Author: Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks (book 2)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: 25 Oct 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1402271878
Synopsis
Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.
Now Parker wants a new life.
So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?
But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?
My Review
I didn't realise this was book 2 in a series, I never usually read series out of order, but to be fair with this book it read as a stand-alone. It's just set in the same school as the first book.
I've heard a lot of good things about this author and wanted to give her a try, I basically ended up with this one because it was the only one by her that we had on our library system (something which I am trying to change now, I'm asking them to buy her other books for sure!)
Anyway, at approximately only 250 pages this looked like a quick read, and a fairly easy one too, perfect for a lazy Sunday morning so I got stuck in.
When living in a small town everyone seems to know your business, so when Parker's mum is involved in a scandal, everyone is buzzing about it. And Parker ends up taking a lot of the flack, people she thought were her friends turn their back on her, she quickly decides she doesn't want to be their target and so decides to change her life completely. Quitting the sport she loves, losing weight and becoming someone new. But sometimes change isn't for the better.
Parker comes across at first as quite self involved, worried about what others think, trying to make people see her a certain way, but when you start to find out more about her story you can see why she is like that and you can actually see she has an inner strength to her that has to be admired. Her family has fallen apart and she's lost her friends but she doesn't give up. OK, so maybe trying to completely reinvent yourself isn't the best idea but I can see why she did it.
Drew is the only friend who stood by Parker and a real sweetheart, 'Corndog' aka Will seems to come across as a bit of a jerk but he has a spark to him and I like how he grows throughout the book.
This book does contain scandal, and mentions of sex, quite a bit actually so definitely not suitable for younger readers. Some things are described in more detail than you would normally see in YA fiction, so be warned.
It's good to see Parker come to terms with her past and look forward to the future, she really develops throughout the story and becomes a better person because of it. She sure makes mistakes on the way and sometimes hurts those around her, but we all do that and she learns from it in the end.
I will go back and read Catching Jordan (book 1) as I am intrigued how they link, but I don't think you need to read it to enjoy this book.
My Rating
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