librarianbyday_futurewriter's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fresh take on a "coming-of-age" book. Penny (like so many young women) has always done what was expected of her. She decides that she must begin to make decisions based on what SHE wants after she graduates from high school. A cross-country trip to see her grandfather brings her unexpected friendships and her ability to stick with her own choices is tested. Her relationship with her grandfather shifts from one of a child/grandfather to a deeper adult relationship.
This is a fantastic first novel, and a great read for mothers and daughters. It could open some good discussions. I purchased the book for our public library, and it's been off of the shelves from the moment I added it to the collection.
This is a fantastic first novel, and a great read for mothers and daughters. It could open some good discussions. I purchased the book for our public library, and it's been off of the shelves from the moment I added it to the collection.
aziz_reads's review against another edition
4.0
I had to sit on this book for a while before posting a review. Usually I have strong feelings, or at least a gut feeling, about a book halfway through. This one I read all the way through and stared at it, postponing the review again and again.
So let's start with the basics and get more defined from there. I didn't in any way dislike this book. At the same time I wasn't jumping with excitement to turn the pages. My hands turned with the pace of the book which was even, not rushed but not really sleepy.
Second, the story itself. I really liked following the journey of Penny from a girl who wants to improve and be her own woman to is better and strong. The story itself is wonderful and has a great moral.
And the characters. I liked Penny's friends and her grandpa. Penny was alright, but maybe could have had a wider emotional range. I didn't buy into Penny's parents for a second. They may as well have been cardboard.
So is this some literary masterpiece that will be analyzed and forced into students for centuries to come? No. But it is the type of book that I would love to see in every library and reaching millions of kids for decades to come. I love the message and I love the cozy feeling after reading it and I would definitely buy this book for a friend.
End rating: 4 out of 5
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
So let's start with the basics and get more defined from there. I didn't in any way dislike this book. At the same time I wasn't jumping with excitement to turn the pages. My hands turned with the pace of the book which was even, not rushed but not really sleepy.
Second, the story itself. I really liked following the journey of Penny from a girl who wants to improve and be her own woman to is better and strong. The story itself is wonderful and has a great moral.
And the characters. I liked Penny's friends and her grandpa. Penny was alright, but maybe could have had a wider emotional range. I didn't buy into Penny's parents for a second. They may as well have been cardboard.
So is this some literary masterpiece that will be analyzed and forced into students for centuries to come? No. But it is the type of book that I would love to see in every library and reaching millions of kids for decades to come. I love the message and I love the cozy feeling after reading it and I would definitely buy this book for a friend.
End rating: 4 out of 5
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
poppingparry's review against another edition
4.0
I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not usually inclined towards coming-of-age novels but this book had me hooked right from the beginning! It had real characters and totally not stereotypical. The story was not too tragic for her to change but she wants to.
I loved Penny as she and I are very similar: we’re both 18, trying to grow up but when we finally do, it’s usually looked down upon (at least for me) and the struggles. She has seven younger siblings and she still thinks she’s not strong enough! She and I both need confidence boosts sometimes and I loved the way Archer helped her through it all.
I had a wonderful experience of reading this book. I could relate to Penny and she’s going strong. I like her. I like how she handles her Grandfather and the baby. I like how she is determined to speak her mind, even if it hurts them because she knows she’s not going to stay long. I loved the way the new city grew around her and became her home.
I’m not usually inclined towards coming-of-age novels but this book had me hooked right from the beginning! It had real characters and totally not stereotypical. The story was not too tragic for her to change but she wants to.
I loved Penny as she and I are very similar: we’re both 18, trying to grow up but when we finally do, it’s usually looked down upon (at least for me) and the struggles. She has seven younger siblings and she still thinks she’s not strong enough! She and I both need confidence boosts sometimes and I loved the way Archer helped her through it all.
I had a wonderful experience of reading this book. I could relate to Penny and she’s going strong. I like her. I like how she handles her Grandfather and the baby. I like how she is determined to speak her mind, even if it hurts them because she knows she’s not going to stay long. I loved the way the new city grew around her and became her home.
madetofly's review against another edition
3.0
This is another one of those books lately where it was okay, but I just didn't get into it very much. I'm starting to wonder if it's entirely me or the books. I don't know. What I can tell you is that at times, it was just really hard for me to get into Outspoken. There were points in the book where I got caught up in how cute Penny and Archer were together, but a couple of pages later I was struggling to stay as into the book.
