cupcakegirly's review against another edition
3.0
http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/15263-our-song
neenor's review against another edition
4.0
Am I a great lover of YA romance? No. Did I absolutely adore Our Song? YES. For the first few chapters, I didn't completely warm to Olive - there was something quite detached and boring about her. But after a while she started to come out of her shell, and now that I've finished it, I think Our Song is set to be one of the best romances of the year.
At the beginning of the novel, Olive has just come home after her two-week stay at the hospital. Why? A car accident, something that many are calling a suicide attempt. Isolated as she is shunned by the rest of her school, Olive begins to attend a support group for people who have had near-death experiences, which is where she meets Nick. Despite all the people around her, Olive feels like Nick is the only one who can truly see her; who can understand what she's going through. But Nick is hiding something from her, and as Olive starts to uncover the truth behind his façade, she realises that maybe there is something she's hiding from herself, too.
As I said, Olive wasn't that easy to relate to to begin with. She came across like a spoilt brat, and I guess that essentially she was - living in Vista Valley, she'd never seen the cruel side to life until the car accident. However, once she began to open up and show a different side to her, she instantly became a favourable character. I thought Fraiberg characterised her brilliantly, as even without their own near-death experiences, teenage girls can relate to her and her coming-of-age story. A big amount of teens know what it's like to have rumours spread behind their backs and people suddenly turn against them, and I thought she captured that perfectly.
The secondary characters were also pretty great. Nick - oh my gosh, Nick, I was swooning all over the place! He was a bit temperamental, and did have really sudden mood-swings that could rival some other, er, dramatic characters (Christian Grey, I'm looking at you!), but overall he was a pretty awesome love interest. My favourite character had to be Annie, though - she wasn't in it as much as I would have liked, but I thought she was a nice balance for Olive. Through Annie, you got an idea of what Olive had been like before the accident in a comparison to now. I also hated Derek - jeez, he was just the typical, slimy ex that gave me shudders! Whenever he was around, I was screaming at Olive to run in the other direction because ugh. Not. Nice. He was well-characterised though, especially since he was able to provoke a physical reaction out of me.
The pace was a bit slow for my liking, as it was a tedious journey to get Olive or Nick to give the reader any information. I also think that Olive's priorities were a bit mixed up - she's supposed to be recovering from dying, yet she is obsessed with Derek! And it took her a good long while to realise the fact that he didn't care about her - as a self-respecting female, I just wanted to jump into the story and tell her that she didn't need that kind of guy in her life. I do have one question though - what was the point of the song? The title makes it seem like the book surrounds this mystery song, but it felt a bit forced into the story. However, despite these little things, the plot overall was pretty good, and I did enjoy it.
If you love romance reads along the lines of Pushing the Limits and If I Stay, then I highly recommend Our Song. The characters are beautifully characterised, the plot - although slow - is interesting, and the writing it brilliant. What more could you want in a summer read?
At the beginning of the novel, Olive has just come home after her two-week stay at the hospital. Why? A car accident, something that many are calling a suicide attempt. Isolated as she is shunned by the rest of her school, Olive begins to attend a support group for people who have had near-death experiences, which is where she meets Nick. Despite all the people around her, Olive feels like Nick is the only one who can truly see her; who can understand what she's going through. But Nick is hiding something from her, and as Olive starts to uncover the truth behind his façade, she realises that maybe there is something she's hiding from herself, too.
As I said, Olive wasn't that easy to relate to to begin with. She came across like a spoilt brat, and I guess that essentially she was - living in Vista Valley, she'd never seen the cruel side to life until the car accident. However, once she began to open up and show a different side to her, she instantly became a favourable character. I thought Fraiberg characterised her brilliantly, as even without their own near-death experiences, teenage girls can relate to her and her coming-of-age story. A big amount of teens know what it's like to have rumours spread behind their backs and people suddenly turn against them, and I thought she captured that perfectly.
The secondary characters were also pretty great. Nick - oh my gosh, Nick, I was swooning all over the place! He was a bit temperamental, and did have really sudden mood-swings that could rival some other, er, dramatic characters (Christian Grey, I'm looking at you!), but overall he was a pretty awesome love interest. My favourite character had to be Annie, though - she wasn't in it as much as I would have liked, but I thought she was a nice balance for Olive. Through Annie, you got an idea of what Olive had been like before the accident in a comparison to now. I also hated Derek - jeez, he was just the typical, slimy ex that gave me shudders! Whenever he was around, I was screaming at Olive to run in the other direction because ugh. Not. Nice. He was well-characterised though, especially since he was able to provoke a physical reaction out of me.
