lynnedf's review against another edition
5.0
Loved it. super fun page turner. Amber is recovering and life isn't all that grand at the moment ... I especially enjoyed the ending. recommended read if you like Catherine's other books. Any "Spin" fans will not be disappointed. We even get to meet up with Kate and Henry again :0)
crolovr's review against another edition
4.0
Spun is a followup Novella of Spin. It continues Amber Sheppard's story as she
tries to get her life under control. Spun answers some of my questions that I
had at the end of Spin.
tries to get her life under control. Spun answers some of my questions that I
had at the end of Spin.
mountie9's review against another edition
5.0
The Good Stuff
Enjoyed the scenes between Amber and Kate. They have a complicated but intriguing relationship
The speech Henry gives at Connor's funeral was beautiful and honest
Fabulous insights about the paparazzi and the famous and wanting the rich and famous to fall hard
I am so glad Catherine wrote this novella, as I wanted to know more about Amber
Realistic character development. I was intrigued by Amber in Spin, but I fell in love with her in Spun
Wickedly funny, yet heartfelt and honest
Didn't want it to end. Read it in one setting while curled up in a warm blanket with a lovely Pinot Noir
I sort of see Amber as a more in touch Lindsay Lohan - just a little bit, you can see hope for Amber's future, unlike Ms Lohan however. (That girl needs some tough love and to be around people that actually give a damn for her)
Once again Ms McKenzie entertains, while at the same time making you think
McKenzie is a born storyteller and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next
For those who have not yet had a chance to read anything by this author, what the hell are you waiting for, get yourself to a bookstore (I suggest Chapters Shawnessy in Calgary, where a delightful CER named JR works - yes that is me) and pick up everything, you will not be disappointed
The Not So Good Stuff
Too bloody short, wanted more. Amber is a delightfully fresh and fun character.
Would have liked more of the wickedly funny
Yup so both points here are just saying that it was fabulous, I just wanted more (I know, I know I am such a selfish little git)
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"I suspect this stance actually has more to do with Kanye leaving me off a guest list or two in the last year, but I leave Olivia to her moral ground."
"Didn't keep you from taking the assignment, though did it? Again."
"True. My name is Kate. I'm an alcoholic and an awful person."
"You have to really mean it when you say that."
"None of my new clothes fit me properly and I've gained three pounds. I'm starting to look healthy, which had better stop pretty soon if i ever want to get cast in anything again."
4.5/5 Dewey's
I received an e-book copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
Enjoyed the scenes between Amber and Kate. They have a complicated but intriguing relationship
The speech Henry gives at Connor's funeral was beautiful and honest
Fabulous insights about the paparazzi and the famous and wanting the rich and famous to fall hard
I am so glad Catherine wrote this novella, as I wanted to know more about Amber
Realistic character development. I was intrigued by Amber in Spin, but I fell in love with her in Spun
Wickedly funny, yet heartfelt and honest
Didn't want it to end. Read it in one setting while curled up in a warm blanket with a lovely Pinot Noir
I sort of see Amber as a more in touch Lindsay Lohan - just a little bit, you can see hope for Amber's future, unlike Ms Lohan however. (That girl needs some tough love and to be around people that actually give a damn for her)
Once again Ms McKenzie entertains, while at the same time making you think
McKenzie is a born storyteller and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next
For those who have not yet had a chance to read anything by this author, what the hell are you waiting for, get yourself to a bookstore (I suggest Chapters Shawnessy in Calgary, where a delightful CER named JR works - yes that is me) and pick up everything, you will not be disappointed
The Not So Good Stuff
Too bloody short, wanted more. Amber is a delightfully fresh and fun character.
Would have liked more of the wickedly funny
Yup so both points here are just saying that it was fabulous, I just wanted more (I know, I know I am such a selfish little git)
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"I suspect this stance actually has more to do with Kanye leaving me off a guest list or two in the last year, but I leave Olivia to her moral ground."
"Didn't keep you from taking the assignment, though did it? Again."
"True. My name is Kate. I'm an alcoholic and an awful person."
"You have to really mean it when you say that."
"None of my new clothes fit me properly and I've gained three pounds. I'm starting to look healthy, which had better stop pretty soon if i ever want to get cast in anything again."
