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bluebeereads's review against another edition
2.0
I don't know guys. I was just so bored reading this. It was predictable, kind of cheesy, full of drama,... It felt like a bad Disney Channel teen movie. That's all I can really say right now. I didn't like the characters either. Some might enjoy this one if you're looking for a simple, cheesy, cutesy YA contemporary, but unfortunately I've come to expect more of the genre. So yeah... That's my two cents on this one.
lisamparkin's review against another edition
2.0
If I had to say one thing about this book it would be that it's trying too hard. The descriptions are overwrought and the storyline surprisingly juvenile. I read to 50% then skimmed to the end.
iphi_kc13's review against another edition
3.0
Lighthearted and easy read. A good stand alone is always nice. Liza is very type a/control freak and the "drum major" for her high school band who she is trying to save by going on a cruise to win $25k in a talent competition. (Spoiler) She's very upset with the head QB assigned to her band (he's being punished) but ends up with him in the end even though she's not happy that they are getting a new weight room while her band is having to enter this competition to save their program. Surprise love curveball since she doesn't crush on him the whole book but he's apparently way into her. She's, of course, interested in another boy and her ex BFF is there to compete against the band with her dance group. The QB is the ex BFFs ex which throws some more drama in but I didn't think it was roll your eye every five second type drama so 3 stars!
heidimrogers's review against another edition
5.0
So fun! I simultaneously couldn't put it down, but didn't want it to end.
charlee_12's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
valeriianavarr's review against another edition
4.0
Lauren Morrill is everything. I love her romance books
serene216's review against another edition
2.0
Too long and jumped around way too much. Had to force myself to keep reading.
erinlynn1989's review against another edition
2.0
FTC Disclosure: Delacorte Press allowed me to read and review an advance copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This review was originally published on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.
The Trouble With Destiny is the first book by Lauren Morrill that I've read. Yes, I've seen her other books in stores and online. Yes, I know people adore them. Heck, even I own a copy of Meant to Be. I just haven't found the time to read it yet because there are seriously so many books! I can say that I'm a little troubled after reading The Trouble With Destiny because things just felt a little off with the book. There were some parts that I really, really enjoyed, but there were also a lot of flaws that had me cringing because of the lack of research on Morrill's part.
Like I said, there are some really good things about The Trouble With Destiny. First of all, I thought that the plot was pretty unique. As a former band geek, I was thrilled to see that someone was writing a book about a school band. I also loved the competition aspect of it all. The band and other high school performing arts groups set sail on a cruise, and they have the chance to win $25,000? Yeah... count me in!
Overall, I enjoyed Morrill's writing style because she really makes Liza seem like a teenage girl. That's important in YA, and I liked that it felt authentic. Liza has her ups and downs during the cruise, and she expresses her thoughts honestly. She's annoying when she's angry or upset, and she's kind of endearing when she's excited about something.
There are some great characters in the book, and I was kind of upset that they really only seemed like secondary characters. I wish that Morrill would have included these two guys in more scenes because they really made the book feel like it had more to it than it really did. The first guy you should know about is Huck. He's Liza's best friend, and I really enjoyed him for who he is. He's funny and kind, and he's definitely the kind of person that I'd want as a friend. Another character who I adored from the get go was Russ, the football player who was forced to go on the cruise with the band as a punishment. (Seriously!) He's just adorable, and not what I was expecting from a football/marching band story, so that was a wonderful surprise.
I also said there were some bad things about The Trouble With Destiny, and it made the teacher in me so angry. I felt like Morrill didn't do her research when writing this book, and it really disappointed me. First of all, the book lacks parent chaperones. When a group this big goes on an overnight trip, chaperones are needed. It's a legal issue, and most schools require that there be one adult per ten students. Why? They are there to keep track of the students. They are there to keep them out of trouble. What does Morrill provide in this book? One chaperone who doesn't pay attention to anything going on with his band!
The book also lacks the presence of a school nurse. This is also a requirement for school field trips because students are not allowed to carry medicine - prescription or over the counter - on their person. The nurse needs to be there to give the kids their medicines at the right times, but he/she also needs to be there for those unexpected moments, like a scraped knee or the stomach flu. (Seriously... I'm speaking from experience because I got food poisoning on a band trip, and if it weren't for the nurse, I would have had to be flown home.)
The competition aspect also felt unfinished. Yes, there is a beef between Liza's marching band and a show choir group from their high school. Morrill goes into detail about that, by explaining the feud between former BFFs Liza and Demi. We see them play tricks on one another, and we see them try to figure out how to coexist on the same cruise. That's all fine and dandy, but in the first chapter, another group, The Mechanicals, is mentioned, and Liza refers to them as being a group from their rival high school. Because of this, I was expecting more, and the lack of anything else about them really made the mention of them seem pointless.