I liked the concept of Penny wanting to use the summer to actually speak her mind, but it didn't feel like that actually was a large part of the book. It was brought up occasionally, but it never felt to me like Penny was really trying to do that. Of course, we don't get to see her before she makes that decision, but most of what she does didn't feel like an exercise in saying what she wanted. To me, it only felt like that a couple of times throughout the book, and I wish that had been more focused on.
While I did think Penny and Archer were cute together, I almost feel like their relationship took up the book too much, and there was too little focus on Penny's growth as a person. In the end, it felt like it was essentially a romance book and nothing more. There's nothing wrong with that, but I felt like there were beginnings there for a good story about Penny finding herself. And, in the end, it didn't feel like that aspect of the story got that satisfying of a conclusion.
The other big thing that took me out of the story over and over again was the dialogue. So much of the dialogue felt unnatural to me. It was a struggle to believe that people would actually say things like that out loud because the way it was worded didn't flow naturally or like how you would expect words to flow in conversation. That took me out of the story almost every other page it feels like and became very distracting.
In the end though, it was a cute story with a cute romance. People who enjoy cute romances might enjoy this book, and I really liked the romance aspect of this book.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/2015/11/book-review-outspoken-by-lora-richardson.html
I liked the concept of Penny wanting to use the summer to actually speak her mind, but it didn't feel like that actually was a large part of the book. It was brought up occasionally, but it never felt to me like Penny was really trying to do that. Of course, we don't get to see her before she makes that decision, but most of what she does didn't feel like an exercise in saying what she wanted. To me, it only felt like that a couple of times throughout the book, and I wish that had been more focused on.
While I did think Penny and Archer were cute together, I almost feel like their relationship took up the book too much, and there was too little focus on Penny's growth as a person. In the end, it felt like it was essentially a romance book and nothing more. There's nothing wrong with that, but I felt like there were beginnings there for a good story about Penny finding herself. And, in the end, it didn't feel like that aspect of the story got that satisfying of a conclusion.
The other big thing that took me out of the story over and over again was the dialogue. So much of the dialogue felt unnatural to me. It was a struggle to believe that people would actually say things like that out loud because the way it was worded didn't flow naturally or like how you would expect words to flow in conversation. That took me out of the story almost every other page it feels like and became very distracting.
In the end though, it was a cute story with a cute romance. People who enjoy cute romances might enjoy this book, and I really liked the romance aspect of this book.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com/2015/11/book-review-outspoken-by-lora-richardson.html
loisj's review against another edition
3.0
Review also posted at My Midnight Musing
I received a copy of the eBook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Penny Beck is the kind of girl who puts everyone’s needs before her own, this means that more often enough she says yes when she means no. Having graduated from high school, Penny decides that she no longer wants to be the girl that bends to everyone else’s will and embarks on a journey that takes her away from everything she’s know so she can finally find her own voice.
Penny reminded me a lot of myself. Growing up I was always the person that said yes when I meant no. I let people walk all over me and I never seemed to be brave enough to voice my own thoughts and opinions. I could definitely identify to Penny’s struggle and the way that she didn’t really know herself and what she wanted. By making this journey across the country to visit her grandfather, Penny has the freedom to be the person she hopes to be and on this journey she meets an array of strange and wonderful characters that help her discover a side to her that she longed to find and a place that makes her feel like she belongs.
Out of all the new relationships Penny establishes, my favourite was the connection between her and Archer. At first glance, Archer seems very emotionally detached from the people in his life. However, the more he and Penny spend time together, the more we realise that he’s battling his own demons as the weight of his families past actions continue to weigh heavily on his mind.
However, there are moments in this book that made me feel very disconnected to the plot. I think this is because some of the moments in this book were almost staccato like and we were just going through the motions of Penny’s day to day life. As a result of this, I found that I couldn’t connect as much to Penny’s friends, Gwen and Marissa, who proved to be quite interesting characters but I felt that we had only scratched the surface with their struggles and doubts.
