iztheliz's review
5.0
Such a great book, the title really made me hesitate to read it... it seems cheesy but the characters are so great and the story is sweet. I'm glad i looked past the title and spent a day with these characters. I love noah and Maddie reminds me of myself as a young girl. I loved it.
kayla_llbr's review
4.0
More reviews at: www.mybookmuse.com
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
This book produced so many feels my eyes hurt....but I mean that is the greatest way possible!
When Noah's best friend Jake dies is a freak accident, Noah is left in utter turmoil. All his life, Noah is used to losing the ones he loves. His grandfather, his best friend, etc. And under the unbearable weight of grief, Noah is used to shoving it deep in the recesses of his heart. He is constantly trying to be the 'macho-guy' always avoiding the powerful emotions and 'man-ing' up.
When Noah is helping collect Jake's belongings for his funeral, he stumbles upon an engagement ring. When Jake's mother finds out about it, she makes Noah promise that he will find the girl the ring belongs to. As Noah tries to discover who the girl is that Jake left behind, he ends up discovering a different side of Jake, and all of Noah's per-conceived notions about friendship, life, love and faith are put to the test.
To say that I cried throughout reading "Don't Hate The Player..." is an understatement. I know I could blame this on PMS, or the fact that I cry very often, BUT the emotions I felt reading this cut me to my core. In the acknowledgments Ms. Ashley states that the idea for this novel came after the tragic passing of one of her students. Between middle school and high school I remember 3 of my classmates that passed away and reading "Don't Hate The Player..." brought back a flood of emotions that made me identify with Noah so strongly. I felt the pain every time he reminisced about Jake. I felt the cruel twist of irony that Jake's life was gone before he could really start living. I think this novel was a beautiful testament to the grief, guilt and overall strength a person feels after losing someone.
"Don't Hate The Player..." has romance but I think the reflection of Noah and Jake's friendship, as well as the relationship between Noah and his family, really took center stage and created a beautiful story about grief and the ways one person can move on from that. This wasn't just a story about Noah just finding love. Noah also finds strength, faith and forgiveness.
"Don't Hate The Player..." is one of those books I could honestly recommend to my best friend or my grandma. I know it is technically "young adult" but I think the lessons and overall message would resonate to anyone that has lost someone.
4 stars*
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
This book produced so many feels my eyes hurt....but I mean that is the greatest way possible!
When Noah's best friend Jake dies is a freak accident, Noah is left in utter turmoil. All his life, Noah is used to losing the ones he loves. His grandfather, his best friend, etc. And under the unbearable weight of grief, Noah is used to shoving it deep in the recesses of his heart. He is constantly trying to be the 'macho-guy' always avoiding the powerful emotions and 'man-ing' up.
When Noah is helping collect Jake's belongings for his funeral, he stumbles upon an engagement ring. When Jake's mother finds out about it, she makes Noah promise that he will find the girl the ring belongs to. As Noah tries to discover who the girl is that Jake left behind, he ends up discovering a different side of Jake, and all of Noah's per-conceived notions about friendship, life, love and faith are put to the test.
To say that I cried throughout reading "Don't Hate The Player..." is an understatement. I know I could blame this on PMS, or the fact that I cry very often, BUT the emotions I felt reading this cut me to my core. In the acknowledgments Ms. Ashley states that the idea for this novel came after the tragic passing of one of her students. Between middle school and high school I remember 3 of my classmates that passed away and reading "Don't Hate The Player..." brought back a flood of emotions that made me identify with Noah so strongly. I felt the pain every time he reminisced about Jake. I felt the cruel twist of irony that Jake's life was gone before he could really start living. I think this novel was a beautiful testament to the grief, guilt and overall strength a person feels after losing someone.
"Don't Hate The Player..." has romance but I think the reflection of Noah and Jake's friendship, as well as the relationship between Noah and his family, really took center stage and created a beautiful story about grief and the ways one person can move on from that. This wasn't just a story about Noah just finding love. Noah also finds strength, faith and forgiveness.
"Don't Hate The Player..." is one of those books I could honestly recommend to my best friend or my grandma. I know it is technically "young adult" but I think the lessons and overall message would resonate to anyone that has lost someone.
4 stars*
menrk's review
4.0
☆☆☆ 1/2
Hmmm, tough rating. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it sure took me a long time to finish this. It had that A Walk to Remember vibe, which I'm still not sure was a good or a bad thing.
No real conflicts, but the sad moments brought the sniffler(made-up word) in me.
Falls under the lighthearted category, worth a re-read.
Hmmm, tough rating. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it sure took me a long time to finish this. It had that A Walk to Remember vibe, which I'm still not sure was a good or a bad thing.
