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emjrasmussen's review against another edition
If you like your YA with a dash of political intrigue and larger-than-life fame, this book is for you.
However, if you like your fiction to feature complex, memorable characters, this book may be a disappointment.
I wanted to love The Wrong Side of Right. I really did. And at times—many times, in fact—I found myself wholeheartedly enjoying the plot, with its ties to current events and politics. Especially during the whirlwind of an exposition, in which Kate meets her father in a sudden, very Princess Diaries-esque manner, Jennifer Marie Thorne's debut is exciting, original, and pleasant to read.
But after the first few chapters, I began to feel that something was missing from The Wrong Side of Right, and a few chapters later, I realized what it was: Kate has approximately zero personality. It pains me to call her boring, because I know most people don't store a repository of witty comments in their brains at all times or have a collection of fascinating quirks. But she is far less spectacular even than the average real person, and I could not help thinking that Kate felt more like a cardboard cutout than any other character I had encountered in quite a while. Readers hardly get to learn any details about her personality, and the few aspects that do emerge seem contrived and convenient. Kate seems to be a vessel for a story about politics and family—not an actual person—which bothered me on every page. Combined with the book's 390 pages, a number that could have been trimmed down a bit, Kate's non-personality creates a plot that often becomes ever-so-slightly dull.
The plot does improve as the campaign moves forward and Kate begins to take issue with a key issue in her father's campaign—his plans to strictly enforce immigration laws. However, her rebellion does not become as monumental and exciting as the book's blurb makes it sound. Despite her personal connections to the issue, she never seems passionate about immigration reform. Her attitude seems to be "I think undocumented immigrants should have more rights, but it's more important to me to worry about how that opinion could affect my dad." I don't consider her bad person for not taking more of a stand; her relationship with her father is fragile, and many people don't have passionate feelings about immigration laws. But her character needed to have passionate feelings; there is not much of a story to tell without them.
Despite this review's negative tone, I did enjoy The Wrong Side of Right to some extent. Like I said, it is often exciting, original, and pleasant to read, and I loved uncovering the inner workings of a presidential campaign. But the problem lies in the fact that I wanted so much more, that this book could have been so much better. I didn't want a book that I could describe as "pleasant to read"; I wanted a book that would keep me constantly engaged as the protagonist battled with beliefs that deeply conflicted with the campaign's. But thanks to Kate's lack of personality and passion, The Wrong Side of Right falls flat. If you are the kind of reader who needs outstanding characters, I would advise you to take your time and your vote elsewhere.
This review originally appeared at www.foreverliterary.com.
However, if you like your fiction to feature complex, memorable characters, this book may be a disappointment.
I wanted to love The Wrong Side of Right. I really did. And at times—many times, in fact—I found myself wholeheartedly enjoying the plot, with its ties to current events and politics. Especially during the whirlwind of an exposition, in which Kate meets her father in a sudden, very Princess Diaries-esque manner, Jennifer Marie Thorne's debut is exciting, original, and pleasant to read.
But after the first few chapters, I began to feel that something was missing from The Wrong Side of Right, and a few chapters later, I realized what it was: Kate has approximately zero personality. It pains me to call her boring, because I know most people don't store a repository of witty comments in their brains at all times or have a collection of fascinating quirks. But she is far less spectacular even than the average real person, and I could not help thinking that Kate felt more like a cardboard cutout than any other character I had encountered in quite a while. Readers hardly get to learn any details about her personality, and the few aspects that do emerge seem contrived and convenient. Kate seems to be a vessel for a story about politics and family—not an actual person—which bothered me on every page. Combined with the book's 390 pages, a number that could have been trimmed down a bit, Kate's non-personality creates a plot that often becomes ever-so-slightly dull.
The plot does improve as the campaign moves forward and Kate begins to take issue with a key issue in her father's campaign—his plans to strictly enforce immigration laws. However, her rebellion does not become as monumental and exciting as the book's blurb makes it sound. Despite her personal connections to the issue, she never seems passionate about immigration reform. Her attitude seems to be "I think undocumented immigrants should have more rights, but it's more important to me to worry about how that opinion could affect my dad." I don't consider her bad person for not taking more of a stand; her relationship with her father is fragile, and many people don't have passionate feelings about immigration laws. But her character needed to have passionate feelings; there is not much of a story to tell without them.
