Book Tour & Review - A Part To Play

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Title: A Part To Play

Author: Jennifer L. Fry

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Pages: 261

Book Blurb:

When fifteen-year-old actress Lucy Carter loses her older sister in a car accident, her mother shuts down and her father can’t hold the family together. Their only choice is to ship Lucy off to the Edmond School for Performing Arts. But boarding school is no cure for Lucy’s grief. With failing grades, wooden stage performances, and curfew violations, Lucy is threatened with expulsion. For the once talented Lucy, it feels as though she has nowhere to turn.

One night, Lucy hears mysterious music drifting through the school’s old heating system. The music leads her to a troubled but passionate songwriter whose brilliance gives her the strength to perform like never before. Yet their intense relationship puts Lucy in a precarious position: if she follows her muse, will she lose herself? And if she breaks it off, can she stand on her own again?

About Jennifer L. Fry:

Jennifer L. Fry is a writer, artist, and teacher in Marin County, California, where she lives with her wonderful husband, two adorable dogs, and orange tabby cat. Though she has been writing since she was young, A Part to Play is her first novel. 

Author Links:

Author website: http://www.jenniferlfry.com/home/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-L-Fry/394827827250769

Twitter: https://twitter.com/frygurl

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15835670-a-part-to-play

YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/component/content/article/28-young-adult-indie/13056-a-part-to-play

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/A-Part-to-Play-ebook/dp/B008VSW614/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1344998757&sr=8-7&keywords=a+part+to+play

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-part-to-play-jennifer-l-fry/1112451468

Audible: http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B009MH10FG&qid=1349917179&sr=1-1

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/a-part-to-play-unabridged/id569381147

 

My Review
I was invited to take part in this blog tour and the book sounded interesting so I decided to give it a go. At just 261 pages I knew it would be quite a quick read which is just what I need at the moment as I am finding that I don't have much time to read right now.
Lucy has been shipped off to boarding school, her sister died in a car accident and her family has fallen apart, she feels unwanted and unloved, being seperated at a Boarding School is the last thing she needs.
I quite liked Lucy as a character from the start, you can real feel her pain and loneliness and you kind of want to root for her, however through out the book I did find myself becoming annoyed with her.
Her best friend at the school, Isa is really cool, she's feisty and willing to stick up for her friends, I actually felt for her a lot, Lucy bails on her quite a lot and keeps secrets from her but Isa never backs away, she remains a good friend and really works hard to make the friendship last. It's rare to find people like that and I liked her, but that is part of the reason why Lucy annoyed me, she takes what she has for granted.
I know she is lost in her grief for her sister but she doesn't tell anyone about it, not even her new best friend. She would cry and break down in front of her but not confide in her. It just made the relationship feel very one sided.
As for the mysterious boy, he starts as a real Prince Charming and you do feel your heart race a little, but without giving much away, he really turns into an ass. I was desperate for Lucy to walk away but she wouldn't. Even her best friend tries to dissuade her.
But I suppose that's the way of life, people fall hard and can't see a different way. So that was actually very well written.
I mostly enjoyed the book and found it to be a sweet little read with a mix of self-discovery, friendship, romance and a real sort of coming of age story.
The only thing that I found un-realistic is the fact that Lucy goes to drama class and her teacher hands out improv scenes, Lucy gets given the part of an ambulance driver attending a car crash which of course freaks her out with memories of her sister, but no one knows why she is so upset. Having parents work in schools my whole life I know that if someone has suffered with something -all the teachers are informed of it. Of course they don't spread it round or even let on they know, but they of course are sensitive to it and therefore the teacher would have known the issue and never given her that part.  
Of course this would have changed the whole dynamic of the book because someone would have known her secret and she tries hard not to let anyone know. But that's just the way it happens.
Anyway apart from that one bit I did enjoy the book and it's worth a read. 

My Rating

          
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