4.5/5 Dewey's
I received an e-book copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
tracyd223's review
4.0
I think I enjoyed this one even more than the first!!! So many twists and turns, I loved it!!
beckylej's review against another edition
5.0
In the many months since her stint in rehab, actress Amber Sheppard has not had things easy. She's kept clean but none of that seems to matter. The paparazzi are always watching, waiting for her to fall back into her old ways. Even the casting agents doubt her. And then there's Connor Parks. After all they've been through - all the ups and downs, the fights, the breakups, the make ups - Amber just can't let him go. And so, after months of pleading via email and text, Amber breaks down and agrees to meet him. In just one instant everything changes for Amber... and Connor, making the former Girl Next Door again the center of attention as everyone waits to see what will happen next.
SPUN packs a wallop for such a short read! While it's easy to sympathize with Amber in SPIN, SPUN offers up a chance to see things from her perspective. Kate and Henry do make appearances but this time Amber is the real star of the show. And oh did I love her! Gone is the petulant young actress dead set on being difficult. In her place is a new, more mature Amber who has already started to learn the error of her ways and still longs for more. More stability, more trust from those around her, more respect in the industry.
And without giving too much away to you, potential reader, McKenzie doesn't make it easy on her.
SPUN packs a wallop for such a short read! While it's easy to sympathize with Amber in SPIN, SPUN offers up a chance to see things from her perspective. Kate and Henry do make appearances but this time Amber is the real star of the show. And oh did I love her! Gone is the petulant young actress dead set on being difficult. In her place is a new, more mature Amber who has already started to learn the error of her ways and still longs for more. More stability, more trust from those around her, more respect in the industry.
And without giving too much away to you, potential reader, McKenzie doesn't make it easy on her.
gellyy's review against another edition
3.0
Nice visit with some characters I liked! Interesting end to the story of TGND.
ashleyspilk's review against another edition
4.0
Liked Spin, but liked this better. I like Amber a whole heck of a lot better. Does well to humanize the character.
sshabein's review against another edition
2.0
SPUN It’s a story about grief, addiction, and celebrity culture, but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as its predecessor, SPIN.
It’s not that I wholly disliked Spun, but I spent most of the time reading wondering why I cared, and also wishing that we were getting a Spin/Kate story instead. Post-rehab career is an interesting concept, especially in terms of navigating celebrity culture, yet Amber spends a lot of time waiting for someone to point her in the right direction, which does not make for an interesting protagonist. I understand that someone who feels helpless would do so, from a real-life standpoint, but I expected more from a book — even if it is only around 80 pages.
McKenzie does make good use of incorporating scripts, interview clippings and text messages into the story — a trick that a lot of modern writers are still struggling with. One can hardly write about an actress in L.A. without these things, and their appearances do not feel jarring. There are also some funny bits of dialogue and, again, touching insight into Amber getting her life together.
Still, if Spun needed to be written, it needed more than backstory with a side of soapy dramz. Amber could have her own full length book, and this one doesn’t quite meet the mark. It feels rushed — dashed off, even — and ill-prepared for prime time. Maybe it’s enough for some readers, but despite its bright spots, it wasn’t enough for me.
(My full review appears at Persephone Magazine.)
It’s not that I wholly disliked Spun, but I spent most of the time reading wondering why I cared, and also wishing that we were getting a Spin/Kate story instead. Post-rehab career is an interesting concept, especially in terms of navigating celebrity culture, yet Amber spends a lot of time waiting for someone to point her in the right direction, which does not make for an interesting protagonist. I understand that someone who feels helpless would do so, from a real-life standpoint, but I expected more from a book — even if it is only around 80 pages.
McKenzie does make good use of incorporating scripts, interview clippings and text messages into the story — a trick that a lot of modern writers are still struggling with. One can hardly write about an actress in L.A. without these things, and their appearances do not feel jarring. There are also some funny bits of dialogue and, again, touching insight into Amber getting her life together.
Still, if Spun needed to be written, it needed more than backstory with a side of soapy dramz. Amber could have her own full length book, and this one doesn’t quite meet the mark. It feels rushed — dashed off, even — and ill-prepared for prime time. Maybe it’s enough for some readers, but despite its bright spots, it wasn’t enough for me.
(My full review appears at Persephone Magazine.)
spike0216's review against another edition
3.0
Fun follow up to Spin.
