fictionalkate's review against another edition
4.0
After her mother leaving her family (and for another woman at that!), Parker Shelton is a girl trying to get a reputation. No one will ever doubt that she is a girl who likes boys. Most of her old friends abandoned her when she needed them most but her bff, Drew, refuses to let the old Parker fade away completely. He signs Parker up to team manager for the boy’s baseball team.
It’s there that the new coach, Brian, catches her eye. It’s sparks from the first moment she lays eyes on him but being twenty-three (and six years older than Parker) there are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Or should they?
There’s a about Stealing Parker that felt VERY familiar after reading the first book, Catching Jordan. But this book managed to set itself apart. The heroine, Parker, is interesting. She’s been betrayed – not only by her friends and family but she feels like even her God has abandoned her. So she tries to change herself. Changes her interests, loses a lot of weight and attempts to lose the girl she was. To be honest, I found her rather annoying for the first half of the novel. But she grew on me and I was on her side by the end. I wanted her to succeed and to fix her family and reputation.
Teacher/Student relationships are something that I often have a problem with and I felt like Brian took advantage of the situation and Parker on more than one occasion. And whilst I felt like he got off a little too easily, I did like how the author addressed the situation and the consequences that result from a relationship like that.
I have to admit I’m a little surprised that I adored a character named “Corndog”. Unlike the type of stereotype a name like that might bring to mind, Will “Corndog” Whitfield, was smart, funny, generous and just the perfect leading male for Parker. I loved the drama associated with their relationship and thought the ending was perfect.
One of the highlights of this book was the religious angle. For me, I’m often against YA novels with a Christian flavour – they’re at times over the top and start leaning towards being preachy – but I really enjoyed how Miranda Kenneally wove Parker’s religious beliefs into the storyline. It was tastefully done and I loved how it turned out.
Whilst I may not have learned anything about baseball from reading this book, I enjoyed the sports angle and by the time I finished the novel I adored the romance.
It’s there that the new coach, Brian, catches her eye. It’s sparks from the first moment she lays eyes on him but being twenty-three (and six years older than Parker) there are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed. Or should they?
There’s a about Stealing Parker that felt VERY familiar after reading the first book, Catching Jordan. But this book managed to set itself apart. The heroine, Parker, is interesting. She’s been betrayed – not only by her friends and family but she feels like even her God has abandoned her. So she tries to change herself. Changes her interests, loses a lot of weight and attempts to lose the girl she was. To be honest, I found her rather annoying for the first half of the novel. But she grew on me and I was on her side by the end. I wanted her to succeed and to fix her family and reputation.
Teacher/Student relationships are something that I often have a problem with and I felt like Brian took advantage of the situation and Parker on more than one occasion. And whilst I felt like he got off a little too easily, I did like how the author addressed the situation and the consequences that result from a relationship like that.
I have to admit I’m a little surprised that I adored a character named “Corndog”. Unlike the type of stereotype a name like that might bring to mind, Will “Corndog” Whitfield, was smart, funny, generous and just the perfect leading male for Parker. I loved the drama associated with their relationship and thought the ending was perfect.
One of the highlights of this book was the religious angle. For me, I’m often against YA novels with a Christian flavour – they’re at times over the top and start leaning towards being preachy – but I really enjoyed how Miranda Kenneally wove Parker’s religious beliefs into the storyline. It was tastefully done and I loved how it turned out.