The pace was a bit slow for my liking, as it was a tedious journey to get Olive or Nick to give the reader any information. I also think that Olive's priorities were a bit mixed up - she's supposed to be recovering from dying, yet she is obsessed with Derek! And it took her a good long while to realise the fact that he didn't care about her - as a self-respecting female, I just wanted to jump into the story and tell her that she didn't need that kind of guy in her life. I do have one question though - what was the point of the song? The title makes it seem like the book surrounds this mystery song, but it felt a bit forced into the story. However, despite these little things, the plot overall was pretty good, and I did enjoy it.
If you love romance reads along the lines of Pushing the Limits and If I Stay, then I highly recommend Our Song. The characters are beautifully characterised, the plot - although slow - is interesting, and the writing it brilliant. What more could you want in a summer read?
pagesplotsandpints's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Initial Impressions: I'm actually surprised I didn't like this one as much as I thought I would. For one, I never really got around to liking Nick as the love interest. He kind of seemed like more of a bad influence versus a good way for Olive to find a way to let go of her guilt and negativity. Reckless driving after she'd been in a car accident and couldn't even drive and somehow that didn't bother her? Not buying it.
Anyhoo. It was good, but I expected a lot more from it. I didn't really swoon and I thought the ending was a bit cheesy with the "one big happy ending". Sure, I love happy endings but I feel like it took a lot of people out of character and just wrapped up too neatly.
Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: OUR SONG was an interesting read for me. The first half of the book actually went by really quickly. I was really interested in Olive’s story and I totally breeze through. The second half of the book sort of seemed to take a lot longer for me to get through, though.
The story starts off with Olive Bell coming back home after a car accident for which she spent two weeks in the hospital. She can’t quite remember the details of what happened and why except for the fact that she has this string of lyrics and a melody running through her head — a faded memory of the accident and a key to the mystery of it all. I loved this puzzle of the mystery song throughout the first half of the book! I was dying to know why this song was stuck in her head and how come she couldn’t find any information about it.
The second half of the book kind of let me down with the reveal of how the song was related to the accident, though. I thought the reveal was kind of… off the path of where the book was taking us. It just didn’t seem to fit the general feel, in my opinion. Just didn’t do it for me. What I DID like was the reveal of Olive’s actual accident and the events leading up to it. I was like, “OHHH that makes so much sense!” That was very fitting, even if I wasn’t sold on the song part of it.
I like that Olive was basically reinventing herself after the accident. She knew it was a defining moment in her life — not just because she had technically died and come back to life — but also because although she couldn’t quite remember what, she knew there was something that led to the accident that changed her. I like that she didn’t just go back to her regular life, as much as she had originally wanted to. It was nice to see that change in her and to see her making her own choices instead of what she thought other people wanted.
On the flip side, I wasn’t quite sure I like the ways that she changed. The romance in this book, Nick, sort of became her partner in crime, so to speak, but I actually didn’t like their rebellious nature together. Maybe it’s because I’m still that girl who finds the need to please other people, but I kind of felt like Nick was getting her into more trouble than helping her. I guess in the long run, he really helped her figure out who she wanted to be, even if she did a few crazy things along the way, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was more of a bad influence on her than a good one. *shrugs*
That being said, I just never really ended up liking Nick as the romance. He felt unreliable and dangerous. I mean, this girl was in a car accident, right? So why does she never speak up when he’s driving around recklessly through L.A. in a beat up Jaguar (which clearly has been through some traumatic things on its own)? If Olive didn’t even want to drive anywhere near where the accident happened, why was she okay with Nick driving so crazily? She was holding on for dear life a few times, sure, but even still. I felt like that didn’t quite fit.
I liked how the ending came around with Olive and the issues she had with her family, her final decision about ex-boyfriend Derek, and a touching conclusion with Nick, but it all felt a little too perfect for me. Mostly with her family. I liked that things wrapped up well with her family, but it all felt too convenient and quick.
I think I was just much more invested in the first half of OUR SONG than the second and I wasn’t quite sold on several things in the end. The fact that I never connected with Nick as a romantic interest and failed to swoon didn’t quite help my enjoyment of the book! I think a lot of people can like this one, but it just wasn’t quite for me.