Despite this review's negative tone, I did enjoy The Wrong Side of Right to some extent. Like I said, it is often exciting, original, and pleasant to read, and I loved uncovering the inner workings of a presidential campaign. But the problem lies in the fact that I wanted so much more, that this book could have been so much better. I didn't want a book that I could describe as "pleasant to read"; I wanted a book that would keep me constantly engaged as the protagonist battled with beliefs that deeply conflicted with the campaign's. But thanks to Kate's lack of personality and passion, The Wrong Side of Right falls flat. If you are the kind of reader who needs outstanding characters, I would advise you to take your time and your vote elsewhere.
This review originally appeared at www.foreverliterary.com.
lsoccer12's review against another edition
3.0
This type of book isn't my usual. That being said, I finished it and enjoyed it overall.
The protagonist can be a bit dull at times, but she had a unique ability to come back strong and almost make you forget she was previously cardboard.
Likeable romance? Not so much on this one.
The characters were well written, as well as the fact that the idea for the story was original.
The protagonist can be a bit dull at times, but she had a unique ability to come back strong and almost make you forget she was previously cardboard.
Likeable romance? Not so much on this one.
The characters were well written, as well as the fact that the idea for the story was original.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
3.0
Finished reading: January 30th 2017
“It’s amazing how much one person can change the world, even if they don’t know they’re doing it.”
Spoiler
Confession: I snatched up a copy of The Wrong Side Of Right 100% based on the gorgeous cover and had no clue what the story exactly was about when I finally picked it up. I was actually browsing my kindle and picked up this story on a whim... And it turned out to be a bittersweet read after all the immigration chaos that has been going on lately in the US. This hint to real-life connection was actually almost spooky considering the fact this book was written back in 2015... But I guess it did make the plot in The Wrong Side Of Right a tad more interesting. That said, I have to admit I ended up having mixed feelings about this story despite the fact that I could really appreciate the immigration elements. The story had a fast pace and was easy to read, but it took me a long time to actually connect to the main characters and it all just felt a bit too cheesy for me. The Wrong Side Of Right wasn't exactly a bad read and had its charming elements, so maybe this book just wasn't for me? Contemporary romance fans will probably enjoy this story a lot more than I did.
After Kate Quinn's mother died last year, she thought she was now an orphan. That all changes when someone discovers the truth about her mother's past and Kate is forced to come to terms with a new reality. She does have a father. But that is not the biggest shock: he is one of the most powerful politicians of the country and currently in the race to become the next US President. To keep the little scandal from blowing up, her father invites her to join a family she never knew she had... Including a brother, sister, stepmom and a campaign to support a father she hardly knows. Kate suddently finds herself in the middle of the spotlight, and there is no room for mistakes. Will she be able to get used to this new life? And what does her new family really think of her?
If you are looking for a light, fluffy and fast-paced contemporary romance read, The Wrong Side Of Right is probably a great choice. It does read superfast, but I have to admit it took me a long time to warm up to this story. The main problem I had was probably with the main characters. Especially Kate was quite annoying and I felt she started out having little to no character. There were also a lot of cheesy cliches involved I couldn't care about, but that might just be me not being a fan of the genre in the first place. The immigration elements were definitely a strong point of this story though.
charmaineac's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably going to sound crazy, but hear me out—the stressfulness of this book made it so fun! Politics are so tiring but so interesting. EVERYTHING has an impact. Life on the tour bus was really cool. And despite the whole bipartisan conflict, I didn't feel like it was TOO preachy or trying to tell me to become a Republican (somewhat of an unpopular opinion as we get more progressive). This story has a very interesting tie-in with immigration as well. Definitely interesting to consider both sides there.
So many of these characters were really loveable. I cheered on Katie, I ADORED Andy (seriously), and I felt so much warmth towards Meg and the twins. Penny and Evelyn are pretty fabulous too! I just wish we had more banter, funny comments, and snark. Those were the best parts of the story. I wish we also got to see Katie attending Farnwell Prep, because there's so much potential to interact (especially with people from Jake's birthday party). I want to read more about them!
There were also some pretty hate-worthy antagonists. I wanted to punch Elliott in the face, to be honest. But most of the others on the campaign trail had some redeeming qualities.
The book read a fraction "younger," but it was not too noticeable. Definitely a sweet read, and I forward to Thorne's other releases in the future!
So many of these characters were really loveable. I cheered on Katie, I ADORED Andy (seriously), and I felt so much warmth towards Meg and the twins. Penny and Evelyn are pretty fabulous too! I just wish we had more banter, funny comments, and snark. Those were the best parts of the story. I wish we also got to see Katie attending Farnwell Prep, because there's so much potential to interact (especially with people from Jake's birthday party). I want to read more about them!
There were also some pretty hate-worthy antagonists. I wanted to punch Elliott in the face, to be honest. But most of the others on the campaign trail had some redeeming qualities.