Whilst I may not have learned anything about baseball from reading this book, I enjoyed the sports angle and by the time I finished the novel I adored the romance.
kaeliesreads's review against another edition
5.0
This is the 2nd book that I have finished in the Hundred oaks series. I like that they are based on Sports
michellesantiago's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic contemporary YA read. I really, really enjoyed it. Parker is a great character--she is perfectly flawed. Full review to come.
mehsi's review against another edition
1.0
I read Catching Jordan some time ago, and really liked. Then I found out there were more books and decided to try those. Well.. sadly this one was a big disappointment. I got a bit tired of how the main lead was thinking, and the constant omg my mom is lesbian and omg my church and everyone hates me, got quite boring. I have nothing against Lesbians or such, but I just felt it could have said once or twice and then continue with a good story about a girl who is doubting things and in the end finds a nice guy.
bookishnicole's review against another edition
4.0
Cute, I liked that Parker came into her own and learned that the only opinion that matters is her own.
brenna_reads_books's review against another edition
3.0
I just LOVE all of Miranda Kenneally’s books!!! I’ve read Racing Savannah, Jesse’s Girl, and now Stealing Parker and they are all amazing!!!
bookladysreviews's review against another edition
3.0
I want to start this review by saying that, I love Miranda Kenneally's books! I always reach for them when I'm in the mood for a fun and quick read, meaning that, they're incredibly easy to get through. No struggle for me there, because it usually takes me one to two days to read them and it's a process that I truthfully enjoy. Immensely.
Now, Stealing Parker is probably my least favorite from the ones I've managed to read this far. The characters were likable enough but I didn't connect with them as much as I would've liked. Both as a reader and as a person. Because, I felt like the balance was way off. The beginning, truth be told, was promising enough but things got kind of iffy from there on. If that makes any sense whatsoever...
Firstly, the romance, love triangle or whatever that was did nothing for me. I hated the coach person, whose name I can't even remember and the fact that Parker did whatever he wanted, just because he gave her a bit of attention. Their problem of course was that, they couldn't be together because he was obviously a teacher at her school and he was older by a couple of years. Right? Well, explain to me why the heck he, mature person that he claimed he was, decided that it was a wise choice for him to lead Parker on, down a very dangerous and forbidden path mind you, and then just walk away. Why? Because he OBVIOUSLY could not decide what he wanted from life. And then he goes and gets all possessive and jealous and I just sit there, staring at the book in front of me, full of frustration and more than ready to punch someone in the face. Him, preferably.
It was ridiculous to say the least. I was extremely angry at the little stunt he pulled a couple of chapters before the end and it was quite obvious that, he was contradicting himself throughout the book. Poor Parker wanted a normal relationship, but he made it quite clear from the beginning that, he had other plans. But, a girl can only take that much before she explodes. And that exactly what Parker did. She spend so much time, trying to prevent herself from being like her mother, as if her mother's choices could decide, just like that, her own. Which is understandable, but I feel like she lost herself and what she truly wanted from life in the process.
One silver lining people, was Will. I adored Will from the moment he was introduced and I swooned over him so many times, I lost count. He was honest and it was obvious that, he made Parker genuinely happy. Plus, his little brother was adorable! And Parker herself, was a very loving and caring character. She just tried so hard to please others in order to convince them that, she was nothing like her mother. Resulting in searching for a Parker that did not exist, instead of embracing the Parker that lived within her and was struggling to be heard.
Last thing I want to address, is the whole church thing. I don't have a problem with religion nor content of the particular topic in books. But I found the setting in Stealing Parker, completely ridiculous. No offense but, seriously? It was too much for my taste. Things got way out of hand and I felt overwhelmed by all these people, trying to make the main character and her family feel like shit and isolating them from everyone, instead of supporting them through the difficult times they went through and kept going through as the book progressed. It was wrong on their part and made me question the sincerity of it all, in this world we live in. How could they stand on the sidelines, not only watching from afar as a family fell apart, but also judging them? How could they look down upon people who went through so many things and prevent them from finding true happiness with their spiteful words and judgmental comments?
Stealing Parker was not one of my favorites, but that doesn't mean anything. I love Miranda Keneally's writing and I would definitely recommend her books, if you're looking for a quick, easy and enjoyable read! She has her own, unique way of creating realistic and very vivid story lines, with characters that could easily be your next door neighbors!