Initial Impressions: I'm actually surprised I didn't like this one as much as I thought I would. For one, I never really got around to liking Nick as the love interest. He kind of seemed like more of a bad influence versus a good way for Olive to find a way to let go of her guilt and negativity. Reckless driving after she'd been in a car accident and couldn't even drive and somehow that didn't bother her? Not buying it.
Anyhoo. It was good, but I expected a lot more from it. I didn't really swoon and I thought the ending was a bit cheesy with the "one big happy ending". Sure, I love happy endings but I feel like it took a lot of people out of character and just wrapped up too neatly.
Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: OUR SONG was an interesting read for me. The first half of the book actually went by really quickly. I was really interested in Olive’s story and I totally breeze through. The second half of the book sort of seemed to take a lot longer for me to get through, though.
The story starts off with Olive Bell coming back home after a car accident for which she spent two weeks in the hospital. She can’t quite remember the details of what happened and why except for the fact that she has this string of lyrics and a melody running through her head — a faded memory of the accident and a key to the mystery of it all. I loved this puzzle of the mystery song throughout the first half of the book! I was dying to know why this song was stuck in her head and how come she couldn’t find any information about it.
The second half of the book kind of let me down with the reveal of how the song was related to the accident, though. I thought the reveal was kind of… off the path of where the book was taking us. It just didn’t seem to fit the general feel, in my opinion. Just didn’t do it for me. What I DID like was the reveal of Olive’s actual accident and the events leading up to it. I was like, “OHHH that makes so much sense!” That was very fitting, even if I wasn’t sold on the song part of it.
I like that Olive was basically reinventing herself after the accident. She knew it was a defining moment in her life — not just because she had technically died and come back to life — but also because although she couldn’t quite remember what, she knew there was something that led to the accident that changed her. I like that she didn’t just go back to her regular life, as much as she had originally wanted to. It was nice to see that change in her and to see her making her own choices instead of what she thought other people wanted.
On the flip side, I wasn’t quite sure I like the ways that she changed. The romance in this book, Nick, sort of became her partner in crime, so to speak, but I actually didn’t like their rebellious nature together. Maybe it’s because I’m still that girl who finds the need to please other people, but I kind of felt like Nick was getting her into more trouble than helping her. I guess in the long run, he really helped her figure out who she wanted to be, even if she did a few crazy things along the way, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was more of a bad influence on her than a good one. *shrugs*
That being said, I just never really ended up liking Nick as the romance. He felt unreliable and dangerous. I mean, this girl was in a car accident, right? So why does she never speak up when he’s driving around recklessly through L.A. in a beat up Jaguar (which clearly has been through some traumatic things on its own)? If Olive didn’t even want to drive anywhere near where the accident happened, why was she okay with Nick driving so crazily? She was holding on for dear life a few times, sure, but even still. I felt like that didn’t quite fit.
I liked how the ending came around with Olive and the issues she had with her family, her final decision about ex-boyfriend Derek, and a touching conclusion with Nick, but it all felt a little too perfect for me. Mostly with her family. I liked that things wrapped up well with her family, but it all felt too convenient and quick.
I think I was just much more invested in the first half of OUR SONG than the second and I wasn’t quite sold on several things in the end. The fact that I never connected with Nick as a romantic interest and failed to swoon didn’t quite help my enjoyment of the book! I think a lot of people can like this one, but it just wasn’t quite for me.
malaynachang's review against another edition
2.0
MY OPINION: **
Wow. I really thought that this book was going to go far on my summer reading list.
This is one of my first 2 star books. No, this is a 2.5 star book. It's a pity because I had such high expectations for this.
I disliked the book. I disliked the characters and the plot was nothing like I thought it was going to be.
To be fair, I enjoyed reading the ending and how everything came together, and Nick's story, as evil as I sound, was the best part of the book by far.
But I didn't like the book. However, I finished it just for the sake of finishing... my motto is: I don't abandon books.
And I try not to. But this one was hard.
This book is about a girl named Olive who died and came back. Her heart stopped and everything but she was given another chance at life. Everyone thinks she is suicidal or something, but she isn't. She is finally forced to go to some sort of support group and she chooses one called the "Near-Death Society" that really is more geared for OLDER people instead of teens like Olive.
However, at the meeting, she meets this guy named Nick. And he's everything she never knew she wanted or something like that. He's different, he's smart, and let's face it: he's hot. Dreamy. Mysterious. Of course, Olive is swept away by him.
She thought she had a perfect boyfriend. But Derek is a jerk and it turns out he's dating someone else now that they're "over" after Olive's accident. Olive is sad, angry, confused, and the only person who really gets that is Nick.
