mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars. This was a really sweet, adorable book with really likeable characters!
It just has everything that anyone would want in a book. Cute romance (which start off at the wrong foot, more on that later), music, running away for a day and having a great time, friendship and much more.
I was delighted that the romance didn't start off immediately. While I don't mind it happening, it is refreshing that it isn't instant love, but instead starts with quite a bumpy start for the two of them. I must say that I laughed so hard, since Maya is one girl you don't want to screw with, she has an arsenal of words ready, though you can also see underneath the words, and underneath the awesome clothes (yes, I really loved them, finally a main character who isn't dressed in standard attire), there is a girl there who was quite a bit shattered with how Jesse acted the first time. But then again, I can also imagine why Jesse would act this way. I can imagine that if you are popular and you know that fans can get a bit (well, ok, a lot) extreme, that you won't be happy that when you think you have the room to yourself that you find yourself looking at a girl.
Of course Jesse could have used some tact and not immediately have jumped to conclusions that Maya is a stalker or a scary fan.
But after that bumpy part, and some other bumpy parts in the first day, you could just see the sparks flying and I was just squealing in happiness. Jesse and Maya do really match together so well, they are great together and I was just dancing around from happiness.
Of course at times I just wanted to shake both Maya and Jesse for being complete idiots. Due to experiences they both had they are distrustful and also in Jesse's case, he jumps to conclusions. I can imagine why, but I still just wanted them to get together and try it out. Not immediately say no.
The first day (the day that Maya was supposed to shadow Jesse) was terrific and I just laughed so hard at a lot of things, and I was also delighted to see them opening up to each other. Jesse helping out Maya with her guitar and her vocals (which she apparently needed). Those shadow days sound pretty awesome, even if you get a dud as a day, it must still be fun to do something else for a change, and who knows, maybe you get lucky and have a fantastic day.
Maya was a great character, and like I said, I loved her sense of clothing, it is a style I also love wearing at times, so I was just cheering happily. Often characters just wear jeans/skirt + t-shirt/top, so this was refreshing, also considering that if characters wear clothes like Maya, they are often stereotyped as goth or emo or something else in that category. Maya on the other hand is just a normal girl who loves rock and singing and guitars.
Though not only that, I loved that she adored cars and bikes. It is something I also adore so I could relate to the girl and every time she squealed for a great bike or a car I was squealing as well.
I loved how hard she worked on getting somewhere, a lot of people might have given up, but she had so many people motivating her, and her own motivation was huge, it was amazing to see her fight to get somewhere.
I loved her with Jesse, she was able to throw back words to his stuff, she was able to listen to him, to care for him, she wasn't that much fazed by the fact that he was a superstar. A lot of people might feel unworthy, or try to grab this chance to get somewhere themselves, but not Maya. Oh no. She was terrific with this kind of thing.
Jesse, ah Jesse, such a wonderful and sweet guy and I felt so sad for him a lot of times through the book. Super star, it sounds so fantastic, it sounds like the life everyone would want, but instead it is causing Jesse quite a bit of trouble, not only with the fact he can't go outside without guards/escort, but also with his family. At times I just wanted to hug him and tell him things would be all right, that he would find a place he belongs, that he would find more happiness.
Of course, at times he was just mean or rude, but as we slowly find out more and more about his past, I just couldn't be angry with him.
The competition and what happened there. Wow. I won't say much more, as that might spoil things, and I don't want people to know what happens there.
I was also delighted to see Jordan back again in this story! Yay! And also references to other characters. It is always fun when characters come back, or are referenced back. It gives the book an extra spark and makes it extra fun to read. :)
The story was really and I enjoyed it a lot. Lots of music, references to good music, a bit of drama, quite a bit more of romance and much much more!
I saw that there will be more books about Hundred Oaks in the future, I can't wait, hopefully they will all be great and I hope that we will meet older characters again.