Overall this is quick, enjoyable read that explores the theme of identity and self-doubt. It’s a solid debut and I look forward to reading more of Lora’s work.
I received a copy of the eBook from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Penny Beck is the kind of girl who puts everyone’s needs before her own, this means that more often enough she says yes when she means no. Having graduated from high school, Penny decides that she no longer wants to be the girl that bends to everyone else’s will and embarks on a journey that takes her away from everything she’s know so she can finally find her own voice.
Penny reminded me a lot of myself. Growing up I was always the person that said yes when I meant no. I let people walk all over me and I never seemed to be brave enough to voice my own thoughts and opinions. I could definitely identify to Penny’s struggle and the way that she didn’t really know herself and what she wanted. By making this journey across the country to visit her grandfather, Penny has the freedom to be the person she hopes to be and on this journey she meets an array of strange and wonderful characters that help her discover a side to her that she longed to find and a place that makes her feel like she belongs.
Out of all the new relationships Penny establishes, my favourite was the connection between her and Archer. At first glance, Archer seems very emotionally detached from the people in his life. However, the more he and Penny spend time together, the more we realise that he’s battling his own demons as the weight of his families past actions continue to weigh heavily on his mind.
However, there are moments in this book that made me feel very disconnected to the plot. I think this is because some of the moments in this book were almost staccato like and we were just going through the motions of Penny’s day to day life. As a result of this, I found that I couldn’t connect as much to Penny’s friends, Gwen and Marissa, who proved to be quite interesting characters but I felt that we had only scratched the surface with their struggles and doubts.
Overall this is quick, enjoyable read that explores the theme of identity and self-doubt. It’s a solid debut and I look forward to reading more of Lora’s work.
hereisbridget's review against another edition
3.0
I received an eCopy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Outspoken follows Penny Beck, a recent high school graduate who is looking to find her backbone and herself. She is sick of always saying yes to others when what she really means is no. Penny vows to change and become more outspoken (title drop…hehe), and the only way she sees that happening is if she packs up and leaves home–surrounding herself with people that don’t know her, people that can become “practice friends” for the Penny 2.0.
I was glad to have been asked to review this book because the synopsis definitely created the image of a character that I could connect with. Much like Penny, I had to learn to reprogram myself. I had to tell myself that it’s not my job to please everyone. It’s okay to say no–but to be honest, I probably have the opposite issue now and need to learn to say yes more often (gahhh but I’m a homebody and don’t want to go out this weekend…).
Anyways, I was surprised because even though I could identify with Penny’s mission, I ultimately had trouble connecting to her–at least in the beginning. The trigger event for Penny involves her boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend). I just couldn’t fully understand Penny’s strong feelings toward the event because at one point, her thoughts made it seem like they were together for years, but in reality, they only went of five dates (if I read that correctly.) Why the hang up over a guy you only went out with five times? It just seems to me that Penny and Will’s backstory needed to be a little stronger–there needed to be a little more of it–so that the big event could have a greater and more understandable impact on me.
But once Penny got to her new town and started interacting with her new friends, I grew to like her more. Maybe it had to do with the fact that new friends brought about dialogue, and I’m very much a dialogue driven reader. Or maybe I just enjoyed watching her become a more mature person. Immature high schoolers are THE WORST. Do you like Mike or Archer, Penny? No waffling! The brotherly connection to Mike wasn’t as explicit as I would have liked it to be. But, I’m glad she got it together in the end. I also really liked the budding relationship between Penny and Archer, and because I love romance novels I was just like “Give me more of them! They’re cute!!”
So, I was disappointed that two scenes with Penny and Archer stood out to me as being cut short. I was thinking: BUT WHAT HAPPENED??? What happened after Archer joined the party for the first time? I need to know this because Mike and Gwen seemed to have such an aversion to him. That first interaction between the whole group seems important! And when he showed up to the Puzzler when Gwen was singing? WHAT HAPPENED THEN? Again, I just wanted more of Archer and Penny–more of them and less of other things.