I also had a few problems with some of the novels characters. Like I said above, Liza can get annoying, especially when she's frustrated. I understand why she's frustrated, but seeing her freak out on her friends is a little disheartening. She's also really, really thick-headed, especially when it comes to following her heart. Another character who bothered me is Demi, Liza's childhood best friend and now enemy. She's just downright mean during most of the novel, but she does eventually redeem herself. I just don't know how honest it really seems, especially after so many years of feuding.
I did find the synopsis to be a little misleading, though. When I read the words "drum major," I was thinking that Liza's band would be competing as a marching band. I know it would be hard to do a marching show on a cruise ship, but I was thinking that maybe they'd hit up the stage in a block band or march in and then do a performance. (I told you all that I was a band geek!) I was bummed when I found out that they'd be competing as a concert band.
Overall, I kind of liked the book, but I kind of didn't. I wouldn't say it's one that I have to read ever again and I don't think I'll ever read it again. I am glad that I read it because it entertained me for a few hours, even if it pissed me off. If you're curious about The Trouble With Destiny, I recommend borrowing it from the library instead of purchasing it just in case you aren't a fan of how things develop in the novel.
This review was originally published on my blog, The Hardcover Lover.
The Trouble With Destiny is the first book by Lauren Morrill that I've read. Yes, I've seen her other books in stores and online. Yes, I know people adore them. Heck, even I own a copy of Meant to Be. I just haven't found the time to read it yet because there are seriously so many books! I can say that I'm a little troubled after reading The Trouble With Destiny because things just felt a little off with the book. There were some parts that I really, really enjoyed, but there were also a lot of flaws that had me cringing because of the lack of research on Morrill's part.
Like I said, there are some really good things about The Trouble With Destiny. First of all, I thought that the plot was pretty unique. As a former band geek, I was thrilled to see that someone was writing a book about a school band. I also loved the competition aspect of it all. The band and other high school performing arts groups set sail on a cruise, and they have the chance to win $25,000? Yeah... count me in!
Overall, I enjoyed Morrill's writing style because she really makes Liza seem like a teenage girl. That's important in YA, and I liked that it felt authentic. Liza has her ups and downs during the cruise, and she expresses her thoughts honestly. She's annoying when she's angry or upset, and she's kind of endearing when she's excited about something.
There are some great characters in the book, and I was kind of upset that they really only seemed like secondary characters. I wish that Morrill would have included these two guys in more scenes because they really made the book feel like it had more to it than it really did. The first guy you should know about is Huck. He's Liza's best friend, and I really enjoyed him for who he is. He's funny and kind, and he's definitely the kind of person that I'd want as a friend. Another character who I adored from the get go was Russ, the football player who was forced to go on the cruise with the band as a punishment. (Seriously!) He's just adorable, and not what I was expecting from a football/marching band story, so that was a wonderful surprise.
I also said there were some bad things about The Trouble With Destiny, and it made the teacher in me so angry. I felt like Morrill didn't do her research when writing this book, and it really disappointed me. First of all, the book lacks parent chaperones. When a group this big goes on an overnight trip, chaperones are needed. It's a legal issue, and most schools require that there be one adult per ten students. Why? They are there to keep track of the students. They are there to keep them out of trouble. What does Morrill provide in this book? One chaperone who doesn't pay attention to anything going on with his band!
The book also lacks the presence of a school nurse. This is also a requirement for school field trips because students are not allowed to carry medicine - prescription or over the counter - on their person. The nurse needs to be there to give the kids their medicines at the right times, but he/she also needs to be there for those unexpected moments, like a scraped knee or the stomach flu. (Seriously... I'm speaking from experience because I got food poisoning on a band trip, and if it weren't for the nurse, I would have had to be flown home.)
The competition aspect also felt unfinished. Yes, there is a beef between Liza's marching band and a show choir group from their high school. Morrill goes into detail about that, by explaining the feud between former BFFs Liza and Demi. We see them play tricks on one another, and we see them try to figure out how to coexist on the same cruise. That's all fine and dandy, but in the first chapter, another group, The Mechanicals, is mentioned, and Liza refers to them as being a group from their rival high school. Because of this, I was expecting more, and the lack of anything else about them really made the mention of them seem pointless.