I would recommend this book to everyone. Of course I would recommend that people also read the other books, otherwise you might just miss the references. And those references just make the book extra fun!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
It just has everything that anyone would want in a book. Cute romance (which start off at the wrong foot, more on that later), music, running away for a day and having a great time, friendship and much more.
I was delighted that the romance didn't start off immediately. While I don't mind it happening, it is refreshing that it isn't instant love, but instead starts with quite a bumpy start for the two of them. I must say that I laughed so hard, since Maya is one girl you don't want to screw with, she has an arsenal of words ready, though you can also see underneath the words, and underneath the awesome clothes (yes, I really loved them, finally a main character who isn't dressed in standard attire), there is a girl there who was quite a bit shattered with how Jesse acted the first time. But then again, I can also imagine why Jesse would act this way. I can imagine that if you are popular and you know that fans can get a bit (well, ok, a lot) extreme, that you won't be happy that when you think you have the room to yourself that you find yourself looking at a girl.
Of course Jesse could have used some tact and not immediately have jumped to conclusions that Maya is a stalker or a scary fan.
But after that bumpy part, and some other bumpy parts in the first day, you could just see the sparks flying and I was just squealing in happiness. Jesse and Maya do really match together so well, they are great together and I was just dancing around from happiness.
Of course at times I just wanted to shake both Maya and Jesse for being complete idiots. Due to experiences they both had they are distrustful and also in Jesse's case, he jumps to conclusions. I can imagine why, but I still just wanted them to get together and try it out. Not immediately say no.
The first day (the day that Maya was supposed to shadow Jesse) was terrific and I just laughed so hard at a lot of things, and I was also delighted to see them opening up to each other. Jesse helping out Maya with her guitar and her vocals (which she apparently needed). Those shadow days sound pretty awesome, even if you get a dud as a day, it must still be fun to do something else for a change, and who knows, maybe you get lucky and have a fantastic day.
Maya was a great character, and like I said, I loved her sense of clothing, it is a style I also love wearing at times, so I was just cheering happily. Often characters just wear jeans/skirt + t-shirt/top, so this was refreshing, also considering that if characters wear clothes like Maya, they are often stereotyped as goth or emo or something else in that category. Maya on the other hand is just a normal girl who loves rock and singing and guitars.
Though not only that, I loved that she adored cars and bikes. It is something I also adore so I could relate to the girl and every time she squealed for a great bike or a car I was squealing as well.
I loved how hard she worked on getting somewhere, a lot of people might have given up, but she had so many people motivating her, and her own motivation was huge, it was amazing to see her fight to get somewhere.
I loved her with Jesse, she was able to throw back words to his stuff, she was able to listen to him, to care for him, she wasn't that much fazed by the fact that he was a superstar. A lot of people might feel unworthy, or try to grab this chance to get somewhere themselves, but not Maya. Oh no. She was terrific with this kind of thing.
Jesse, ah Jesse, such a wonderful and sweet guy and I felt so sad for him a lot of times through the book. Super star, it sounds so fantastic, it sounds like the life everyone would want, but instead it is causing Jesse quite a bit of trouble, not only with the fact he can't go outside without guards/escort, but also with his family. At times I just wanted to hug him and tell him things would be all right, that he would find a place he belongs, that he would find more happiness.
Of course, at times he was just mean or rude, but as we slowly find out more and more about his past, I just couldn't be angry with him.
The competition and what happened there. Wow. I won't say much more, as that might spoil things, and I don't want people to know what happens there.
I was also delighted to see Jordan back again in this story! Yay! And also references to other characters. It is always fun when characters come back, or are referenced back. It gives the book an extra spark and makes it extra fun to read. :)
The story was really and I enjoyed it a lot. Lots of music, references to good music, a bit of drama, quite a bit more of romance and much much more!
I saw that there will be more books about Hundred Oaks in the future, I can't wait, hopefully they will all be great and I hope that we will meet older characters again.
I would recommend this book to everyone. Of course I would recommend that people also read the other books, otherwise you might just miss the references. And those references just make the book extra fun!