They embark on tons of romantic adventures but one thing I didn't like is that they weren't really that romantic. Sure, it seems romantic and the atmosphere and places were all lovey-dovey, but all they ever did there was talk about... nothing. It seemed like useless talk. And still throughout the book, Olive hears this "song" that didn't really mean much to me. Even through the end, I still do not understand the significance of that song.
Anyways, Olive finds through Nick someone she never knew she was. And she starts to learn about that night of her accident and it's all big and crazy.
And then Nick shares his story. I really wish I could say this straight-out but it's a spoiler so...
The story and that scene was definitely my favorite part in the book for me by far. It was so beautiful and different from what I expected.
AND THE ENDING.
Derek was already cheating on Olive before? And she still wanted to get back together with him? WHAT? He was basically the cause of her whole accident and she still liked him enough to want to go to prom with him? To me, that guy was sick and he just wanted Olive to be his little personal cheerleader for him only and to... use her as a toy.
In my head, I was imagining Derek as the guy who plays Rosalie Hale's boyfriend before she was turned into a vampire in the MOVIES. Am I weird?
Anyways. Olive gets her happily ever after.
But it was all just meh. It didn't make my heart beat faster as I read and it didn't make my stomach twirl. It wasn't that romance story that I enjoy.
So overall, I didn't enjoy this book. I'm not saying it was bad. The writing was actually really pretty. But I didn't think it was the book for me. Me + This book = Don't go together.
However, I'm still going to recommend this book. To mature readers. And adventure lovers.
It's so sad because I had such high expectations for this book and it fell so far from them.
Main Character: Olive
Sidekick(s): Nick, Annie, etc
Villain(s): Derek, Betsy, etc
Contemporary Elements: This was all a contemporary novel with real-to-life events.
Wow. I really thought that this book was going to go far on my summer reading list.
This is one of my first 2 star books. No, this is a 2.5 star book. It's a pity because I had such high expectations for this.
I disliked the book. I disliked the characters and the plot was nothing like I thought it was going to be.
To be fair, I enjoyed reading the ending and how everything came together, and Nick's story, as evil as I sound, was the best part of the book by far.
But I didn't like the book. However, I finished it just for the sake of finishing... my motto is: I don't abandon books.
And I try not to. But this one was hard.
This book is about a girl named Olive who died and came back. Her heart stopped and everything but she was given another chance at life. Everyone thinks she is suicidal or something, but she isn't. She is finally forced to go to some sort of support group and she chooses one called the "Near-Death Society" that really is more geared for OLDER people instead of teens like Olive.
However, at the meeting, she meets this guy named Nick. And he's everything she never knew she wanted or something like that. He's different, he's smart, and let's face it: he's hot. Dreamy. Mysterious. Of course, Olive is swept away by him.
She thought she had a perfect boyfriend. But Derek is a jerk and it turns out he's dating someone else now that they're "over" after Olive's accident. Olive is sad, angry, confused, and the only person who really gets that is Nick.
They embark on tons of romantic adventures but one thing I didn't like is that they weren't really that romantic. Sure, it seems romantic and the atmosphere and places were all lovey-dovey, but all they ever did there was talk about... nothing. It seemed like useless talk. And still throughout the book, Olive hears this "song" that didn't really mean much to me. Even through the end, I still do not understand the significance of that song.
Anyways, Olive finds through Nick someone she never knew she was. And she starts to learn about that night of her accident and it's all big and crazy.
And then Nick shares his story. I really wish I could say this straight-out but it's a spoiler so...
Spoiler
Nick was just trying to impress his brother by taking him on a plane ride. Nick didn't have a license and the day was foggy and not a good day for flying. He still was too proud to turn back so he ends up killing his brother.The story and that scene was definitely my favorite part in the book for me by far. It was so beautiful and different from what I expected.
AND THE ENDING.
Derek was already cheating on Olive before? And she still wanted to get back together with him? WHAT? He was basically the cause of her whole accident and she still liked him enough to want to go to prom with him? To me, that guy was sick and he just wanted Olive to be his little personal cheerleader for him only and to... use her as a toy.
In my head, I was imagining Derek as the guy who plays Rosalie Hale's boyfriend before she was turned into a vampire in the MOVIES. Am I weird?
Anyways. Olive gets her happily ever after.
But it was all just meh. It didn't make my heart beat faster as I read and it didn't make my stomach twirl. It wasn't that romance story that I enjoy.
