Miranda Kenneally!