Left Drowning by Jessica Park

Left Drowning by Jessica Park
Release Date: July 16, 2013
Publisher: Amazon Skyscape
Pages: 399
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
What does it take to rise from life’s depths, swim against the current, and breathe?

Weighted down by the loss of her parents, Blythe McGuire struggles to keep her head above water as she trudges through her last year at Matthews College. Then a chance meeting sends Blythe crashing into something she doesn’t expect—an undeniable attraction to a dark-haired senior named Chris Shepherd, whose past may be even more complicated than her own. As their relationship deepens, Chris pulls Blythe out of the stupor she’s been in since the night a fire took half her family. She begins to heal, and even, haltingly, to love this guy who helps her find new paths to pleasure and self-discovery. But as Blythe moves into calmer waters, she realizes Chris is the one still strangled by his family’s traumatic history. As dark currents threaten to pull him under, Blythe may be the only person who can keep him from drowning.

My Thoughts:
If I had to describe this book in one word, the word I would choose is “intense”. This is not a traditional romance, but I found it well worth a read to experience the intense love between the characters. It wasn’t just romantic love that was explored here, but also familial love and friendship between the whole group.

‘Left Drowning’ features characters who are flawed, very deeply in some aspects. These people have had terrible things happen to them, and they haven’t dealt with their situations in very healthy ways, or even at all. I feel like it’s common in New Adult books to read about broken characters finding each other and reluctantly giving in to love and healing each other. Technically this book has that, but it didn’t feel like a plot device to me. The emotions in this book definitely feel very real, and to me it was like reading about real people with painful pasts.

This book is tough to read at times. There are moments when you will hate one character in particular, and will feel your heart break with the other. There are multiple times your heart might ache, but there was also a big emphasis on the strength of love and of family. Jessica Park is fabulous at writing secondary characters, especially families, so this book contains a great supporting cast. To me the book was about not giving in, even when it would be easier to let people push you away. ‘Left Drowning’ was not an easy story to get through, but I believe it's a rewarding one in the end.

The Cover:
Pretty.

Rating:
[4/5]

Find Left Drowning by Jessica Park on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Waiting on Wednesday (26)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where bloggers feature upcoming book releases that they're looking forward to.

This week I'm eagerly anticipating...

This Song Will Save Your Life

by Leila Sales

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Release Date: September 17, 2013

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

I'm cheating a bit, because I've actually read this one already, but I want to put it on everyone's radar. Guys, this book is SO GOOD. It's such a powerful and emotional anthem about discovering your self-worth.

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols
Release Date: July 16, 2013
Publisher: MTV Books
Pages: 288
Series: n/a
Review Source: Edelweiss

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
From the author of the “real page-turner” (Seventeen) Such a Rush comes an unforgettable new drama that follows friends-turned-lovers as they navigate the passions, heartbreaks, and intrigue of country music fame.

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

My Thoughts:
I knew I had to read this one when I first heard about the concept. Country music plus a New Adult character definitely equals a win for me. I love how Jennifer Echols writes books that are different from others that are out there: they somehow feel different and unique, which I really like.

Our main character here, Bailey, is someone who is relatable and easy to empathize with. She’s been dealt a crap hand by her family, and yet she still wants to make them proud, even when she hates her parents and what they are doing. I didn’t always agree with Bailey’s decisions, but ultimately I liked the duality of her character. She was willing to stand up for herself and go after what she wanted, and yet she was still was a great big sister and always cared about her sister more than she did about her own success.

The love interest in this book, Sam, is an incredibly interesting character, in that he’s swoony and appealing, and yet you kind of hate him at the same time. He’s manipulative and is willing to step on anyone to get a record deal and be famous, but he also has his moments where you see he can be a very good guy. I loved that he was completely flawed, but in a different way than most New Adult ‘bad boy player’ love interests. Sam had his own tragic backstory, but it was layered in organically and he never used it as an excuse for how he behaved. I felt like Sam’s transformation was more than a little convenient, in that it happened way too quickly, but on the other hand I can forgive it, because ‘Dirty Little Secret’ is one of those books that you can actually picture in the real world. I can see that Sam had the capacity to change, and that was enough for me to enjoy the book and the way it ended.

I really enjoyed this book, and my favourite parts were the music, with the performances and Bailey describing what it felt like to play music and perform. Jennifer Echols did a fabulous job of describing how much Bailey loved it. This book offers a fascinating look into Nashville’s music scene, what people are willing to do for fame, and how some people can connect on such a deep level, even when they would rather remain closed off. ‘Dirty Little Secret’ was a great read, and I will definitely continue to read books by Echols in the future.

The Cover:
Like!

Rating:
[4/5]

Find Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.