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bury's review against another edition
1.0
1.5/10. This book made me very angry. This girl learns that her dad is the Republican nominee for president and she just accepts it??? A much better book would have been her struggle to forgive her mother for not telling her she had a father, because I find it hard to believe that she spent her entire life not caring that she didn't have a dad and didn't care who he was. Instead, she joins a presidential campaign before asking herself if she supports the policy? She grew up in California with a mom who owned a soup kitchen--she was obviously liberal. Add that to the fact that she just finished AP gov, so she obviously had a lot of exposure to the modern political scene. But no, it is more interesting to have her "fall in love" with a completely one-dimensional character whose only character trait is that he loves the main character from the beginning for no reason. And of course all the presidential aides hate her! The amount of unprofessionalism in this book was infuriating--this is a presidential campaign for the United States!!!! Everyone would be in perfect order. No one would quit with a month remaining in the campaign or punch someone because they said something rude. And the president wouldn't have his mind changed on an issue because he talked to one person!!!! Of course he already has all the information on the topic of immigration! This dude represented the United States Republican party and basically had a mid-life crisis and decided that it just wasn't meant to be, letting down literally everyone. In trying to "humanize" him, the author just made him look naive and stupid. Anyway, this book gets 1.5 stars because I was so mad at the book that I couldn't put it down.
andimontgomery's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed "The Wrong Side of Right" more than I expected. While the plot was a bit unbelievable (a presidential candidate learns that his infidelity 17 years ago resulted in a child, and asks her join his family immediately on the campaign trail), Kate (said child) is both likable and realistic. She never knew her father's identity, and has been living with her aunt and uncle after her mother's untimely death a year ago. She's a good student, without the typical teenage angst we often see in girls her age, thus increasing her likability factor.
Kate faces many obstacles winning over both her new family and the public. As expected, her father's wife, Meg, is initially a bit cool towards Kate, but she--and Kate's eight-year old twin siblings--soon warm to her due to her genuine sincerity. Her life has been turned upside down, too, and she struggles with adapting to the changes.
Of course, her father's (or rather, "the senator's") staff watch her every move, and quickly berate her for her mistakes when they impact the public's opinion of her father. But Kate never forgets herself, both where she came from and who she wants to be. I enjoyed seeing her blossom throughout the process.
Kate befriends the current president's son (from the opposing party, no less), and things get a bit interesting. He certainly understands what she's going through, and gives her a bit of guidance along the way.
While I'm not fond of reading political novels, this one didn't annoy me too much. I liked that while Kate didn't initially associate with her father's party, she supported him. It helped that he was an extremely likable guy whom she could truly believe in.
I'll definitely read more from this author!
Kate faces many obstacles winning over both her new family and the public. As expected, her father's wife, Meg, is initially a bit cool towards Kate, but she--and Kate's eight-year old twin siblings--soon warm to her due to her genuine sincerity. Her life has been turned upside down, too, and she struggles with adapting to the changes.
Of course, her father's (or rather, "the senator's") staff watch her every move, and quickly berate her for her mistakes when they impact the public's opinion of her father. But Kate never forgets herself, both where she came from and who she wants to be. I enjoyed seeing her blossom throughout the process.
Kate befriends the current president's son (from the opposing party, no less), and things get a bit interesting. He certainly understands what she's going through, and gives her a bit of guidance along the way.
While I'm not fond of reading political novels, this one didn't annoy me too much. I liked that while Kate didn't initially associate with her father's party, she supported him. It helped that he was an extremely likable guy whom she could truly believe in.
I'll definitely read more from this author!
absalomabsalom's review against another edition
3.0
cute. glad that white girl reconciled those warring aspects of her life.
thetomatowriter's review
4.0
3.5 stars. This book is a little cheesy at times but actually handles the immigration topic pretty decently, albeit from a white teenage girl's perspective, and the heart of it - about Kate getting to know her family - is lovely. The marketing focuses mostly on the romance but it really only takes up about a quarter of the book, and I liked that. It was very cute and enjoyable but didn't need to be front and center. I also like that by the end, the couple hasn't made dramatic declarations of love. It felt like a very normal kind of first relationship in that way. My biggest problem with this book is actually something that was outside of the author's control, and that's my particular cover. I'm sorry, but seeing a white, cishet couple on the cover of a book with the tagline "Their love is politically incorrect" kind of made me want to gag a little every time I saw it.
mlarue12's review against another edition
5.0
My friend told me that this book was kind of okay. I thought it was amazing though! I couldn't put it down once I got really into it. Yes, the beginning is slow but once you get to it, it gets really good. I relate to Kate more than I relate to any character I have ever read about before. I know what it feels like to be neglected by a father. I also know that if she wasn't who she was (The daughter of Senator Cooper) she wouldn't have been able to get through all of that. If she were the daughter of anyone else then she probably wouldn't of had the courage she had to get through that year. She was a natural with politics and tried to stick up for her views whenever she could, when Elliot would allow it. This book gets a 10/10 out of me and I will definitely read it again and soon.
e_d_ivey's review against another edition
5.0
Whether the 2016 elections produce repulsion or fascination, they make people talk. They're interesting because of the sordid complexity inherent in politics. As much as we can speculate about a candidate's latest scandal, The Wrong Side of Right gives readers a glimpse into the source itself: the backstage of a campaign.
Learning she is the child of a presidential candidate sets Kate Quinn's journey into motion, a process that outlines just how people work behind the scenes to orchestrate a campaign. Though Kate's teenager life has its obligatory romance, a fun-loving one with the president's son, it's more the interactions Kate has with her new family that make her an endearing protagonist. Not without her weak spots, Kate ends up growing in a believable way by the end.
Especially relevant in light of the coming elections, this book offers a tantalizing different perspective into the hot topic of the year.