The book read a fraction "younger," but it was not too noticeable. Definitely a sweet read, and I forward to Thorne's other releases in the future!
siddiqah's review
2.0
This book was so predictable and the ending was pretty expected. The story line was good, but the characters are not that developed.
chrissireads's review against another edition
3.0
I had heard a lot of good things about The Wrong Side Of Right, so I picked up a copy without really knowing much about it. As I picked it up to read, I was surprised that it politics was at the centre of it. Not my favourite subject area, yet I was intrigued and engaged by this book. Jenn Marie Thorne is a great writer and I’m certainly looking forward to what comes next from her.
The Wrong Side Of Right centres around Kate Quinn, who has recently lost her mother. Kate thought she was parentless, but her father turns up. Kate is shocked to find out that her father is a politican who is currently running for the US president. Kate’s world is completely turned around, when she meets her new family including her stepmother and her half brother and sister. Kate also falls in love with the wrong person, the son of the opposition, she realises his interest in her may also be political and tactical.
Kate is an easy character to like. She’s clever, which I appreciate, and holds herself together well considering how her life completely changes in an instant. I also really enjoyed how real the relationship between her new family was portrayed. Both her stepmother and her new siblings took a while to adapt to accepting Kate into their family. This was incredibly realistic. I don’t think anyone would welcome a ‘love child’ into the family so quickly. I really liked Meg, the Senator’s wife. I enjoyed reading about her developing relationship with Kate. Again, so realistic. Jenn Marie Thorne is a great writer!
I thought this book was really good and balancing the personal and political dramas in Kate’s life. The romance is certainly more on the light side. It’s not at the forefront of the story. In fact, The Wrong Side Of Right is more about family and building relationships.
The Wrong Side Of Right centres around Kate Quinn, who has recently lost her mother. Kate thought she was parentless, but her father turns up. Kate is shocked to find out that her father is a politican who is currently running for the US president. Kate’s world is completely turned around, when she meets her new family including her stepmother and her half brother and sister. Kate also falls in love with the wrong person, the son of the opposition, she realises his interest in her may also be political and tactical.
Kate is an easy character to like. She’s clever, which I appreciate, and holds herself together well considering how her life completely changes in an instant. I also really enjoyed how real the relationship between her new family was portrayed. Both her stepmother and her new siblings took a while to adapt to accepting Kate into their family. This was incredibly realistic. I don’t think anyone would welcome a ‘love child’ into the family so quickly. I really liked Meg, the Senator’s wife. I enjoyed reading about her developing relationship with Kate. Again, so realistic. Jenn Marie Thorne is a great writer!
I thought this book was really good and balancing the personal and political dramas in Kate’s life. The romance is certainly more on the light side. It’s not at the forefront of the story. In fact, The Wrong Side Of Right is more about family and building relationships.
thepaperreels's review against another edition
I CANNOT. ANYMORE.
The first few pages was so very Princess Diaries-like and I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM with that. I actually liked the concept of this story and how it all started. But the main character, Kate, was such a bore. She puts me to sleep.
And also, she was such a pushover. I like the fact that she was not angry and that she doesn't have hurty feelings towards his father. But oh my god it's like she doesn't have any feelings.
Another reason why this didn't work for me is the focus on the politics. And I'm just not into that. So this is really more of a personal reason.
The book wasn't bad at all, except maybe the bland main character. A lot of readers really loved this book and that's cool. It's just not really for me.
The first few pages was so very Princess Diaries-like and I DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM with that. I actually liked the concept of this story and how it all started. But the main character, Kate, was such a bore. She puts me to sleep.
And also, she was such a pushover. I like the fact that she was not angry and that she doesn't have hurty feelings towards his father. But oh my god it's like she doesn't have any feelings.
Another reason why this didn't work for me is the focus on the politics. And I'm just not into that. So this is really more of a personal reason.
The book wasn't bad at all, except maybe the bland main character. A lot of readers really loved this book and that's cool. It's just not really for me.
sosocats's review
3.0
I accidentally read it a second time.
I have no recollection of the book the first time. Clearly. I bought it and I went "did I read this? No there was another book like this at the same time. It has to be that one." But. Apparently it wasn't.
I still enjoyed it a second time. It was fluff and that is exactly what I'm looking for. The romance was secondary and that was good too. It was just cute :)
I have no recollection of the book the first time. Clearly. I bought it and I went "did I read this? No there was another book like this at the same time. It has to be that one." But. Apparently it wasn't.
I still enjoyed it a second time. It was fluff and that is exactly what I'm looking for. The romance was secondary and that was good too. It was just cute :)