I say less of other things because there seemed to be TOO much going on for just one book. Too many serious issues that were glossed over or talked about too simply–Marissa and Mike’s Mom, Irene, Penny’s Grandpa, Archer’s parents–it was just a lot. But I did like George Baker! I thought his role with Penny’s grandpa was really sweet.
Ultimately, the first half is slow-going, but the second half kept me interested enough to make it to the end, which really, the revelations at the end help to make better sense of the first half of the book. I have to commend first-time author Lora Richardson for a solid debut! Writing a novel is no small task. Congrats, and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for future publications!
Review originally posted: https://otoolebridget.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/review-outspoken-by-lora-richardson/.
Outspoken follows Penny Beck, a recent high school graduate who is looking to find her backbone and herself. She is sick of always saying yes to others when what she really means is no. Penny vows to change and become more outspoken (title drop…hehe), and the only way she sees that happening is if she packs up and leaves home–surrounding herself with people that don’t know her, people that can become “practice friends” for the Penny 2.0.
I was glad to have been asked to review this book because the synopsis definitely created the image of a character that I could connect with. Much like Penny, I had to learn to reprogram myself. I had to tell myself that it’s not my job to please everyone. It’s okay to say no–but to be honest, I probably have the opposite issue now and need to learn to say yes more often (gahhh but I’m a homebody and don’t want to go out this weekend…).
Anyways, I was surprised because even though I could identify with Penny’s mission, I ultimately had trouble connecting to her–at least in the beginning. The trigger event for Penny involves her boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend). I just couldn’t fully understand Penny’s strong feelings toward the event because at one point, her thoughts made it seem like they were together for years, but in reality, they only went of five dates (if I read that correctly.) Why the hang up over a guy you only went out with five times? It just seems to me that Penny and Will’s backstory needed to be a little stronger–there needed to be a little more of it–so that the big event could have a greater and more understandable impact on me.
But once Penny got to her new town and started interacting with her new friends, I grew to like her more. Maybe it had to do with the fact that new friends brought about dialogue, and I’m very much a dialogue driven reader. Or maybe I just enjoyed watching her become a more mature person. Immature high schoolers are THE WORST. Do you like Mike or Archer, Penny? No waffling! The brotherly connection to Mike wasn’t as explicit as I would have liked it to be. But, I’m glad she got it together in the end. I also really liked the budding relationship between Penny and Archer, and because I love romance novels I was just like “Give me more of them! They’re cute!!”
So, I was disappointed that two scenes with Penny and Archer stood out to me as being cut short. I was thinking: BUT WHAT HAPPENED??? What happened after Archer joined the party for the first time? I need to know this because Mike and Gwen seemed to have such an aversion to him. That first interaction between the whole group seems important! And when he showed up to the Puzzler when Gwen was singing? WHAT HAPPENED THEN? Again, I just wanted more of Archer and Penny–more of them and less of other things.
I say less of other things because there seemed to be TOO much going on for just one book. Too many serious issues that were glossed over or talked about too simply–Marissa and Mike’s Mom, Irene, Penny’s Grandpa, Archer’s parents–it was just a lot. But I did like George Baker! I thought his role with Penny’s grandpa was really sweet.
Ultimately, the first half is slow-going, but the second half kept me interested enough to make it to the end, which really, the revelations at the end help to make better sense of the first half of the book. I have to commend first-time author Lora Richardson for a solid debut! Writing a novel is no small task. Congrats, and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for future publications!
Review originally posted: https://otoolebridget.wordpress.com/2015/11/14/review-outspoken-by-lora-richardson/.
novelsallnight's review
5.0
I have to start of by saying that I am so glad that I received a copy of this book from the author because I’m not sure I would have found it myself and it was spectacular. If after reading the brief synopsis you’re like me and are thinking that this is another typical finding yourself type of YA story then like me, you’d be wrong. It’s so much more! Maybe it’s because I can see a bit of my 18 year old self in Penny but I just loved her. I think so many people can relate to what she’s feeling. The time after you finish high school that you’re expected to be an adult but your not even sure what that means yet is something I think everyone can relate to. I also feel like I should mention that Outspoken isn’t just a lighthearted story about a young girl finding herself and love. It does touch on several serious topics including: Alzheimers, postpartum depression, the visually impaired, and even rape. I know that seems like a lot of heavy topics but it’s handled well and not overwhelming at all.