Learning she is the child of a presidential candidate sets Kate Quinn's journey into motion, a process that outlines just how people work behind the scenes to orchestrate a campaign. Though Kate's teenager life has its obligatory romance, a fun-loving one with the president's son, it's more the interactions Kate has with her new family that make her an endearing protagonist. Not without her weak spots, Kate ends up growing in a believable way by the end.
Especially relevant in light of the coming elections, this book offers a tantalizing different perspective into the hot topic of the year.
alexblackreads's review against another edition
4.0
I was immediately drawn to this book. I had a hunch from the moment I saw it that it would be perfect for me, and I was right. I've never read an ebook before, but it was the only way I could access this book (with the library's physical locations currently closed) and it was so worth it. I flew through this in one night and it was everything I wanted it to be.
Two critiques that kept this at four stars for me. The first was the politics. It felt very shallow and overly simplified. I've read contemporaries, even YA contemporaries, that deal with politics and handle it better than this. Kate's father is a republican but her views align closer to the democratic party, so that does generate a lot of conflict, and I was quite interested in the conflict. But it seems much too easy, almost drawn in black and white. On one issue that Kate disagrees with her father, she drags him out to listen to people and hear their side of the issue. Upon listening to them for like an hour, he changes his mind almost completely and deviates from all his prior policy. I don't believe for one second that a career politician who's running for president, regardless of his party or policy, is ignorant enough to be change his entire position on an issue based on one individual's sob story. He has people talk at him all day every day and I can't believe no one had ever told him a sob story before. That was one big moment, but it happened in smaller ways throughout the book too. I just wish it had been handled with more depth and nuance.
My other issue was that it seemed like the book was very focused on the plot. Everything that happened was directly related to the plot of the story, which kind of leaves a lot of emptiness in the world building. It definitely improved throughout the book, but there was a while it felt kind of bare bones and I just wanted more, more of this world and these people and their lives. Having everything directly related to just the plot makes it feel too linear and less believable, and I think Thorne could've taken a little more time to explore.
But I loved this. I devoured this in one night and it was pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be. I love stories that focus on kids in politics, and the way having parental figures in politics impacts a kid's behavior outside of just the policy. The way they dress and act and talk is all monitored. The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White is one of my favorite books and I think that's why I was so excited to pick this up. It's a very different story, but this one explored a lot of the elements I love about White's book too. It's hard for kids in the spotlight, especially kids who aren't used to. I love seeing the learning process of dealing with the press.
I also liked the relationship between Kate and her stepmother. I think it so easily could have been negative in order to write most of the adults out of her life, but instead Thorne went a much more interesting route and so much of this book is actually about Kate and Meg's relationship. It's awkward and hesitant and neither of them know exactly what relationship they want or should have, but it's so heartfelt and touching.
The last third of this book had me tearing up. Maybe it's because I'd been staring at my phone screen for four hours and it was 3am, but I think it had to do with all of Kate's pain and everything in her life coming to a head. It was great.
Just overall a really great, really fun book. I had a blast reading it and would recommend to people who are interested in teenagers who have to deal with being in the political sphere and parent-child relationships. This was one of those books that I'm not sure will stick with me for a long time, but I'm so glad I picked it up because this is my reading comfort zone and it was perfect for my mood.
Two critiques that kept this at four stars for me. The first was the politics. It felt very shallow and overly simplified. I've read contemporaries, even YA contemporaries, that deal with politics and handle it better than this. Kate's father is a republican but her views align closer to the democratic party, so that does generate a lot of conflict, and I was quite interested in the conflict. But it seems much too easy, almost drawn in black and white. On one issue that Kate disagrees with her father, she drags him out to listen to people and hear their side of the issue. Upon listening to them for like an hour, he changes his mind almost completely and deviates from all his prior policy. I don't believe for one second that a career politician who's running for president, regardless of his party or policy, is ignorant enough to be change his entire position on an issue based on one individual's sob story. He has people talk at him all day every day and I can't believe no one had ever told him a sob story before. That was one big moment, but it happened in smaller ways throughout the book too. I just wish it had been handled with more depth and nuance.
My other issue was that it seemed like the book was very focused on the plot. Everything that happened was directly related to the plot of the story, which kind of leaves a lot of emptiness in the world building. It definitely improved throughout the book, but there was a while it felt kind of bare bones and I just wanted more, more of this world and these people and their lives. Having everything directly related to just the plot makes it feel too linear and less believable, and I think Thorne could've taken a little more time to explore.
But I loved this. I devoured this in one night and it was pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be. I love stories that focus on kids in politics, and the way having parental figures in politics impacts a kid's behavior outside of just the policy. The way they dress and act and talk is all monitored. The President's Daughter by Ellen Emerson White is one of my favorite books and I think that's why I was so excited to pick this up. It's a very different story, but this one explored a lot of the elements I love about White's book too. It's hard for kids in the spotlight, especially kids who aren't used to. I love seeing the learning process of dealing with the press.
I also liked the relationship between Kate and her stepmother. I think it so easily could have been negative in order to write most of the adults out of her life, but instead Thorne went a much more interesting route and so much of this book is actually about Kate and Meg's relationship. It's awkward and hesitant and neither of them know exactly what relationship they want or should have, but it's so heartfelt and touching.
The last third of this book had me tearing up. Maybe it's because I'd been staring at my phone screen for four hours and it was 3am, but I think it had to do with all of Kate's pain and everything in her life coming to a head. It was great.
Just overall a really great, really fun book. I had a blast reading it and would recommend to people who are interested in teenagers who have to deal with being in the political sphere and parent-child relationships. This was one of those books that I'm not sure will stick with me for a long time, but I'm so glad I picked it up because this is my reading comfort zone and it was perfect for my mood.