inwonderland49's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first experience with Katie McGarry and it won't be the last! I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the concept. There were times that the book bothered me. In terms of the main character, Emily. But then, I remembered, her parents are causing most of these problems. Not her.
This is a chunker of a book. It is nearly 500 pages and while at times I felt like it dragged and I think that some of the words could have been cut, I still enjoyed the story. What irritated me the most with this book were the parents of Emily. Both her biological parents and her adopted father (is that the right way to say that?). The three of them bugged me so much because of what they put Emily through. Like, why couldn't they have been honest? It would have saved a lot of people from a lot of agony and confusion.
The chemistry between Emily and Oz (mmmm!) was great. I really enjoyed reading about their relationship. I think they were superb together. I loved that even in the end, the one person Emily trusted was Oz. The tension between these two were great. They were trying so hard to not like one another but it just failed miserably and I loved it!
Another character that I loved immensely was Olivia. She just made me laugh! She was so quirky and bold and eccentric and just flat out one of the best grandmother's to have! I also enjoyed getting to know Chevy, Violet, and Razor. So I cannot wait until the next installments come out!
If you are a Katie McGarry fan, a fan of YA Contemporary, or a fan of motorcycles, then you need to pick up this book. I really enjoyed it and cannot wait until Walk The Edge comes out March of 2016. I am definitely going to have to read more of Katie McGarry's work! And soon!
This is a chunker of a book. It is nearly 500 pages and while at times I felt like it dragged and I think that some of the words could have been cut, I still enjoyed the story. What irritated me the most with this book were the parents of Emily. Both her biological parents and her adopted father (is that the right way to say that?). The three of them bugged me so much because of what they put Emily through. Like, why couldn't they have been honest? It would have saved a lot of people from a lot of agony and confusion.
The chemistry between Emily and Oz (mmmm!) was great. I really enjoyed reading about their relationship. I think they were superb together. I loved that even in the end, the one person Emily trusted was Oz. The tension between these two were great. They were trying so hard to not like one another but it just failed miserably and I loved it!
Another character that I loved immensely was Olivia. She just made me laugh! She was so quirky and bold and eccentric and just flat out one of the best grandmother's to have! I also enjoyed getting to know Chevy, Violet, and Razor. So I cannot wait until the next installments come out!
If you are a Katie McGarry fan, a fan of YA Contemporary, or a fan of motorcycles, then you need to pick up this book. I really enjoyed it and cannot wait until Walk The Edge comes out March of 2016. I am definitely going to have to read more of Katie McGarry's work! And soon!
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
5.0
This is completely my kind of story! I loved Emily and Oz, and I also loved the convoluted backstory between Meg and Eli, Cyrus and Olivia.
kimo1983's review against another edition
4.0
Good story, good plot, Liked the writing style and the characters
joliendelandsheer's review against another edition
4.0
Review on my blog The Fictional Reader
When I heard Katie McGarry was writing Nowhere But Here, I could have squealed out of excitement. I love Katie McGarry -even though I haven’t read Take Me On yet. However, this one sounded so incredible to me. I had never read anything about a motorcycle gang before! As always, Katie McGarry didn’t disappoint.
I find that in contemporary/romance novels, the characters are the most important aspect. If they aren’t well written. there’s almost no way to save your story. Not that I said well-written, not lovable. There are times in which a main character sometimes gets terribly on my nerves, but I can still appreciate them. Because in real life, there are definitely also people who get on my nerves. This was the case for Emily. I did like her, and I enjoyed reading from her point of view. But sometimes, I just wanted to shake her and scream. There were just certain parts of her that I didn't understand! Let’s just get into it.
So, Emily. Emily is the daughter of one of the most respected members of the Reign of Terror, a motorcycle club. However, she has barely ever seen her father and in fact, considers her stepfather to be her true father. Through a series of events, she ends up having to spend the summer with her biological father and his family. While I admire the love Emily has for her mother and stepdad, I feel like as a 17-year-old, she is way too dependent on them. To be honest, she felt much younger than that to me. There were just so many things she hadn’t done because she was either afraid, or it was out of her comfort zone. At times, I felt like she lived in a bubble. However, I did like her overall. She was kind, and once she got over the initial fear, even a bit snarky -which I always appreciate. And she grew so much throughout the novel, which is the best part about her. She learns to come out of her shell, ask questions –even though they might make someone uncomfortable– and take more risks.
Next up, Oz. I think he is my favorite character in Nowhere But Here. He is the son of one of the Reign of Terror members, but unlike Emily, he wants to be a part of the club himself. Why? Because he knows that the RoT is legit: they don’t do any illegal stuff. They own a security company and often provide security on the road for other companies. To him, it’s family. I love how Oz defends his family. You can truly see how much he loves them. He’s strong, brave and witty. What more could you want?