Penny is looking forward to being on her own for the first time without her seven brothers and sisters but she quickly makes friends with Gwen and Marissa. I love how her friendship with them grows and all of their personalities make for fun reading. Penny quickly gets a job at the grocery store when she has her first encounter with the mysterious Archer. Yes, there’s a love interest. Their relationship grows naturally and in my opinion was not insta love at all. I loved their dialogue together and how comfortable and sometimes even sassy Penny is with him. I’m a sucker for a good love interest and Archer fit that role perfectly!
Whenever I’m thinking of giving a book 5 stars I often wonder if I’m just giving those out too often but in this case I knew I wasn’t. One of the things that really pushed this book over the edge for me were all the characters. Having a job as a delivery person at the grocery store gives Penny, and the reader, a chance to get to know so many wonderful characters and their stories. I loved that book isn’t just about a young girl finding love. It’s a young girl discovering who she is, building new friendships, and rediscovering her relationship with her grandfather. If even a tiny thing about this book has peeked your interest then I would say…definitely pick this one up!
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
Penny is looking forward to being on her own for the first time without her seven brothers and sisters but she quickly makes friends with Gwen and Marissa. I love how her friendship with them grows and all of their personalities make for fun reading. Penny quickly gets a job at the grocery store when she has her first encounter with the mysterious Archer. Yes, there’s a love interest. Their relationship grows naturally and in my opinion was not insta love at all. I loved their dialogue together and how comfortable and sometimes even sassy Penny is with him. I’m a sucker for a good love interest and Archer fit that role perfectly!
Whenever I’m thinking of giving a book 5 stars I often wonder if I’m just giving those out too often but in this case I knew I wasn’t. One of the things that really pushed this book over the edge for me were all the characters. Having a job as a delivery person at the grocery store gives Penny, and the reader, a chance to get to know so many wonderful characters and their stories. I loved that book isn’t just about a young girl finding love. It’s a young girl discovering who she is, building new friendships, and rediscovering her relationship with her grandfather. If even a tiny thing about this book has peeked your interest then I would say…definitely pick this one up!
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
ashurq's review against another edition
3.0
I thought this book definitely had a lot of things going for it. The pacing was great and I felt like Penny was a pretty relatable character–she just seemed so normal. I liked that she was trying to reinvent herself a bit because I think that’s something that a lot of girls try to do whether it be when they leave for college or some other time. The idea that you’ll finally be able to be who you want to be once you get away from the people who have known you forever is one that I think a lot of people can relate to. In the end, Penny really just wants to find herself–to figure out exactly who she is without her family’s expectations. There is something liberating about being surrounded by people who don’t have any history with you.
The secondary characters were an interesting cast. I liked meeting and learning about the different people that Penny delivers groceries to as well as the new friends that she makes. Overall, the characters come together and really add to the small town feel of the book. I love reading about coastal beach towns, so I was in love with the entire atmosphere.
I also really liked how Penny’s relationship with her grandfather was portrayed. It seems like a tough situation to deal with someone who has Alzheimer’s but doesn’t realize how bad it is yet. There were a couple of scenes especially where my heart just broke for Penny’s poor grandfather. That has to be such a hard thing.
As far as critiques go, I think there was a little too much telling and not enough showing from the author. There were times when the book felt very matter-of-fact and like there wasn’t much for the reader to interpret. Everything was just kind of laid out there. I also felt like the author was trying to do a lot at once. What I mean by that is that she addressed several different issues including, but not limited to: an ailing grandparent, a deceased parent, new motherhood, and rape. I just felt like there were too many balls to juggle and because of that, we didn’t get into some of the issues as much as I would have liked to. I also felt like the author tried to do a little too much with the ending as well. It seemed like almost every character’s story ended with a little bow wrapped around it and I didn’t think that was necessary. Not every character needs to have a resolved ending.
Overall, I thought the book was pretty good. The atmosphere was spot on and I felt like I could relate to the main character. I really did want her to succeed and I think this would be a good book for other people to read when they feel like their life is at a crossroads.