No real conflicts, but the sad moments brought the sniffler(made-up word) in me.
Falls under the lighthearted category, worth a re-read.
lovehollyxx's review
3.0
3.5 stars
First of all, please make sure you take time to read the Dedication, it was so moving and sad and I think it sets the right emotion for the book perfectly, because in chapter one, Noah's best friend of 12 years dies in a horrific accident.
Noah is a 17 year old student who, after his Father not being present in his life for the last 10 years, is very close with his Mother. I loved the relationship he shared with his Mom. She was always there for him and really seemed to 'get' him. His Granddaddy, who he was equally close to, died 2 years ago and like most teenage boys, he thought he was expected to be a 'man' and not show emotion. So even at the age of 15, he didn't grieve for his Grandaddys passing and now in the present day he also has the loss of his childhood friend to deal with. I really felt for Noah and suffered through the hard times with him.
Then, when searching through Jake's room, Noah finds a ring and is left with not only trying to find out who the ring was meant for, but also wondering if he really knew his 'player' of a friend at all. When secrets start unfolding about Jake's life, Noah is left feeling hurt and confused. But through his darkness there is light, in the form of Maddie, the Pastors Daughter.
I loved Maddie. Yes, she was the goody-two-shoes, virginal, Pastors Daughter with the good grades, but she was also strong and not afraid to stand up for herself. She didn't mind being different to other girls her age though I think a part of her wanted to prove not only to others, but to herself, that if she wanted to, she could in fact be like her peers. She has a strong character and a need to take care of people (in true church girl style), and she herself has had a lot to deal with, with her family so I think she needs someone to take care of her.
Noah and Maddies relationship flows beautifully and you see it getting stronger the more time they spend together but Noah is still hiding from her the fact that Jake bought a ring and he thinks it's for her. He feels guilty for keeping secrets from her and guilty because he feels like he's moving in on his best friends girl but he's scared that when Maddie finds out, she will choose Jake's love over his own. All the while Noah is trying to learn that it's ok to let his pain and emotions show through and it doesn't make him less of a man because he chose music over sport.
I love how the story all comes together at the end, and even though Jake's feelings are revealed in a heartfelt, heartbreaking letter to Maddie, I feel as though maybe a Prologue in Jake's POV would have been great to really get to grips with how he was feeling about everything going on in his life and in his mind before he died. All in all, Don't Hate The Player is a great story of love, loss, heartbreak and acceptance. It was a very emotional read and had me wiping away tears more than once. If your a fan of Katie Ashley 's other books I suggest you give this a go too.
First of all, please make sure you take time to read the Dedication, it was so moving and sad and I think it sets the right emotion for the book perfectly, because in chapter one, Noah's best friend of 12 years dies in a horrific accident.
Noah is a 17 year old student who, after his Father not being present in his life for the last 10 years, is very close with his Mother. I loved the relationship he shared with his Mom. She was always there for him and really seemed to 'get' him. His Granddaddy, who he was equally close to, died 2 years ago and like most teenage boys, he thought he was expected to be a 'man' and not show emotion. So even at the age of 15, he didn't grieve for his Grandaddys passing and now in the present day he also has the loss of his childhood friend to deal with. I really felt for Noah and suffered through the hard times with him.
Then, when searching through Jake's room, Noah finds a ring and is left with not only trying to find out who the ring was meant for, but also wondering if he really knew his 'player' of a friend at all. When secrets start unfolding about Jake's life, Noah is left feeling hurt and confused. But through his darkness there is light, in the form of Maddie, the Pastors Daughter.
I loved Maddie. Yes, she was the goody-two-shoes, virginal, Pastors Daughter with the good grades, but she was also strong and not afraid to stand up for herself. She didn't mind being different to other girls her age though I think a part of her wanted to prove not only to others, but to herself, that if she wanted to, she could in fact be like her peers. She has a strong character and a need to take care of people (in true church girl style), and she herself has had a lot to deal with, with her family so I think she needs someone to take care of her.
Noah and Maddies relationship flows beautifully and you see it getting stronger the more time they spend together but Noah is still hiding from her the fact that Jake bought a ring and he thinks it's for her. He feels guilty for keeping secrets from her and guilty because he feels like he's moving in on his best friends girl but he's scared that when Maddie finds out, she will choose Jake's love over his own. All the while Noah is trying to learn that it's ok to let his pain and emotions show through and it doesn't make him less of a man because he chose music over sport.