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
dani_bugz's review against another edition
3.0
Jesse's Girl was a light, fun, predictable, holiday read. It's not anything special, but hey I enjoyed it and if you're looking for that sort of thing then give it a go!
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars!
Miranda Kenneally is a master at writing Book Boys and I love every single one of hers!
If Ferris Bueller's Day Off and American Idol got married and had a baby, Jesse's Girl would be it. (And it would be love at first sight for me.)
This story has all of the elements I've come to love in a Miranda Kenneally book: Smart, feisty female MC, relateable family dynamics, a cute boy and a swoon-worthy romance.
Maya has big dreams, ones she's determined to achieve no matter what while Jesse struggles to enjoy the life he's created. I enjoyed watching the two of them navigate their day together, learning about each other and even discovering new things about themselves. They bring out the best in one another which was refreshing. And of course I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED seeing a certain older brother and his girlfriend again too!
Fans of the Hundred Oaks series will not be disappointed!
Miranda Kenneally is a master at writing Book Boys and I love every single one of hers!
If Ferris Bueller's Day Off and American Idol got married and had a baby, Jesse's Girl would be it. (And it would be love at first sight for me.)
This story has all of the elements I've come to love in a Miranda Kenneally book: Smart, feisty female MC, relateable family dynamics, a cute boy and a swoon-worthy romance.
Maya has big dreams, ones she's determined to achieve no matter what while Jesse struggles to enjoy the life he's created. I enjoyed watching the two of them navigate their day together, learning about each other and even discovering new things about themselves. They bring out the best in one another which was refreshing. And of course I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED seeing a certain older brother and his girlfriend again too!
Fans of the Hundred Oaks series will not be disappointed!
randomly_kait's review against another edition
5.0
You know I wish that I had Jesse's GIIIIIIRRRLLL--"
Oh, uh, *AHEM* hello there, fancy meeting you here... Anyway...
The cover of this book is FANTABULOUS, and Jesse likes Keith Urban, which gives it bonus points right away... But those aren't the only reasons why I liked this book.
I 'll tell you right now that throwing together a punk-rock, 80's music singing girl, and a country boy was a fantastic idea... Especially since this girl claims to hate country music.
This book only took me about 3 hours or so to read, which is fantastic because I've been having a reader's block of sorts, where it takes me forever to finish a book, if I even make it that far
I loved Maya. I really did. I think we could be BFFs. I mean, she loves funnel cakes as much as I do! But seriously, she reminded me of a combination of Maya from Girl Meets World, Eve Rosser from Morganville, and Abby Sciuto from NCIS. It was fantastic. She was so confident in herself {besides her Gabriella Montez/Ally Dawson stage fright, that she ended up overcoming} and she wore all these crazy cool punk rock outfits, that I don't think I would ever be brave enough to try.
I also LOVED the fact that the chapter titles were song titles {I was proud of myself because I knew almost all of them}
I'm super glad that Maya had such a great relationship with her family. They supported her 100%, and they would do anything to help her out. There was no big family drama going on anywhere, no resentment of siblings, or anything like that, which I thought was pretty cool.
Maya and Jesse had a lot of trust related issues to work through. They were both guilty of blaming and pre-judging each other over something that someone else did, and I understand why they felt the way they did. Once bitten, twice shy and all that, but it still hurt my heart to see them going through that.
I do kind of wish that we had been able to get a glimpse ahead to when Maya is finally allowed to participate in Wannabe Rocker. I mean, all the anticipation leading up to the decision of her holding off for a year, it kills me.
You can also check out this review and others over on randomlykait.blogspot.com
Oh, uh, *AHEM* hello there, fancy meeting you here... Anyway...
The cover of this book is FANTABULOUS, and Jesse likes Keith Urban, which gives it bonus points right away... But those aren't the only reasons why I liked this book.
I 'll tell you right now that throwing together a punk-rock, 80's music singing girl, and a country boy was a fantastic idea... Especially since this girl claims to hate country music.