So overall, I didn't enjoy this book. I'm not saying it was bad. The writing was actually really pretty. But I didn't think it was the book for me. Me + This book = Don't go together.
However, I'm still going to recommend this book. To mature readers. And adventure lovers.
It's so sad because I had such high expectations for this book and it fell so far from them.
Main Character: Olive
Sidekick(s): Nick, Annie, etc
Villain(s): Derek, Betsy, etc
Contemporary Elements: This was all a contemporary novel with real-to-life events.
tweetyandy's review against another edition
3.0
I hate saying this but it was kind boring. I struggled to stay interested. Don't get me wrong it was a good story but slow and blah....I was expecting a twist but it was just so Hohum ... I've was just ok ...maybe on a different day I'd like it more.
folklaureate's review against another edition
3.0
A cute contemporary piece with hidden memories that kept me awaiting the huzzah moment when the mystery was finally revealed. Our Song kept me interested between the dashing British boy, Nick, and the prolonging mystery of what happened the night of Olives horrific car accident. It was sweet and enjoyable, I read it in one sitting.
The romantic side of Nick, that dapper British fellow with a grim past, made the book enjoyable for me. Even the strange and quirky meeting between Olive and Nick at a group where people have apparently died and then come back to life. The mysterious charm of Nick brings Olive to question and wonder who he is. The one thing that I give Olive credit for is not following him out the door, this strange boy she has seen once and only knows by name, on their first meeting. But, the romantic and adventurous Nick brings life to these different places that Our Song revolves around, and each place has more character than the last.
So Nick and the scenery of the novel give Our Song the invigorating character and personality that I found to really enjoy. I also really like British characters. It's fun to imagine them talking in their British accent :)
Olive became quite a frustrating character towards throughout the course of Our Song. She really needed to learn how to set her priorities. Then again, that is where her character development was sought out the most. The thing that I happened to dislike about Olive was her dependence on boys in her life.
And I couldn't put a finger on what Olive really saw in Derek. Between ignoring her after the accident happened and then completely throwing their two year relationship out the window for the pompous, sleazy cheerleader (typical cliche) named Betsy, Derek is a dick with a capital D. And I'm using the font change to really emphasize how much of a douchenozzle the guy is in my eyes. So, I'm on Annie's side when I say that Derek is not worth Olive's time of day. Just his constant nitpicking at trying to weasel his way back into her life, trying to talk to her and say that "they're good" or "they're still friends" had me grinding down my teeth. And the last scene. I just can't. Let's just say that I'm proud of Olive's decision. She really gave me a change of heart, even through the constant infuriating, immature decisions she has made through the course of the novel.
Annie happened to be my favorite character of this entire book. She's a caring friend, funny, sassy when she needs to be, and know's what is right for Olive. It's such a shame the way she's treated by her best friend. Thrown out like trash whenever a boy takes precedence in her life.
There were some descriptions that didn't really work for me in the novel. I found myself writing question marks next to them in my ARC. I don't know if they were changed in the finished copy, but here'e what I have in mine.
"Classroom doors swung open like dominos."
OUR SONG advanced readers copy, p.104
When I think of dominoes, I don't find them swinging open, I find them falling down. The image didn't really register in the way Fraiberg was conveying it. I think looking back at it now, maybe the doors and the way that they all opened, resembled dominoes being lined up? I felt like there could have been a better way to describe that image.
"When I took a sip, it had the vague and acrid taste of poison."
p.160
How does Olive know what poison tastes like? An ambiguous and exaggerated description. There could have been some other way for Olive's character to describe the taste of the scotch her father was drinking that she happens to take a sip of. Poison seems melodramatic in Olive's case.
Pacing flowed extremely well. Jordanna Fraiberg mastered the art of keeping secrets hidden, revealing bit by bit until slamming the truth in your face. I loved it. So that final scene with Derek and Olive, my jaw fell. I should have put the pieces together, but my mind was elsewhere when Nick's name came across the pages.
Final Summation: A fun and cute read. OUR SONG, though with it's flaws, still was an enjoyable story with vivid scenes and strong supporting characters who hold up the flaws of the main characters. Though I preferred Annie over Olive and Nick over Derek, I was still happy in the end with mostly every character. Still not Derek's biggest fan. A different take on modern young love that contemporary fans will enjoy.