Overall Rating: 3
Language: Moderate
Violence: Mild
Sexual Content: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Heavy
Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The secondary characters were an interesting cast. I liked meeting and learning about the different people that Penny delivers groceries to as well as the new friends that she makes. Overall, the characters come together and really add to the small town feel of the book. I love reading about coastal beach towns, so I was in love with the entire atmosphere.
I also really liked how Penny’s relationship with her grandfather was portrayed. It seems like a tough situation to deal with someone who has Alzheimer’s but doesn’t realize how bad it is yet. There were a couple of scenes especially where my heart just broke for Penny’s poor grandfather. That has to be such a hard thing.
As far as critiques go, I think there was a little too much telling and not enough showing from the author. There were times when the book felt very matter-of-fact and like there wasn’t much for the reader to interpret. Everything was just kind of laid out there. I also felt like the author was trying to do a lot at once. What I mean by that is that she addressed several different issues including, but not limited to: an ailing grandparent, a deceased parent, new motherhood, and rape. I just felt like there were too many balls to juggle and because of that, we didn’t get into some of the issues as much as I would have liked to. I also felt like the author tried to do a little too much with the ending as well. It seemed like almost every character’s story ended with a little bow wrapped around it and I didn’t think that was necessary. Not every character needs to have a resolved ending.
Overall, I thought the book was pretty good. The atmosphere was spot on and I felt like I could relate to the main character. I really did want her to succeed and I think this would be a good book for other people to read when they feel like their life is at a crossroads.
Overall Rating: 3
Language: Moderate
Violence: Mild
Sexual Content: Moderate
Smoking/Drinking: Heavy
Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
thespacejamber's review
5.0
**I was given a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.**
As children, we're conditioned to think that once we hit adulthood, we're going to know exactly what to do and how to handle ourselves in any given situation. All it takes is to hit that mystical, elusive number: eighteen. At least in the United States, turning eighteen is a rite of passage in and of itself, as we're now considered legal adults with a wide world of possibilities opening up solely due to our age. However, where some of us feel like adulthood and its corresponding responsibilities hits us too quickly, throwing everything off balance and quickly overwhelming everything manageable about life. Is there a wrong way to "adult"? Are we losing sight of ourselves by getting swept up in the undertow?
These musings are similar to the thoughts of Outspoken's protagonist, Penny Beck. After graduating high school and turning eighteen, she suffers a major identity crisis: she doesn't exactly know who she is, as she's been nothing but a glorified Yes Man during the entirety of her short life. Penny takes it upon herself to find her voice through putting a pause on her college plans and moving from her hometown in Montana to sleepy Well's Cove, South Carolina to take care of her grandfather whose mental state is rapidly deteriorating due to Alzheimer's. As she slowly becomes assimilated into the tight-knit coastal town, Penny finds herself losing more of her old, repressed self and settling into her new role of empowered adult. However, her parents and responsibilities are still an ever-present voice sounding in the back of her mind, calling her back to the mountainous area from which she hails. It's up to her to decide where -- and with whom -- she should settle down and call home.
I wish I could say that I had anything negative to say about this book, but I honestly cannot find anything that warrants constructive criticism. Outspoken had me completely enraptured from the first page following a main character that resonated all too well with me and my recent struggles with new adulthood. Penny's struggles were completely realistic: to go to college or not, to speak your mind or preserve a semblance of normalcy, make real friends or make practice friends. I really felt like she could be me in a different universe. Furthermore, I loved how all of the personal relationships between her and the other characters developed naturally, even though a few of the people came into her life as a result of circumstance. More often than not in young and new adult fiction, if there's to be any kind of romantic element, the two involved in the budding romance develop an insta-love with each other, which can be extremely infuriating in stories that tout themselves to be realistic. Instead, Penny ends up attracting people with her natural, unfiltered personality, which ultimately leads to developing her own sense of self-confidence. Furthermore, I loved the way we actually got to know the actual citizens of Wells Cove to see exactly how the town operated; it's not often that I read a book that incorporates people who aren't just the main character's immediate circle of friends. Additionally, Richardson's writing style is breezy, conversational, just like Penny aims to be as she finds her own voice. It felt like, at times, that I was hearing a story told to me by my best friend. It was the type of writing that I could just sink myself into and feel immediately comfortable.