This book only took me about 3 hours or so to read, which is fantastic because I've been having a reader's block of sorts, where it takes me forever to finish a book, if I even make it that far
I loved Maya. I really did. I think we could be BFFs. I mean, she loves funnel cakes as much as I do! But seriously, she reminded me of a combination of Maya from Girl Meets World, Eve Rosser from Morganville, and Abby Sciuto from NCIS. It was fantastic. She was so confident in herself {besides her Gabriella Montez/Ally Dawson stage fright, that she ended up overcoming} and she wore all these crazy cool punk rock outfits, that I don't think I would ever be brave enough to try.
I also LOVED the fact that the chapter titles were song titles {I was proud of myself because I knew almost all of them}
I'm super glad that Maya had such a great relationship with her family. They supported her 100%, and they would do anything to help her out. There was no big family drama going on anywhere, no resentment of siblings, or anything like that, which I thought was pretty cool.
Maya and Jesse had a lot of trust related issues to work through. They were both guilty of blaming and pre-judging each other over something that someone else did, and I understand why they felt the way they did. Once bitten, twice shy and all that, but it still hurt my heart to see them going through that.
I do kind of wish that we had been able to get a glimpse ahead to when Maya is finally allowed to participate in Wannabe Rocker. I mean, all the anticipation leading up to the decision of her holding off for a year, it kills me.
You can also check out this review and others over on randomlykait.blogspot.com
danielasunshine16's review
4.0
Loved it, this is one of those books where I want to live that exact adventure. It was fun, cute and I loved the dinamic between the 2 main characters I truly didn’t want it to end.
msethna's review against another edition
4.0
I was going through my list of Netgalley ARCs that I need to read this summer, and Jesse's Girl was just the pick me up that I needed to read. There are times when I want something a little more serious and then there are days I just need a fun, light, summer read. Jesse's Girl was just that! I became a fan of Miranda Kenneally's books starting with Catching Jordan and then fell in love with Breathe, Annie, Breathe. I loved how the main character, Maya, stayed true to herself and her dreams when she was introduced to Jesse Scott, a 19 year old mega country star. She didn't fall into the "I'm dating someone famous so I am going to use him to get a music deal trap." Miranda Kenneally is now one of my go-to authors to share with girls who like Sarah Dessen, Gayle Forman and/or Colleen Hoover's books. There are plenty more books in her Hundred Oaks series I need to read and share with my students.
danicapage's review against another edition
4.0
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Disclaimers: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
Why did I decide to read this? I've loved all of the previous ones in the series and have enjoyed it immensely.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I'm going to stick with the first one was my favorite one in the series. The rest have never quite lived up to that first one. However, I did really enjoy this one too.
I love when books are about music. I don't know why, but I always have and probably always will.
I loved the plot of this book and the characters. Maya and Jason were two great cute characters to read about. I loved how Maya and Jason got together on a school shadowing day and decided to bail and have a Ferris Bueler's day off kind of day.
It was a fantastic setting. I loved all the crazy adventures the two went on. The characters were my favorite part of this book. They were well developed and fun to read about.
This novel was a fun, cute read albeit a little unrealistic at times. I thought the pacing was spot on.
Major Strengths: Characters were fantastic.
Major Weaknesses: It lacked depth to make it a 4 star novel, but it was fun, frivolous read.
So why 3.5 stars? It stood out from the crowd, but not quite enough to earn 4 stars. A fun, cute read, however.
Can I read the series out of order? Yes, each one can be read as a stand-alone.
Warnings/Side-notes: Vague (exceptionally vague) references to sex and drinking. Some cases of strong language, but definitely on the cleaner end.
The Wrap-up: An enjoyable fun read. I've come to enjoy Kenneally's books. Still waiting for one as enjoyable as the first. However, Breathe Annie Breathe came close.