Now, Stealing Parker is probably my least favorite from the ones I've managed to read this far. The characters were likable enough but I didn't connect with them as much as I would've liked. Both as a reader and as a person. Because, I felt like the balance was way off. The beginning, truth be told, was promising enough but things got kind of iffy from there on. If that makes any sense whatsoever...
Firstly, the romance, love triangle or whatever that was did nothing for me. I hated the coach person, whose name I can't even remember and the fact that Parker did whatever he wanted, just because he gave her a bit of attention. Their problem of course was that, they couldn't be together because he was obviously a teacher at her school and he was older by a couple of years. Right? Well, explain to me why the heck he, mature person that he claimed he was, decided that it was a wise choice for him to lead Parker on, down a very dangerous and forbidden path mind you, and then just walk away. Why? Because he OBVIOUSLY could not decide what he wanted from life. And then he goes and gets all possessive and jealous and I just sit there, staring at the book in front of me, full of frustration and more than ready to punch someone in the face. Him, preferably.
It was ridiculous to say the least. I was extremely angry at the little stunt he pulled a couple of chapters before the end and it was quite obvious that, he was contradicting himself throughout the book. Poor Parker wanted a normal relationship, but he made it quite clear from the beginning that, he had other plans. But, a girl can only take that much before she explodes. And that exactly what Parker did. She spend so much time, trying to prevent herself from being like her mother, as if her mother's choices could decide, just like that, her own. Which is understandable, but I feel like she lost herself and what she truly wanted from life in the process.
One silver lining people, was Will. I adored Will from the moment he was introduced and I swooned over him so many times, I lost count. He was honest and it was obvious that, he made Parker genuinely happy. Plus, his little brother was adorable! And Parker herself, was a very loving and caring character. She just tried so hard to please others in order to convince them that, she was nothing like her mother. Resulting in searching for a Parker that did not exist, instead of embracing the Parker that lived within her and was struggling to be heard.
Last thing I want to address, is the whole church thing. I don't have a problem with religion nor content of the particular topic in books. But I found the setting in Stealing Parker, completely ridiculous. No offense but, seriously? It was too much for my taste. Things got way out of hand and I felt overwhelmed by all these people, trying to make the main character and her family feel like shit and isolating them from everyone, instead of supporting them through the difficult times they went through and kept going through as the book progressed. It was wrong on their part and made me question the sincerity of it all, in this world we live in. How could they stand on the sidelines, not only watching from afar as a family fell apart, but also judging them? How could they look down upon people who went through so many things and prevent them from finding true happiness with their spiteful words and judgmental comments?
Stealing Parker was not one of my favorites, but that doesn't mean anything. I love Miranda Keneally's writing and I would definitely recommend her books, if you're looking for a quick, easy and enjoyable read! She has her own, unique way of creating realistic and very vivid story lines, with characters that could easily be your next door neighbors!
ginnikin's review against another edition
3.0
I almost gave up on this when she was running around with . I'm glad I didn't. Wow, what a collection of not at all Christian church-goers. Parker was better than the lot of them, even if she was making a lot of mistakes in her fumbling around.
Spoiler
Briancupcakegirly's review against another edition
5.0
I won a copy of Stealing Parker in a Twitter contest so a HUGE "Thank You" to author Miranda Kenneally for that! I love the covers of these books (Catching Jordan and the upcoming, Things I Can't Forget) because they're simple yet pretty and all directly relate to the story.
I fell in love with Miranda's writing and her characters when I read Catching Jordan a couple of weeks ago and couldn't wait to get back on the playing fields of Hundred Oaks High! *coughs* Sam Henry *coughs* Stealing Parker is a story about one girl's journey to figure out who she is and what matters most. It examines the impact faith can have on the choices we make and is filled with humor, heart break and romance. Stealing Parker will steal your heart.
