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A review by mb_booklady
Overdrive by Dawn Ius
2.0
Overdrive starts with Jules bent over, hotwiring a car she is planning to steal, while her boyfriend has his hand up her shirt and down her pants. Not a great first impression and it doesn't get much better from there.
Jules, also known as "Ghost" among the car thieves of Vegas, gets caught by the police. As a result, her foster family decides to get rid of her and her little sister, Emma. Although Jules claims to just be stealing cars as a way to earn money so she can keep Emma with her when the foster system gives up on them for good, she seems to enjoy the thrill of stealing the cars. She is not a very likable character overall.
Instead of going to jail, Jules and Emma are taken in by a widower who has taken in three other teens. Roger happens to also be very wealthy and provides more for Emma than Jules could imagine. He even has a barre built into a secret room for Jules so she can practice her ballet. She had to give up ballet after her dad left and her mom spiraled into depression.
Because life has made her skeptical, Jules wonders what the catch is to staying with Roger. She soon learns she and the three other teens possess a certain set of skills that will allow them to form a team of car thieves capable of carrying off incredible heists. Jules, Chelsea, Mat, and Nick are expected to steal seven rare, expensive muscle cars in seven weeks.
I am disappointed with this book and wasn't sure I would finish reading it. Besides the opening scene being an obviously sleazy guy copping a feel on the main character, the curses flew faster and more furiously than the cars they were stealing. The author also used too many cheesy descriptions of Jules being turned on by car exhaust and the smell of fuel injector fluid. The combination of garage mechanic porn and teen novel should not be attempted.
Furthermore, the characters jumped from one activity to another with very little transition. It was a disjointed and sometimes groan-worthy read. . .and they were NOT groans of pleasure.
I would classify this as an older teen read and would suggest libraries replace worn copies of frequently read books, rather than purchase a copy of this one.
Jules, also known as "Ghost" among the car thieves of Vegas, gets caught by the police. As a result, her foster family decides to get rid of her and her little sister, Emma. Although Jules claims to just be stealing cars as a way to earn money so she can keep Emma with her when the foster system gives up on them for good, she seems to enjoy the thrill of stealing the cars. She is not a very likable character overall.
Instead of going to jail, Jules and Emma are taken in by a widower who has taken in three other teens. Roger happens to also be very wealthy and provides more for Emma than Jules could imagine. He even has a barre built into a secret room for Jules so she can practice her ballet. She had to give up ballet after her dad left and her mom spiraled into depression.
Because life has made her skeptical, Jules wonders what the catch is to staying with Roger. She soon learns she and the three other teens possess a certain set of skills that will allow them to form a team of car thieves capable of carrying off incredible heists. Jules, Chelsea, Mat, and Nick are expected to steal seven rare, expensive muscle cars in seven weeks.
I am disappointed with this book and wasn't sure I would finish reading it. Besides the opening scene being an obviously sleazy guy copping a feel on the main character, the curses flew faster and more furiously than the cars they were stealing. The author also used too many cheesy descriptions of Jules being turned on by car exhaust and the smell of fuel injector fluid. The combination of garage mechanic porn and teen novel should not be attempted.
Furthermore, the characters jumped from one activity to another with very little transition. It was a disjointed and sometimes groan-worthy read. . .and they were NOT groans of pleasure.
I would classify this as an older teen read and would suggest libraries replace worn copies of frequently read books, rather than purchase a copy of this one.