Love,
Danica Page
Disclaimers: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
Why did I decide to read this? I've loved all of the previous ones in the series and have enjoyed it immensely.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I'm going to stick with the first one was my favorite one in the series. The rest have never quite lived up to that first one. However, I did really enjoy this one too.
I love when books are about music. I don't know why, but I always have and probably always will.
I loved the plot of this book and the characters. Maya and Jason were two great cute characters to read about. I loved how Maya and Jason got together on a school shadowing day and decided to bail and have a Ferris Bueler's day off kind of day.
It was a fantastic setting. I loved all the crazy adventures the two went on. The characters were my favorite part of this book. They were well developed and fun to read about.
This novel was a fun, cute read albeit a little unrealistic at times. I thought the pacing was spot on.
Major Strengths: Characters were fantastic.
Major Weaknesses: It lacked depth to make it a 4 star novel, but it was fun, frivolous read.
So why 3.5 stars? It stood out from the crowd, but not quite enough to earn 4 stars. A fun, cute read, however.
Can I read the series out of order? Yes, each one can be read as a stand-alone.
Warnings/Side-notes: Vague (exceptionally vague) references to sex and drinking. Some cases of strong language, but definitely on the cleaner end.
The Wrap-up: An enjoyable fun read. I've come to enjoy Kenneally's books. Still waiting for one as enjoyable as the first. However, Breathe Annie Breathe came close.
Love,
Danica Page
lara_ghr's review against another edition
3.0
Inhalt: Everyone at Hundred Oaks High knows that career mentoring day is a joke. So when Maya Henry said she wanted to be a rock star, she never imagined she’d get to shadow the Jesse Scott, Nashville’s teen idol.
But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?
Rezension: Ich hatte mir nach The fill-in Boyfriend einfach mehr erhofft als eine 0-8-15 Story. Die Protagonisten gefallen mir wirklich gut, insbesondere Maya mit ihren ausgefallenen Outfits und offenen Art. Auch wenn ich mich mit Jesse identifizieren, bedient er das Klischee eines Rockstars. Fehlende Unterstützung der Eltern, Manager übernimmt die Vaterrolle und aufgrund des reisen Hypes hat er ein Vertrautenproblem. Da prallen zu viele Klischees aufeinander.
Wenn die Story etwas ausgebauter gewesen wäre, hätten mich diese Klischees wohl weniger gestört, aber leider ist dies nicht der Fall. Das Buch dreht sich hauptsächlich um diesen einen Tag, den Maya und Jesse miteinander verbringen und die Probleme die danach entstehen, sind mir zu gestellt. Aus diesen Gründen kann ich dem Roman nicht mehr als zwei Sterne geben.
But spending the day with Jesse is far from a dream come true. He’s as gorgeous as his music, but seeing all that he’s accomplished is just a reminder of everything Maya’s lost: her trust, her boyfriend, their band, and any chance to play the music she craves. Not to mention that Jesse’s pushy and opinionated. He made it on his own, and he thinks Maya’s playing back up to other people’s dreams. Does she have what it takes to follow her heart—and go solo?
Rezension: Ich hatte mir nach The fill-in Boyfriend einfach mehr erhofft als eine 0-8-15 Story. Die Protagonisten gefallen mir wirklich gut, insbesondere Maya mit ihren ausgefallenen Outfits und offenen Art. Auch wenn ich mich mit Jesse identifizieren, bedient er das Klischee eines Rockstars. Fehlende Unterstützung der Eltern, Manager übernimmt die Vaterrolle und aufgrund des reisen Hypes hat er ein Vertrautenproblem. Da prallen zu viele Klischees aufeinander.
Wenn die Story etwas ausgebauter gewesen wäre, hätten mich diese Klischees wohl weniger gestört, aber leider ist dies nicht der Fall. Das Buch dreht sich hauptsächlich um diesen einen Tag, den Maya und Jesse miteinander verbringen und die Probleme die danach entstehen, sind mir zu gestellt. Aus diesen Gründen kann ich dem Roman nicht mehr als zwei Sterne geben.