The romantic side of Nick, that dapper British fellow with a grim past, made the book enjoyable for me. Even the strange and quirky meeting between Olive and Nick at a group where people have apparently died and then come back to life. The mysterious charm of Nick brings Olive to question and wonder who he is. The one thing that I give Olive credit for is not following him out the door, this strange boy she has seen once and only knows by name, on their first meeting. But, the romantic and adventurous Nick brings life to these different places that Our Song revolves around, and each place has more character than the last.
So Nick and the scenery of the novel give Our Song the invigorating character and personality that I found to really enjoy. I also really like British characters. It's fun to imagine them talking in their British accent :)
Olive became quite a frustrating character towards throughout the course of Our Song. She really needed to learn how to set her priorities. Then again, that is where her character development was sought out the most. The thing that I happened to dislike about Olive was her dependence on boys in her life.
And I couldn't put a finger on what Olive really saw in Derek. Between ignoring her after the accident happened and then completely throwing their two year relationship out the window for the pompous, sleazy cheerleader (typical cliche) named Betsy, Derek is a dick with a capital D. And I'm using the font change to really emphasize how much of a douchenozzle the guy is in my eyes. So, I'm on Annie's side when I say that Derek is not worth Olive's time of day. Just his constant nitpicking at trying to weasel his way back into her life, trying to talk to her and say that "they're good" or "they're still friends" had me grinding down my teeth. And the last scene. I just can't. Let's just say that I'm proud of Olive's decision. She really gave me a change of heart, even through the constant infuriating, immature decisions she has made through the course of the novel.
Annie happened to be my favorite character of this entire book. She's a caring friend, funny, sassy when she needs to be, and know's what is right for Olive. It's such a shame the way she's treated by her best friend. Thrown out like trash whenever a boy takes precedence in her life.
There were some descriptions that didn't really work for me in the novel. I found myself writing question marks next to them in my ARC. I don't know if they were changed in the finished copy, but here'e what I have in mine.
"Classroom doors swung open like dominos."
OUR SONG advanced readers copy, p.104
When I think of dominoes, I don't find them swinging open, I find them falling down. The image didn't really register in the way Fraiberg was conveying it. I think looking back at it now, maybe the doors and the way that they all opened, resembled dominoes being lined up? I felt like there could have been a better way to describe that image.
"When I took a sip, it had the vague and acrid taste of poison."
p.160
How does Olive know what poison tastes like? An ambiguous and exaggerated description. There could have been some other way for Olive's character to describe the taste of the scotch her father was drinking that she happens to take a sip of. Poison seems melodramatic in Olive's case.
Pacing flowed extremely well. Jordanna Fraiberg mastered the art of keeping secrets hidden, revealing bit by bit until slamming the truth in your face. I loved it. So that final scene with Derek and Olive, my jaw fell. I should have put the pieces together, but my mind was elsewhere when Nick's name came across the pages.
Final Summation: A fun and cute read. OUR SONG, though with it's flaws, still was an enjoyable story with vivid scenes and strong supporting characters who hold up the flaws of the main characters. Though I preferred Annie over Olive and Nick over Derek, I was still happy in the end with mostly every character. Still not Derek's biggest fan. A different take on modern young love that contemporary fans will enjoy.
andiabcs's review against another edition
2.0
Not really crazy about this one. The main character was annoying and selfish and the story was pretty cliché. Nick was a small bonus but still lacking some of the depth I was looking for.
nverjudgeabook's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely perfect! Just brilliant... Just the most elegant and heart-felt romance I've read!
Loved it! Full Review to come!
***
This for me was the perfect contemporary romance of 2013. It was just beautiful and if anyone knows me, any mention of Photography within a book is my Achilles heel. Photography is a way to capture the impossible moment with the combination of the heart-felt romance was just magical. Am I babbling, terribly sorry I just get caught in the moment...
In Olive Bell's world, she has transcended into another person after a near-death experience in a car crash. She was a miracle, and now she feels she doesn't fit in. Her family is the too-perfect reputation of Vista Valley but they have no idea what is happening to their daughter. Her (so called) boyfriend, Derek made her d things that she didn't want to do, but she continues to be inspired by repartee and reputation of being a 'Golden Boy'. By she is left destroyed by his ignorance and gullible nature and left with this unfinished and mysterious surrounding her life and future. Its time for her to find her new path within this 'second-chance' of life.