There are several other characters that deserve a mention, but I feel like I’ll unintentionally spoil something for you if I say too much. So I’ll keep it short. Emily’s mom: I don’t like her. WOMAN, WHAT’S WITH ALL THE LIES??? Emily’s stepfather: while he has been a great dad to Emily, I’m angry with him. Emily’s dad: such an incredible person. But again: DUDE, WHAT’S WITH ALL THE LIES??? Emily’s grandmother: she is absolutely epic. HA. I love her. Although she would have scared me to death. Maybe even literally.
I really love this novel. It’s not just a story about self-discovery. To me, this is a story about prejudice and stereotypes. Katie McGarry shows us that we, humans, like to draw conclusions from either a first impression, gossip or incomplete/wrong information. When we hear the words “motorcycle club”, the first thing we think about is violence. Or fear. Or even drugs and guns. And while that is true for some, it may not be for every club out there. Like the Reign of Terror. I just think that this book is an incredible reminder to not just make up your mind about something or someone when you don’t know any actual facts.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
★★★★★
When I heard Katie McGarry was writing Nowhere But Here, I could have squealed out of excitement. I love Katie McGarry -even though I haven’t read Take Me On yet. However, this one sounded so incredible to me. I had never read anything about a motorcycle gang before! As always, Katie McGarry didn’t disappoint.
I find that in contemporary/romance novels, the characters are the most important aspect. If they aren’t well written. there’s almost no way to save your story. Not that I said well-written, not lovable. There are times in which a main character sometimes gets terribly on my nerves, but I can still appreciate them. Because in real life, there are definitely also people who get on my nerves. This was the case for Emily. I did like her, and I enjoyed reading from her point of view. But sometimes, I just wanted to shake her and scream. There were just certain parts of her that I didn't understand! Let’s just get into it.
So, Emily. Emily is the daughter of one of the most respected members of the Reign of Terror, a motorcycle club. However, she has barely ever seen her father and in fact, considers her stepfather to be her true father. Through a series of events, she ends up having to spend the summer with her biological father and his family. While I admire the love Emily has for her mother and stepdad, I feel like as a 17-year-old, she is way too dependent on them. To be honest, she felt much younger than that to me. There were just so many things she hadn’t done because she was either afraid, or it was out of her comfort zone. At times, I felt like she lived in a bubble. However, I did like her overall. She was kind, and once she got over the initial fear, even a bit snarky -which I always appreciate. And she grew so much throughout the novel, which is the best part about her. She learns to come out of her shell, ask questions –even though they might make someone uncomfortable– and take more risks.
Next up, Oz. I think he is my favorite character in Nowhere But Here. He is the son of one of the Reign of Terror members, but unlike Emily, he wants to be a part of the club himself. Why? Because he knows that the RoT is legit: they don’t do any illegal stuff. They own a security company and often provide security on the road for other companies. To him, it’s family. I love how Oz defends his family. You can truly see how much he loves them. He’s strong, brave and witty. What more could you want?
There are several other characters that deserve a mention, but I feel like I’ll unintentionally spoil something for you if I say too much. So I’ll keep it short. Emily’s mom: I don’t like her. WOMAN, WHAT’S WITH ALL THE LIES??? Emily’s stepfather: while he has been a great dad to Emily, I’m angry with him. Emily’s dad: such an incredible person. But again: DUDE, WHAT’S WITH ALL THE LIES??? Emily’s grandmother: she is absolutely epic. HA. I love her. Although she would have scared me to death. Maybe even literally.
I really love this novel. It’s not just a story about self-discovery. To me, this is a story about prejudice and stereotypes. Katie McGarry shows us that we, humans, like to draw conclusions from either a first impression, gossip or incomplete/wrong information. When we hear the words “motorcycle club”, the first thing we think about is violence. Or fear. Or even drugs and guns. And while that is true for some, it may not be for every club out there. Like the Reign of Terror. I just think that this book is an incredible reminder to not just make up your mind about something or someone when you don’t know any actual facts.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
★★★★★
marleer's review against another edition
4.0
At first I wasn't really sure I liked this book, because I thought that Oz was just the typical bad boy that Katie McGarry always creates. I also wasn't a big fan of the romance, but as the book progressed, I became more and more captured by the story. I especially loved everything surrounding the romance, like the club and the family history. The characters were all so wonderful and unique. And even though the romance got better and I eventually did like Oz and Emily together, I still think the story and characters were the best part of this book. I'm definitely reading the next book, because I'd like to see more of the club and Snowflake.
grapegraciela's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abartley73's review against another edition
1.0
I've tried to read this a few times. I've never been a huge fan of this author. I've read her other series. I think my biggest issues are how slow her books are. This one especially. I feel like she throws you into this world and nothing happens, nothing happens, and nothing happens. I think I'm past this reading stage in my life. I want excitement and variety. Not the same old slow love story between a boy and a girl that takes 300 pages for them to even admit they like being in the same room with each other. I can deal with that sometimes, but only if other things are happening in the story. I may try again later, but at this point, I won't be reading anything else from this author.
shelbitedeschi's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5