I also had a few problems with some of the novels characters. Like I said above, Liza can get annoying, especially when she's frustrated. I understand why she's frustrated, but seeing her freak out on her friends is a little disheartening. She's also really, really thick-headed, especially when it comes to following her heart. Another character who bothered me is Demi, Liza's childhood best friend and now enemy. She's just downright mean during most of the novel, but she does eventually redeem herself. I just don't know how honest it really seems, especially after so many years of feuding.
I did find the synopsis to be a little misleading, though. When I read the words "drum major," I was thinking that Liza's band would be competing as a marching band. I know it would be hard to do a marching show on a cruise ship, but I was thinking that maybe they'd hit up the stage in a block band or march in and then do a performance. (I told you all that I was a band geek!) I was bummed when I found out that they'd be competing as a concert band.
Overall, I kind of liked the book, but I kind of didn't. I wouldn't say it's one that I have to read ever again and I don't think I'll ever read it again. I am glad that I read it because it entertained me for a few hours, even if it pissed me off. If you're curious about The Trouble With Destiny, I recommend borrowing it from the library instead of purchasing it just in case you aren't a fan of how things develop in the novel.
pagesplotsandpints's review against another edition
4.0
Initial Impressions 10/15/15: Okay, that ending was SUPER cute! Sometimes music doesn't come across well in books because, well, you can't hear it. Lauren Morrill did a really fantastic job of making this music come to life. I could picture the band performance (and all of the music at the end) and really hear it in my head. It made me grin from ear to ear!
I love love love the hate-to-love romance. Morrill totally nailed in this in MEANT TO BE and I loved how it developed in THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY as well. It was handled pretty realistically (since I can count many crushes-gone-wrong form my own high school days) and I thought it was also incredibly fun.
There was a bit of a lull in the middle for me -- maybe just because I was taking so long to read it? -- but I started to lose my way with the story of the band. I think it's hard for me to watch a character who feels the need to take charge and stay in control and watch her pull herself down so I think I just felt bad for Liza as she was making things harder for herself by fighting for control! But like all adorable contemporary books, it all worked out in the end!!
Full review originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 11/18/15: I’ve been a fan of Lauren Morrill since 2012 when I first read her debut MEANT TO BE and the adorable contemporary novels have just kept on coming! THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY was no exception to Morrill’s previous works and it was so much fun from start to finish.
Naturally, THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY immediately pulled me in with the premise of Liza and her group of band nerds entering a performance contest to save their school music’s program. You don’t even have to finish the phrase “music nerd” before I am totally on board that ship and ready to set sail! I was a choir geek in high school (I’m not in an organization anymore but I think I’m still pretty geeky when it comes to choir) and I had an absolute blast with all of the music references, performances, and technical terms throughout the book. Lauren Morrill really did a fantastic job of bringing that music to life as well which is something that’s always so hard for me in books! Music is such a mood-setter and so important to a scene that it’s hard for me as a reader to listen to that song playing in my head while still absorbing the rest of the text but THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY had some really amazing musical moments that stuck with me throughout the pages. I was so happy to finally see a book that was able to accomplish this and it sort of brought back that hope for me that I can hear the music used in books.
Liza was a fun character to read about! Similar to some of Morrill’s other heroines, Liza is hell-bent on perfection and success although instead of academics or sports, Liza’s obsession is her school band. It was a great addition to have that noble cause of saving the school’s music program as a driving force as well so Liza’s ambition had so much more emotion attached and reason to be driven to win instead of just winning for the sake of being the best. It also really affected the other students as well and it was really great to see that side of Liza show when she’s working hard to save the band not only for herself but for her fellow band members also. This blind determination was a bit hard to watch sometimes, but not in a way that was too cringe-worthy. Mostly it was just hard to see Liza so hard on herself when small mishaps occurred and when she sacrificed the happiness of herself and others to achieve her goal. I did like that the story wrapped up well with her eyes open to this fact and Liza ends up learning how to let some control go and allow others to help.
The romance was super cute in this book. I’m not sure if you’d exactly call it a triangle but I can see how it might feel like that for some. When it comes down to it, it’s more of a “they don’t know we know they know” kind of a situation where the wrong people are in the dark about who likes who and delightful cute contemporary confusion ensues! I thought it was really well done albeit a bit predictable but I really enjoyed the direction the romance went! It has not one but TWO of my favorite romance tropes and I won’t fully explain how those happen so you can discover for yourself but I really appreciated how each, let’s say, potential romance played out. I totally loved the ending and couldn’t have been happier with how it resolved! My only minor complaint is that because of the way the romance plays out, there aren’t AS many swoony moments in the beginning but still really fun!