I love how the story all comes together at the end, and even though Jake's feelings are revealed in a heartfelt, heartbreaking letter to Maddie, I feel as though maybe a Prologue in Jake's POV would have been great to really get to grips with how he was feeling about everything going on in his life and in his mind before he died. All in all, Don't Hate The Player is a great story of love, loss, heartbreak and acceptance. It was a very emotional read and had me wiping away tears more than once. If your a fan of Katie Ashley 's other books I suggest you give this a go too.
skyhazzard's review
2.0
Actual rating 1.5
The farther along I got in this book the more I just didn’t like it. There were so many things that bothered and irritated me and the characters were just so bland.
Noah’s best friend dies and we see him express his grief over it a couple times through the book but it mainly just felt like an afterthought to him. And then of course whenever he actually gets upset it goes on about what a pansy he is for crying and expressing emotion like guys aren’t allowed to have feelings.
Noah almost could have been likable but besides that he had to go on about the love interest attributes all the time and how much of a turn on they were. “Oh damn look at the preacher’s daughter in that sundress showing of those long legs and her ample rack.” That wasn’t a direct quote but there was something fairly similar in the book. It annoyed me how often he had to comment on her looks.
One of the things I did like about this book was his relationship with his father. I liked that despite not being in his life all these years and him thinking what a dirtbag his dad was they were able to form a relationship and talk about why he wasn’t in his life, what an asshole he was, and how he has turned his life around.
The farther along I got in this book the more I just didn’t like it. There were so many things that bothered and irritated me and the characters were just so bland.
Noah’s best friend dies and we see him express his grief over it a couple times through the book but it mainly just felt like an afterthought to him. And then of course whenever he actually gets upset it goes on about what a pansy he is for crying and expressing emotion like guys aren’t allowed to have feelings.
Noah almost could have been likable but besides that he had to go on about the love interest attributes all the time and how much of a turn on they were. “Oh damn look at the preacher’s daughter in that sundress showing of those long legs and her ample rack.” That wasn’t a direct quote but there was something fairly similar in the book. It annoyed me how often he had to comment on her looks.
One of the things I did like about this book was his relationship with his father. I liked that despite not being in his life all these years and him thinking what a dirtbag his dad was they were able to form a relationship and talk about why he wasn’t in his life, what an asshole he was, and how he has turned his life around.
mjessamir's review
4.0
It's not just a typical love story. It's a story of friendship, family, and self-discovery too.
Sometimes, losing someone who has been your foundation and leader shakes you up and makes you feel completely lost but at the end of the day, it will lead you to where you are meant to be and with the people you are supposed to be with.
I love the glimpses on Jake's life to show us who he really is and why so many people care so much for him. He's a guy with a big heart trapped in an as*hole's body. I love his moments with Noah and how his mask sometimes crack and Noah gets to see the person inside.
God knows how many times I cried reading this. And not for the same reasons. This story is just so touching it pulls on your heartstrings in every way possible. My favorite part might be when Noah vented on Jake at the cemetery. I just really love that part cause it was kind of his breaking point and I like the thought that until the end, he would still run to his best friend.
I like how the story was told and the pacing was good in my opinion. Nothing was rushed and nothing was too dragging for me. There were times I was laughing in this page and be crying on the next. I especially love how it ended. I know it's a typical happy ending but they all deserve it. And he left a piece of him for all of them.
Sometimes, losing someone who has been your foundation and leader shakes you up and makes you feel completely lost but at the end of the day, it will lead you to where you are meant to be and with the people you are supposed to be with.
I love the glimpses on Jake's life to show us who he really is and why so many people care so much for him. He's a guy with a big heart trapped in an as*hole's body. I love his moments with Noah and how his mask sometimes crack and Noah gets to see the person inside.
God knows how many times I cried reading this. And not for the same reasons. This story is just so touching it pulls on your heartstrings in every way possible. My favorite part might be when Noah vented on Jake at the cemetery. I just really love that part cause it was kind of his breaking point and I like the thought that until the end, he would still run to his best friend.
I like how the story was told and the pacing was good in my opinion. Nothing was rushed and nothing was too dragging for me. There were times I was laughing in this page and be crying on the next. I especially love how it ended. I know it's a typical happy ending but they all deserve it. And he left a piece of him for all of them.
lazydream's review
2.0
I don't even know why i read or even bother with young adult when they are not funny or cute. I liked Katie Ashley's Proposition and thought MAYBE. Well I shpuld listen to negative reviews and shut up. It was kind of fine but WAIT let me think.... NOPE Grrrrrrrrr........ It was good but boring. There was lot goody goody stuff. No cussing no bull shit. It was very "OH I AM VERY RELIGIOUS AND NO ONE SHOULD CUSS OR BE BAD IN FRONT OF ME" or "AM A AMAZING GIRL AND MY LIFE GOAL IS TO CHANGE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING IN WRONG PATH" well... not my kind of female or my kind of story. But the story was touching except "Maddy". Its sentimental from male point of view. I felt for him more than once. I even managed to get tears in my eyes but NOPE feeling dint stay and too much of goodyness causes me to puke. So i dint enjoy the book i was reading because of Noah but even he could not hold it for long. Sooooooo your choice read it if you like this kind of books and don't read if feel like me.
sac3098's review
4.0
A perfect contemporary read. Will definitely check out more from this author...
bananatricky's review
3.0
Hmm, what to say.