Olive is an emotionally compromised character for a positive reason, her story is ruled by her heart never her head. Her best-friend Annie, clearly knows this but she does sees the person in front of her, not what lies underneath. Now this chance, shows a new aspect that was mesmerizing as an reader/reviewer. Her character grew constantly throughout the book. Her natural ability at capturing a moment that meant the climax of the novel as well as showing her true nature along with her subject. This song was her journey but it also held a partner to save each other from their despair. Basically, I admired Olive in so many ways that I just want to live the second chance that she has been given. Jordanna really connected me on a creative ans sensitive level of Olive's character.
As part of pleasing her parents and share experience she goes to a support group 'NDS' (The Near-Death Society) but she didn't know she was going to find a mysterious guy named Nick, with a tortured past and non-existent present. Nick is your quintessential cliche of a dark, mysterious and handsome guy in a contemporary read. However, his story is much more complicated and heart-felt. One minute he can be your fun, loving and peaceful guy, but that is only a mask for really lies beneath, death, tragedy, guilt and loneliness. His suffering is tormenting him with every breath he takes until Olive came along that had some resemblance of what he could be going through. Its been a while since I don't know what is in the male characters head through the use of perspectives, but this sudden change in structure I can still figure out who Nick really is and what he can become.
Secondary characters, like Annie and Derek really had an impact and influence over these main protagonists of the novel. Annie is Olive's best friend and she saw Olive's relationship in a different and more realistic way rather than Olive's clouded judgement over her so called love of Derek. Now Derek, I could have just strangled throughout the entire book he was mentioned. His political and hard-working attitude was just a front for the conniving and deceitful boy that he is at the age of 18. He needed to grow UP!
Overall, Jordanna created a very compelling, heat-felt and magical novel based on real-life and life-altering situations. Her characters, Olive and Nick fitted like to two peas in a pod making me love them even more. Like I said this the for me the Contemporary Romance of 2013 so far.
Loved it! Full Review to come!
***
This for me was the perfect contemporary romance of 2013. It was just beautiful and if anyone knows me, any mention of Photography within a book is my Achilles heel. Photography is a way to capture the impossible moment with the combination of the heart-felt romance was just magical. Am I babbling, terribly sorry I just get caught in the moment...
In Olive Bell's world, she has transcended into another person after a near-death experience in a car crash. She was a miracle, and now she feels she doesn't fit in. Her family is the too-perfect reputation of Vista Valley but they have no idea what is happening to their daughter. Her (so called) boyfriend, Derek made her d things that she didn't want to do, but she continues to be inspired by repartee and reputation of being a 'Golden Boy'. By she is left destroyed by his ignorance and gullible nature and left with this unfinished and mysterious surrounding her life and future. Its time for her to find her new path within this 'second-chance' of life.
Olive is an emotionally compromised character for a positive reason, her story is ruled by her heart never her head. Her best-friend Annie, clearly knows this but she does sees the person in front of her, not what lies underneath. Now this chance, shows a new aspect that was mesmerizing as an reader/reviewer. Her character grew constantly throughout the book. Her natural ability at capturing a moment that meant the climax of the novel as well as showing her true nature along with her subject. This song was her journey but it also held a partner to save each other from their despair. Basically, I admired Olive in so many ways that I just want to live the second chance that she has been given. Jordanna really connected me on a creative ans sensitive level of Olive's character.
As part of pleasing her parents and share experience she goes to a support group 'NDS' (The Near-Death Society) but she didn't know she was going to find a mysterious guy named Nick, with a tortured past and non-existent present. Nick is your quintessential cliche of a dark, mysterious and handsome guy in a contemporary read. However, his story is much more complicated and heart-felt. One minute he can be your fun, loving and peaceful guy, but that is only a mask for really lies beneath, death, tragedy, guilt and loneliness. His suffering is tormenting him with every breath he takes until Olive came along that had some resemblance of what he could be going through. Its been a while since I don't know what is in the male characters head through the use of perspectives, but this sudden change in structure I can still figure out who Nick really is and what he can become.
Secondary characters, like Annie and Derek really had an impact and influence over these main protagonists of the novel. Annie is Olive's best friend and she saw Olive's relationship in a different and more realistic way rather than Olive's clouded judgement over her so called love of Derek. Now Derek, I could have just strangled throughout the entire book he was mentioned. His political and hard-working attitude was just a front for the conniving and deceitful boy that he is at the age of 18. He needed to grow UP!
