THE LOWDOWN:
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk’s home life, they’d send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom’s freedom and her own happiness. That’s how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn’t want her and going to a school that doesn’t understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn’t get her, but does….
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock—with secrets he can’t tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn’t be less interested in him.
But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams—and his life—for the girl he loves, and the girl who won’t let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.
FIRST IMPRESSION:
I’m not interested in second place. Never have been. Never will be. It’s not the style of anyone who wants to play in the Majors. And because of my personal philosophy, this moments sucks. My best friend is seconds from scoring a phone number from the chick working the Taco Bell counter, placing him in the lead.
—ARC paperback edition
SNAPSHOT:
To-be-sweethearts Beth and Ryan, despite how polar opposite they first appear, are more alike than society would lead them to believe. The sharp contrast between the outer lives of the dual-protagonists allows readers to explore and empathize with their different but very real and difficult situations. Both characters benefit from learning how to stand up for themselves, their wants and needs.
What is perhaps most astounding is the gender role reversals between the two protagonists. Overachieving, parent-controlled, upper class Ryan is a shockingly positive and downright genuine young man, sure to melt the hardest of hearts… including Beth’s. He plays hard and works hard, but his level of innocence—especially in matters of sex—is not often examined in male leads.
Meanwhile, Beth takes the “bad boy” role, with her hard-partying past and shattered youth. However, as with romances where the girl reforms the boy, it would have been a welcomed divergence from format if Beth didn’t need a lifestyle flip to accept herself and love into her life. Skaterpunk goth girls might dislike the notion that their appearance is part of their problem, or that partying cannot be done responsibly. Beth more needs understanding and help, the strength to leave behind toxic emotionally abusive relationships, than a makeover.
Appropriate for ages 14+. Frequent strong language, difficult situations, drug and alcohol use and discussions.
Deals with love, domestic abuse, substance use, alcoholism, poverty, and family drama.
Readers would benefit from discussions on how to spot negative relationships in their own lives—be it friends, coworkers, classmates, or even family—and how to loosen the grip of guilt enough to stand up and walk away.
GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…
– Enjoy love that has time to slowly, naturally blossom
– Are not normally a fan of romances
– Know that appearances can be deceiving
– Need a hopeful, positive tale of two lost souls finding solace in each other
THE ESSENTIALS:
Contemporary YA romance
Hardcover & Ebook, 456 pages
Published May 28th, 2013 by Harlequin Teen (ISBN 0373210639)
http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=28253
(Review copy provided by Harlequin Teen.)