Well first this feels like a bit of a rip off of the film A Walk to Remember (albeit that was based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and is a five-hanky weepy). Maybe it's just the bad boy and the preacher's daughter.
I find it hard to believe that Katie Ashley taught English when the book is peppered with misuse of that tiny preposition "a". All I can assume is that she is channelling a dialect? The characters say things like "you got cut over your eye" – OK, that's not a great example because in that case "cut" could be a verb. But in a lot of sentences the word "a" was missing and in others the word was inserted inappropriately. Such a small word but so crucial!
So, there was a lot of talk about man-whores and bad boys but actually the book was very PG (not an issue just an observation).
Noah's best friend, Jake, dies in a freak accident leaving a mystery – who is the girl he was in love with? Jake apparently slept with most of the girls in High School so Noah's quest to find her is difficult. Could it be Presley the town's party girl? Or her arch rival in the "popular girl at school" stakes? Or could it be Maddie the sweet, innocent daughter of the pastor who tutored Jake? Add in a sick child, a single mother and a dead-beat dad to spice the mix up.
So there are no real surprises, there is a lot going on which makes everything just a bit shallow – Maddie asks Noah how he feels a few times and charges him a quarter every time he curses [irrelevant question here why does Noah get pulled up for saying "shitty" but "crappy" is deemed a suitable alternative? They mean exactly the same (excrement)!]. Apparently that is enough for a teenage boy to fall in love with you.
There is also the requisite getting drunk at a party and stripping off/propositioning scene – it seemed completely out of character and random.
All in all, I think it was a pretty short book for Noah to deal with finding out the truth about his best friend change of heart, finding out who his best friend was in love with, reconciling himself to his grandfather's death, reconciling himself toand having feelings for Maddie. And everybody was just so nice, even the nasty girls were (relatively) nice.
Katie Ashley tells her story well, although I doubt many teenage boys are quite so articulate about their feelings, but she doesn't have enough depths, enough light and shade, or correct use of the word "a". I didn't really empathise with Noah and Maddie was an enigma – I had no feelings about her at all.
Well first this feels like a bit of a rip off of the film A Walk to Remember (albeit that was based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and is a five-hanky weepy). Maybe it's just the bad boy and the preacher's daughter.
I find it hard to believe that Katie Ashley taught English when the book is peppered with misuse of that tiny preposition "a". All I can assume is that she is channelling a dialect? The characters say things like "you got cut over your eye" – OK, that's not a great example because in that case "cut" could be a verb. But in a lot of sentences the word "a" was missing and in others the word was inserted inappropriately. Such a small word but so crucial!
So, there was a lot of talk about man-whores and bad boys but actually the book was very PG (not an issue just an observation).
Noah's best friend, Jake, dies in a freak accident leaving a mystery – who is the girl he was in love with? Jake apparently slept with most of the girls in High School so Noah's quest to find her is difficult. Could it be Presley the town's party girl? Or her arch rival in the "popular girl at school" stakes? Or could it be Maddie the sweet, innocent daughter of the pastor who tutored Jake? Add in a sick child, a single mother and a dead-beat dad to spice the mix up.
So there are no real surprises, there is a lot going on which makes everything just a bit shallow – Maddie asks Noah how he feels a few times and charges him a quarter every time he curses [irrelevant question here why does Noah get pulled up for saying "shitty" but "crappy" is deemed a suitable alternative? They mean exactly the same (excrement)!]. Apparently that is enough for a teenage boy to fall in love with you.
There is also the requisite getting drunk at a party and stripping off/propositioning scene – it seemed completely out of character and random.
All in all, I think it was a pretty short book for Noah to deal with finding out the truth about his best friend change of heart, finding out who his best friend was in love with, reconciling himself to his grandfather's death, reconciling himself to
Spoiler
his mother's marriage and pregnancy, reconciling himself to developing a relationship with his absentee fatherKatie Ashley tells her story well, although I doubt many teenage boys are quite so articulate about their feelings, but she doesn't have enough depths, enough light and shade, or correct use of the word "a". I didn't really empathise with Noah and Maddie was an enigma – I had no feelings about her at all.