Overall, Jordanna created a very compelling, heat-felt and magical novel based on real-life and life-altering situations. Her characters, Olive and Nick fitted like to two peas in a pod making me love them even more. Like I said this the for me the Contemporary Romance of 2013 so far.
teenage_reads's review against another edition
2.0
Accidents happen all the time. You were not paying attention, you took a turn too fast, even something is coming at you and you could not tear your eyes off it until you collide head on. Yet what is the difference between an accident and a suicide attempted? Is it how fast you were going? What happens right before you got behind the wheel? And who is the person to judge. And others, sometimes they are just accidents. Right? Others leave you more broken than you realize. Like Olive, she was left with a broken-heart and a repeating melody.
Olive Bell was your typical girl. She had the perfect boyfriend, a picture perfect family, a guaranteed at collage and clothes ready for any formal moment. Yet after she crashed her “boyfriend’s” (now ex for he did not visited her even once in the hospital) car after going around a turn too fast, it was not the only thing she brought down. She should have died. She was meant to die. Yet somehow she had survived and was given a second chance. For that she felt different. When even her parents believed that the car accident was a suicide attempt and tried everything to keep her safe.
After being back in school for a while Olive did not get back into her old rhythm. Soon she was failing almost everything, and her mind taken up on completely with Derek her ex-boyfriend who is now the new boyfriend to a popular, pretty, cheerleader. It disgusted her how public they were, when after two years of dating Derek still would not hold her hand in public. A visit to the school counselor forces Olive to deal with her trauma and look into a “support group”. Not taking any of the counselor’s suggesting she found a group online called The Near Death Society, located thirty miles away in Los Angeles. The meetings are not what she expected, until a mysterious boy walks in and catches Olive’s eyes. The boy name was Nick, who was dark, sarcastic and had an English accent. He swept Olive off her feet on the fascinating dates. Soon all Olive could think of is Nick, forgetting about Derek all together. Yet when Nick reveals his secret it sends Olive running. Running right back to Derek. Yet she is still confused by it all, and has to make the decision. Does she want to be Nick sidekick, or Derek personal cheerleader?
Jordanna Fraiberg has taken the fascinating g topic of death and second chances and turned it into a love affair of teenagers. The music part I did not completely get. I thought she was going crazy hearing a man singing to her. Yet I can see it having significant meaning that I just did not get. The character had depth as Nick gave you parts of his history in short bursts, often several pages apart. Also the depth of Olive, with having the crash and her drama with her friend. And then there is Derek the jerk of an ex, that everyone apparently love, smart, good-looking, who is only using you so that it looks like he’s a caring person. This book was dry in some parts, and confusing in others, but a perfect one book to read in the cold gray-days of the spring.
Olive Bell was your typical girl. She had the perfect boyfriend, a picture perfect family, a guaranteed at collage and clothes ready for any formal moment. Yet after she crashed her “boyfriend’s” (now ex for he did not visited her even once in the hospital) car after going around a turn too fast, it was not the only thing she brought down. She should have died. She was meant to die. Yet somehow she had survived and was given a second chance. For that she felt different. When even her parents believed that the car accident was a suicide attempt and tried everything to keep her safe.
After being back in school for a while Olive did not get back into her old rhythm. Soon she was failing almost everything, and her mind taken up on completely with Derek her ex-boyfriend who is now the new boyfriend to a popular, pretty, cheerleader. It disgusted her how public they were, when after two years of dating Derek still would not hold her hand in public. A visit to the school counselor forces Olive to deal with her trauma and look into a “support group”. Not taking any of the counselor’s suggesting she found a group online called The Near Death Society, located thirty miles away in Los Angeles. The meetings are not what she expected, until a mysterious boy walks in and catches Olive’s eyes. The boy name was Nick, who was dark, sarcastic and had an English accent. He swept Olive off her feet on the fascinating dates. Soon all Olive could think of is Nick, forgetting about Derek all together. Yet when Nick reveals his secret it sends Olive running. Running right back to Derek. Yet she is still confused by it all, and has to make the decision. Does she want to be Nick sidekick, or Derek personal cheerleader?
Jordanna Fraiberg has taken the fascinating g topic of death and second chances and turned it into a love affair of teenagers. The music part I did not completely get. I thought she was going crazy hearing a man singing to her. Yet I can see it having significant meaning that I just did not get. The character had depth as Nick gave you parts of his history in short bursts, often several pages apart. Also the depth of Olive, with having the crash and her drama with her friend. And then there is Derek the jerk of an ex, that everyone apparently love, smart, good-looking, who is only using you so that it looks like he’s a caring person. This book was dry in some parts, and confusing in others, but a perfect one book to read in the cold gray-days of the spring.