Thursday 7 August 2014

Review: Out Of Tune by Beth Reekles

Ashley Bennett is a straight-A student in her junior year of high school, and life is looking good: she's got a boyfriend whom she loves, a group of friends who love to party... But really, Ashley loves to curl up at home with a good book, and she can't wait to go to college. When junior year starts, the life Ashley's settled into is turned upside down - the empty house next door has finally been sold, and moving in is Todd O'Connor...

When Ashley first meets Todd, he seems aloof and cocky, and she's reluctant to share a ride to school with him as her mom tells her to. As the two get to know each other, though, Ashley comes to realise that the mysterious, brooding Todd O'Connor, who all the girls are swooning over, is actually bookish and shy, and a little bit lonely. His dad passed away a few years ago, leaving him in the care of his uncle, and since then Todd has mostly kept to himself, his books, and his guitar.

And as Todd gets to know Ashley, he forces her to realise that her relationship with her boyfriend, Rob, isn't really making her happy - Rob is selfish, arrogant, and domineering. Will Ashley find the courage to forge her own path?



Review: aww what a lovely sweet teen romance! I love books by this author because I just feel like I am watching an American teen movie,I can literally see the action playing out on a screen in from of me, word for word and this book was no exception. I picked this book up and read most of it in one sitting because it was just so lovely and essay to read. It's a classic storyline of boy meets girl and a friendship turning into more than just that. 

The things with Beth's writing as well though, is that no one ever gets there the easy way. Your main character has to discover something about themselseves and grow as a person before they can be open to love in their lives. There's also a very strong family theme in her novels and this comes across in this book too, her relationship with her mother is lovely and I really liked the interactions between them! Ashely also has a strong sense of right a wrong and although she is in the popular set, this doesn't mean that she is horrible to other people who don't sit on her table at lunch and as she grows ove the course of the book her sense of morals and her independence from the popular group both grow. 

I really liked most of the characters in the book. The adults weren't painted to be boring and the kids weren't painted to be mean spirited. Josh was the character I liked least bust even he isn't a genuinely bad person, he just needs to do a bit of growing up. I loved Todd as a character. He is just so kind and thoughtful and yet his own person entirely as well. I like his friendship with Ashley and the fact that he seems so easy going, like nothing would phase him. 

There isn't an awful lot of action in this book, as you might expect from something that I've described as a teen romance. It's just sweet and lovely and definitely something to read to make you feel war and fuzzy inside. The book is set in autumn and Christmas and, whilst I read this book in the sunshine, this would be a lovely book to snuggle up with when you're needing a bit of a pick me up in the colder months. A lovely book if you want something harmless and fun and a must-read if you are a Beth Reekles fan! 



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