Author: Angela Morrison
Genre: YA, Romance
Pages: 310
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
FTC Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my school library
Summary (from the inside flap): True love can turn you into a whole new person. Even if you once were The Beast, you can become The Beauty. One boy can awaken the music inside of you and make your voice sing out. And then, one terrible secret can take it all away. But as Beth discovers in this tragic and luminous tale from the author of Taken by Storm, no matter how painful love it, it's worth it. Because it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
Review: I was going to give this book 4 stars and add it to the list of good YA romances, but then I got to the last 80 pages and the book earned itself a 4.5. Those last 80 pages or so were emotional, wrenching, and powerful and elevated the book to a higher level for me.
One of my student assistants, Valentyna, read this book spring term every spare minute she had. She kept telling me how good it was, that it was so romantic, that it made her cry, and that I just had to read it. So, thank you Valentyna! It is definitely a book aimed at high school girls who will get caught up in the romance of Derek and Beth (but honestly, I was rooting for Scott).
This review will be difficult because I really don't want to give anything away. This is the type of book where if someone tells you what's going on it will ruin it for you. So, that said, I didn't like the lies (for whatever reason was behind them) and the deceit; I saw them as controlling. But, that's probably because I am older (and wiser? Maybe just jaded).
The story of Beth, Derek, and Scott is tender, intense, romantic, at times fun, and a great quick read. I look forward to talking to high school girls who've read this book to see what they think of it. What do they think of the mom characters who come in at the end with their honest mother-daughter talks and understanding actions? What do they think about Beth's choices? Did they like the song lyrics that are throughout the book?
I also really liked the Afterword (if you read this blog enough you know I am a sucker for a good Afterword). I love it when a book ties into reality and the author tells us about his/her inspiration for a novel.
5 comments
Sometimes there is nothing like a good teen romance! If I had this in my school library, I'd go pick it up and read it this week! Teen romances don't go over the top like adult romance. They maintain more of a sense of reality to them.
This is not exactly my kind of book, but your high rating has me curious! I'm going to look this one up.
Campbele--You're so right: a good teen romance is light, fun, and usually has drama. All good for a quick read!
Aths--Even if you don't like teen romances, this one is pretty good
I don't even know what this book is really about, but it has my interest! Great review without giving anything away.
Aarti--I know, I was a bit cagey about the plot, but I figured I'd included the brief summary. Basically ugly girl comes into her own with a little help and meets a guy. There's baggage. Not a super original premise, but there are twists that really make this book different
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