Parker Shelton is a girl whose spent much of her young life trying to live up to other people's expectations. Whether it be God, her church, her family, or her friends, Parker has been putting everyone else first only to be letdown time and again. Don't get me wrong, selflessness is a great quality to possess as long as you don't lose yourself along the way. When her Mom makes a choice that leaves Parker and her family devastated as well as the topic of gossip at both church and school, she decides to take control. In an effort to prove she's nothing like her Mom, Parker is convinced that if she can be the kind of girl guys want; pretty, skinny, and flirtatious then she'll be okay. Unfortunately, her choices leave her with nothing more than a bad reputation.
Parker longs to be in a real relationship, to be loved, to be worth something to someone else and when she meets Brian, she thinks he could be the guy she's been looking for. Brian is cute, funny and doesn't judge her but he's also a little out of her league. Then there's Will. He's the one who challenges her on and off the baseball diamond, calls her out on the hard stuff and gives her a glimpse of what a relationship with God should look like when he invites her to his church.
She quickly finds herself caught between two guys, both of whom seem willing to risk everything to be with her but when her past mistakes come back to haunt her, she's faced with striking out altogether. To help her through it, she'll have to reach out to the person she holds responsible for all of her pain and anger. Forgiveness and grace will come into play, and Parker learns that sometimes, going to bat for yourself is more important than being the designated hitter.
One of the things I enjoy so much about Miranda's books is that she not only gives us flawed characters, but one's who have to face the consequences of their actions, thus making them relateable. Parker has been "looking for love in all the wrong places" and a common misconception is that teenage boys aren't affected by this kind of behavior, but they are. Parker's behavior is a result of the pain she's trying to numb thanks in part to her church's reaction to her Mom's life choices. When she realizes the effect her actions have had on the guys she's been hooking up with, she gains a better perspective about herself and how she really wants to be seen.
Will was a great character! He's cute, smart, funny and has a good heart. He's far from perfect and I really appreciated his willingness to hold himself and others accountable for their actions. He makes different choices from those of a typical teenage boy and I LOVED that about him! *clutches Will* (After *meeting* Will, Sam Henry has some serious competition in my heart, just sayin'! *winks*)
Sam, Drew and Tate are good examples of what a friend should be (especially Drew). They too have their own issues but I would be happy to call any one of them my friends. Companion novels are fun because you get a chance to see beloved characters again and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the hot mess of a boy that is Sam Henry! *grins really big* Psst, Miranda, I think Sam needs his own book...I would be ALL OVER THAT! ;)
Gettin' Personal...
This story hit home for me on so many levels and had me feeling ALL THE FEELS. To a certain extent, I was Parker for awhile in high school. (I even had a Drew) Like Parker, I also tried to be who I thought guys wanted me to be but when that became too exhausting or they wanted to take things too far, I would ditch them. At the time, it seemed easier to live that way, no one got too close (to me) and no one got hurt, or so I thought. Looking back, I'm sure there were a couple who were hurt by my actions much like the boys in this book were hurt by Parker's.
I could also relate to what Parker goes through with the people at her church. Having grown up Catholic, I had a desire to love and please God but all the rules left me feeling like the worst sinner, ever! It wasn't until I was 19 that I found a church more like Will's and learned what it really means to be a "Christian". It's not about being perfect or even a religion, but a relationship. It's how you live your life and the way you treat people. I can only hope now, that when people interact with me, they feel cared for and accepted. I'm not going to always agree with others, but my job isn't to change people, it's to love them.
I fell in love with Miranda's writing and her characters when I read Catching Jordan a couple of weeks ago and couldn't wait to get back on the playing fields of Hundred Oaks High! *coughs* Sam Henry *coughs* Stealing Parker is a story about one girl's journey to figure out who she is and what matters most. It examines the impact faith can have on the choices we make and is filled with humor, heart break and romance. Stealing Parker will steal your heart.