Another thing about Outspoken that really resonated with me was Richardson's treatment of issues that I feel are very important to address among young women my age. Ultimately, Outspoken is about the empowerment of young women in the face of social pressures to keep quiet and conform in order to not upset the status quo, which is what Penny did her entire life. However, once she realized that it just wasn't for her, she pulled her power from within to start breaking out of her shell, which is something a lot of women of this particular age group struggle or even feel able to do. There's a great exchange between Penny and Archer, her new co-worker, when he defends her after another creepy co-worker tells her to smile. Archer feels like he has to defend her in the break room, even though Penny doesn't feel like a helpless creature. She says, "Well, that was lovely. First you snap at me for no reason about peanuts, then you come in here and bulldoze over a situation I had under control." This is one of the first of many instances where she truly lets her empowerment shine through. Additionally, Richardson handles personal histories like bodily autonomy and rape in a classy, elegant manner. Too often do I see writers treat rape survivors as victims rather than complex people, but Irene, one of Penny's customers, opens up about how her past as a victim has ultimately made her a survivor. I cannot recall the last time where an author included that element of someone's backstory into their work without it being exploitative or completely triggering. It was refreshing and wonderful to behold. Y'all should see the excited texts I sent to my friends and partner after I read that portion; I was genuinely very enthused.
Overall, Outspoken is a short, yet completely engaging read about one young woman's journey to self-actualization. By creating actual, tangible characters in realistic situations, Richardson has accomplished something that few newer writers are able to achieve. In a genre saturated by heroes who are set out to save the country/universe/world, it's a delight to see a piece that's able to cut through the thematic bullshit and just get to the point: tell a good, engaging story that resonates with its intended audience. I cannot write enough good things about it and, dare I say, this might just be one of my new favorite books.
As children, we're conditioned to think that once we hit adulthood, we're going to know exactly what to do and how to handle ourselves in any given situation. All it takes is to hit that mystical, elusive number: eighteen. At least in the United States, turning eighteen is a rite of passage in and of itself, as we're now considered legal adults with a wide world of possibilities opening up solely due to our age. However, where some of us feel like adulthood and its corresponding responsibilities hits us too quickly, throwing everything off balance and quickly overwhelming everything manageable about life. Is there a wrong way to "adult"? Are we losing sight of ourselves by getting swept up in the undertow?
These musings are similar to the thoughts of Outspoken's protagonist, Penny Beck. After graduating high school and turning eighteen, she suffers a major identity crisis: she doesn't exactly know who she is, as she's been nothing but a glorified Yes Man during the entirety of her short life. Penny takes it upon herself to find her voice through putting a pause on her college plans and moving from her hometown in Montana to sleepy Well's Cove, South Carolina to take care of her grandfather whose mental state is rapidly deteriorating due to Alzheimer's. As she slowly becomes assimilated into the tight-knit coastal town, Penny finds herself losing more of her old, repressed self and settling into her new role of empowered adult. However, her parents and responsibilities are still an ever-present voice sounding in the back of her mind, calling her back to the mountainous area from which she hails. It's up to her to decide where -- and with whom -- she should settle down and call home.
I wish I could say that I had anything negative to say about this book, but I honestly cannot find anything that warrants constructive criticism. Outspoken had me completely enraptured from the first page following a main character that resonated all too well with me and my recent struggles with new adulthood. Penny's struggles were completely realistic: to go to college or not, to speak your mind or preserve a semblance of normalcy, make real friends or make practice friends. I really felt like she could be me in a different universe. Furthermore, I loved how all of the personal relationships between her and the other characters developed naturally, even though a few of the people came into her life as a result of circumstance. More often than not in young and new adult fiction, if there's to be any kind of romantic element, the two involved in the budding romance develop an insta-love with each other, which can be extremely infuriating in stories that tout themselves to be realistic. Instead, Penny ends up attracting people with her natural, unfiltered personality, which ultimately leads to developing her own sense of self-confidence. Furthermore, I loved the way we actually got to know the actual citizens of Wells Cove to see exactly how the town operated; it's not often that I read a book that incorporates people who aren't just the main character's immediate circle of friends. Additionally, Richardson's writing style is breezy, conversational, just like Penny aims to be as she finds her own voice. It felt like, at times, that I was hearing a story told to me by my best friend. It was the type of writing that I could just sink myself into and feel immediately comfortable.