The characters stayed true to the people we met in Spin, which is good. As a novella, it's not as meaty as Spin was, and I didn't necessarily feel it has the keep-you-on-your-toes quality that Spin had, but if you enjoyed Spin (I did), this is still a fun little follow up.
The characters stayed true to the people we met in Spin, which is good. As a novella, it's not as meaty as Spin was, and I didn't necessarily feel it has the keep-you-on-your-toes quality that Spin had, but if you enjoyed Spin (I did), this is still a fun little follow up.
lauriereadslohf's review against another edition
4.0
4 1/2 Stars
Spun is a novella, 2 hrs 47 mins (or 140 pgs), and is a spin-off of a previous book called “Spin”. I haven’t read Spin yet (but plan to now) and had no problem following this story. I wish all attached stories could manage to do this.
Amber is a former child star struggling to get her life together. She is the classic tale of child star turned wastrel. She fell in love with a bad boy, has been in and out of rehab for drug and alcohol addiction, has a strained relationship with her parents, ruined all but the lamest of career opportunities with her on-set bad behavior and instability and is now hounded by the paparazzi who want nothing more than to see her continued downfall.
Amber has made a complete mess of her life and she knows it. She doesn’t deny it, she doesn’t get all “poor me” and she doesn’t lay the blame on anyone but herself. She’s trying to do what’s right even though it’s probably the most difficult thing she’s ever faced. This is why I liked Amber right away. She has managed to stay sober for two years and has avoided the former love of her life for over six months because he is her kryptonite. But then she’s dealt a devastating blow to the heart, forced to face betrayal after betrayal and has a family who doesn’t have any faith that she is actually “sober”. This story is about the roughest patch of Amber’s young life.
Amber is never unlikable, she’s just a mess. At this point in her life, she’s vulnerable and facing so many betrayals that you hope she’s able to come out of it with her sobriety and her sanity intact. I really felt for her, even teared up once or twice, if you can believe that. Told from Amber’s POV you see the entire devastating mess from Amber’s POV and you really feel her pain. She even managed to maintain a self-deprecating sense of humor about herself and her life that always kept the book from being completely dreary as Amber struggles to deal with becoming a stable adult.
I enjoyed this story and the breezy (but not immature) writing style. If you’re into audiobooks and this sort of dramatic story, this is a great choice. The narrator drew me in and kept me. Her voice sounds world weary but still young enough and I never felt jolted or lost when other characters spoke.
Spun is a novella, 2 hrs 47 mins (or 140 pgs), and is a spin-off of a previous book called “Spin”. I haven’t read Spin yet (but plan to now) and had no problem following this story. I wish all attached stories could manage to do this.
Amber is a former child star struggling to get her life together. She is the classic tale of child star turned wastrel. She fell in love with a bad boy, has been in and out of rehab for drug and alcohol addiction, has a strained relationship with her parents, ruined all but the lamest of career opportunities with her on-set bad behavior and instability and is now hounded by the paparazzi who want nothing more than to see her continued downfall.
Amber has made a complete mess of her life and she knows it. She doesn’t deny it, she doesn’t get all “poor me” and she doesn’t lay the blame on anyone but herself. She’s trying to do what’s right even though it’s probably the most difficult thing she’s ever faced. This is why I liked Amber right away. She has managed to stay sober for two years and has avoided the former love of her life for over six months because he is her kryptonite. But then she’s dealt a devastating blow to the heart, forced to face betrayal after betrayal and has a family who doesn’t have any faith that she is actually “sober”. This story is about the roughest patch of Amber’s young life.
Amber is never unlikable, she’s just a mess. At this point in her life, she’s vulnerable and facing so many betrayals that you hope she’s able to come out of it with her sobriety and her sanity intact. I really felt for her, even teared up once or twice, if you can believe that. Told from Amber’s POV you see the entire devastating mess from Amber’s POV and you really feel her pain. She even managed to maintain a self-deprecating sense of humor about herself and her life that always kept the book from being completely dreary as Amber struggles to deal with becoming a stable adult.
I enjoyed this story and the breezy (but not immature) writing style. If you’re into audiobooks and this sort of dramatic story, this is a great choice. The narrator drew me in and kept me. Her voice sounds world weary but still young enough and I never felt jolted or lost when other characters spoke.