The friendships were also so well done in this book. It was great to see Liza have strong friendships, build new ones, ponder old ones, and realize that things change over time and that’s okay. We’ve all had friend break-ups, new best friends, and people pop up from our pasts so it was fun to see all of these things happen to Liza and relate to how she handles each one. THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY is lovely cute contemp so naturally, these resolve neatly and leave the reader with warm fuzzies!
THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY was a really cute book and overall, I really enjoyed it. There were a few lulls in there for me but the book was also jam-packed with adorable moments, hilarious slap-stick comedy, and beautiful growing moments. Another very solid book from Lauren Morrill and I’m always ready for more!
I love love love the hate-to-love romance. Morrill totally nailed in this in MEANT TO BE and I loved how it developed in THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY as well. It was handled pretty realistically (since I can count many crushes-gone-wrong form my own high school days) and I thought it was also incredibly fun.
There was a bit of a lull in the middle for me -- maybe just because I was taking so long to read it? -- but I started to lose my way with the story of the band. I think it's hard for me to watch a character who feels the need to take charge and stay in control and watch her pull herself down so I think I just felt bad for Liza as she was making things harder for herself by fighting for control! But like all adorable contemporary books, it all worked out in the end!!
Full review originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 11/18/15: I’ve been a fan of Lauren Morrill since 2012 when I first read her debut MEANT TO BE and the adorable contemporary novels have just kept on coming! THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY was no exception to Morrill’s previous works and it was so much fun from start to finish.
Naturally, THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY immediately pulled me in with the premise of Liza and her group of band nerds entering a performance contest to save their school music’s program. You don’t even have to finish the phrase “music nerd” before I am totally on board that ship and ready to set sail! I was a choir geek in high school (I’m not in an organization anymore but I think I’m still pretty geeky when it comes to choir) and I had an absolute blast with all of the music references, performances, and technical terms throughout the book. Lauren Morrill really did a fantastic job of bringing that music to life as well which is something that’s always so hard for me in books! Music is such a mood-setter and so important to a scene that it’s hard for me as a reader to listen to that song playing in my head while still absorbing the rest of the text but THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY had some really amazing musical moments that stuck with me throughout the pages. I was so happy to finally see a book that was able to accomplish this and it sort of brought back that hope for me that I can hear the music used in books.
Liza was a fun character to read about! Similar to some of Morrill’s other heroines, Liza is hell-bent on perfection and success although instead of academics or sports, Liza’s obsession is her school band. It was a great addition to have that noble cause of saving the school’s music program as a driving force as well so Liza’s ambition had so much more emotion attached and reason to be driven to win instead of just winning for the sake of being the best. It also really affected the other students as well and it was really great to see that side of Liza show when she’s working hard to save the band not only for herself but for her fellow band members also. This blind determination was a bit hard to watch sometimes, but not in a way that was too cringe-worthy. Mostly it was just hard to see Liza so hard on herself when small mishaps occurred and when she sacrificed the happiness of herself and others to achieve her goal. I did like that the story wrapped up well with her eyes open to this fact and Liza ends up learning how to let some control go and allow others to help.
The romance was super cute in this book. I’m not sure if you’d exactly call it a triangle but I can see how it might feel like that for some. When it comes down to it, it’s more of a “they don’t know we know they know” kind of a situation where the wrong people are in the dark about who likes who and delightful cute contemporary confusion ensues! I thought it was really well done albeit a bit predictable but I really enjoyed the direction the romance went! It has not one but TWO of my favorite romance tropes and I won’t fully explain how those happen so you can discover for yourself but I really appreciated how each, let’s say, potential romance played out. I totally loved the ending and couldn’t have been happier with how it resolved! My only minor complaint is that because of the way the romance plays out, there aren’t AS many swoony moments in the beginning but still really fun!
The friendships were also so well done in this book. It was great to see Liza have strong friendships, build new ones, ponder old ones, and realize that things change over time and that’s okay. We’ve all had friend break-ups, new best friends, and people pop up from our pasts so it was fun to see all of these things happen to Liza and relate to how she handles each one. THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY is lovely cute contemp so naturally, these resolve neatly and leave the reader with warm fuzzies!
THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY was a really cute book and overall, I really enjoyed it. There were a few lulls in there for me but the book was also jam-packed with adorable moments, hilarious slap-stick comedy, and beautiful growing moments. Another very solid book from Lauren Morrill and I’m always ready for more!
emilymahar's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5
This was really cute, but definitely geared toward younger YA readers. Not as good as Being Sloane Jacobs, unfortunately.
This was really cute, but definitely geared toward younger YA readers. Not as good as Being Sloane Jacobs, unfortunately.