Another thing about Outspoken that really resonated with me was Richardson's treatment of issues that I feel are very important to address among young women my age. Ultimately, Outspoken is about the empowerment of young women in the face of social pressures to keep quiet and conform in order to not upset the status quo, which is what Penny did her entire life. However, once she realized that it just wasn't for her, she pulled her power from within to start breaking out of her shell, which is something a lot of women of this particular age group struggle or even feel able to do. There's a great exchange between Penny and Archer, her new co-worker, when he defends her after another creepy co-worker tells her to smile. Archer feels like he has to defend her in the break room, even though Penny doesn't feel like a helpless creature. She says, "Well, that was lovely. First you snap at me for no reason about peanuts, then you come in here and bulldoze over a situation I had under control." This is one of the first of many instances where she truly lets her empowerment shine through. Additionally, Richardson handles personal histories like bodily autonomy and rape in a classy, elegant manner. Too often do I see writers treat rape survivors as victims rather than complex people, but Irene, one of Penny's customers, opens up about how her past as a victim has ultimately made her a survivor. I cannot recall the last time where an author included that element of someone's backstory into their work without it being exploitative or completely triggering. It was refreshing and wonderful to behold. Y'all should see the excited texts I sent to my friends and partner after I read that portion; I was genuinely very enthused.
Overall, Outspoken is a short, yet completely engaging read about one young woman's journey to self-actualization. By creating actual, tangible characters in realistic situations, Richardson has accomplished something that few newer writers are able to achieve. In a genre saturated by heroes who are set out to save the country/universe/world, it's a delight to see a piece that's able to cut through the thematic bullshit and just get to the point: tell a good, engaging story that resonates with its intended audience. I cannot write enough good things about it and, dare I say, this might just be one of my new favorite books.
jamiebooksandladders's review
3.0
Disclaimer: I receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For those of you who are considering to read this novel there are major trigger warnings for rape. It is mentioned twice in the book, once at 41% and once near the end, probably around 86%.
I really liked this one. I had a couple issues with some of the dialogue and the tone, but the majority it was a good novel. If you are looking for a book that shows good character growth and has a main character who is learning to really be themselves, this is the one for you.
I will say that at some points it felt a bit like info-dumping of backstories of the characters. We learned a lot about the side characters all at once rather than gradually getting to know them. I found this to be a bit jarring since it seemed as though we were only learning this information to make those characters seem like real people rather than in a natural way or for a real reason.
Penny seemed to have very stiff voice as well. While all the dialogue seemed to be stilted, I found it the worst with Penny and Archer, especially with their conversations to one another. Something that was meant to be funny or sarcastic didn't come across that way unless the author wrote in that it was supposed to be funny or sarcastic. It was hard to get through some of their conversations.
I still recommend giving this one a try, but as I said there are trigger warnings for rape.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
For those of you who are considering to read this novel there are major trigger warnings for rape. It is mentioned twice in the book, once at 41% and once near the end, probably around 86%.
I really liked this one. I had a couple issues with some of the dialogue and the tone, but the majority it was a good novel. If you are looking for a book that shows good character growth and has a main character who is learning to really be themselves, this is the one for you.
I will say that at some points it felt a bit like info-dumping of backstories of the characters. We learned a lot about the side characters all at once rather than gradually getting to know them. I found this to be a bit jarring since it seemed as though we were only learning this information to make those characters seem like real people rather than in a natural way or for a real reason.
Penny seemed to have very stiff voice as well. While all the dialogue seemed to be stilted, I found it the worst with Penny and Archer, especially with their conversations to one another. Something that was meant to be funny or sarcastic didn't come across that way unless the author wrote in that it was supposed to be funny or sarcastic. It was hard to get through some of their conversations.
I still recommend giving this one a try, but as I said there are trigger warnings for rape.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
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