Parker Shelton is a girl whose spent much of her young life trying to live up to other people's expectations. Whether it be God, her church, her family, or her friends, Parker has been putting everyone else first only to be letdown time and again. Don't get me wrong, selflessness is a great quality to possess as long as you don't lose yourself along the way. When her Mom makes a choice that leaves Parker and her family devastated as well as the topic of gossip at both church and school, she decides to take control. In an effort to prove she's nothing like her Mom, Parker is convinced that if she can be the kind of girl guys want; pretty, skinny, and flirtatious then she'll be okay. Unfortunately, her choices leave her with nothing more than a bad reputation.
Parker longs to be in a real relationship, to be loved, to be worth something to someone else and when she meets Brian, she thinks he could be the guy she's been looking for. Brian is cute, funny and doesn't judge her but he's also a little out of her league. Then there's Will. He's the one who challenges her on and off the baseball diamond, calls her out on the hard stuff and gives her a glimpse of what a relationship with God should look like when he invites her to his church.
She quickly finds herself caught between two guys, both of whom seem willing to risk everything to be with her but when her past mistakes come back to haunt her, she's faced with striking out altogether. To help her through it, she'll have to reach out to the person she holds responsible for all of her pain and anger. Forgiveness and grace will come into play, and Parker learns that sometimes, going to bat for yourself is more important than being the designated hitter.
One of the things I enjoy so much about Miranda's books is that she not only gives us flawed characters, but one's who have to face the consequences of their actions, thus making them relateable. Parker has been "looking for love in all the wrong places" and a common misconception is that teenage boys aren't affected by this kind of behavior, but they are. Parker's behavior is a result of the pain she's trying to numb thanks in part to her church's reaction to her Mom's life choices. When she realizes the effect her actions have had on the guys she's been hooking up with, she gains a better perspective about herself and how she really wants to be seen.
Will was a great character! He's cute, smart, funny and has a good heart. He's far from perfect and I really appreciated his willingness to hold himself and others accountable for their actions. He makes different choices from those of a typical teenage boy and I LOVED that about him! *clutches Will* (After *meeting* Will, Sam Henry has some serious competition in my heart, just sayin'! *winks*)
Sam, Drew and Tate are good examples of what a friend should be (especially Drew). They too have their own issues but I would be happy to call any one of them my friends. Companion novels are fun because you get a chance to see beloved characters again and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the hot mess of a boy that is Sam Henry! *grins really big* Psst, Miranda, I think Sam needs his own book...I would be ALL OVER THAT! ;)
Gettin' Personal...
This story hit home for me on so many levels and had me feeling ALL THE FEELS. To a certain extent, I was Parker for awhile in high school. (I even had a Drew) Like Parker, I also tried to be who I thought guys wanted me to be but when that became too exhausting or they wanted to take things too far, I would ditch them. At the time, it seemed easier to live that way, no one got too close (to me) and no one got hurt, or so I thought. Looking back, I'm sure there were a couple who were hurt by my actions much like the boys in this book were hurt by Parker's.
I could also relate to what Parker goes through with the people at her church. Having grown up Catholic, I had a desire to love and please God but all the rules left me feeling like the worst sinner, ever! It wasn't until I was 19 that I found a church more like Will's and learned what it really means to be a "Christian". It's not about being perfect or even a religion, but a relationship. It's how you live your life and the way you treat people. I can only hope now, that when people interact with me, they feel cared for and accepted. I'm not going to always agree with others, but my job isn't to change people, it's to love them.
kaleyb25's review against another edition
3.0
6/10
This was better than the first one. Some of the topics in this one were handled better, and the writing was stronger. The sport element wasn't as prelevant but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I did like the final romance in the end, but it took a bad romance to get there (Note: the bad romance plays bigger role by the end but it's easily my least favorite part). Still trashy ya but more likeable with some depth this time around.
This was better than the first one. Some of the topics in this one were handled better, and the writing was stronger. The sport element wasn't as prelevant but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I did like the final romance in the end, but it took a bad romance to get there (Note: the bad romance plays bigger role by the end but it's easily my least favorite part). Still trashy ya but more likeable with some depth this time around.