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freadomlibrary's review
3.0
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Abrams Kids and Amulet Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
The plot of this book was really fun and cute though it also dealt with the heavier themes of like like gender identity, friendship, family and sexuality. It’s a coming of age story with secrets and some violence. However, I wish the ending matched the beginning, meaning I wish the themes involved would’ve come full circle in a different way and that the ending didn’t feel like such a cop out I guess.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
The writing style is pretty easy to read, however, there were really long chapters which made it feel like it was dragging by. It’s detailed and descriptive and quite funny and entertaining as well. I really loved the music side of the story, even though it wasn’t really a big focal point like I expected. I was a bit disappointed with the way some of the themes were explored and was hoping they would have more page time.
Characters – 3 out of 5 stars
I’m a little sad to say that I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I was hoping to. There wasn’t anything that I particularly disliked about any of them, I have started to think that maybe this author’s writing style isn’t for me. There’s just something about it that doesn’t really allow me to get lost into the story completely like I like to.
Jordan is kind of a frustrating character but it makes sense. She’s confused and a little lost. She wants to feel like she belongs in this fancy performing arts school she’s a part of but she isn’t really finding her place within it. She’s kind of quiet and feels discouraged with her dreams. She struggles with the decision she makes and feels very guilty. She’s torn and angry. She doubts herself a lot and feels a lot of pressure. She’s dealing with all these different things going on in her life but I wish that all this coming of age and self-discovery would’ve included more honesty and personal responsibility.
There’s a lot of side characters and they’re all such complex individuals with different stories and lives and their relationships are all so complicated and intricate. There’s a lot of diversity in this book which was so amazing to read because that’s one of the biggest positives of this story, how real they feel as a group, as people that reside in this school. I wish there would’ve been more page time for developing friendships, you see glimpses here and there but a lot of the book was just Jordan’s thoughts and feelings. I would’ve liked to have seen more page time of the friendships that developed since the story started and the ones that were already established before.
Emotionally
The plot was serious. We follow Jordan, a girl who is struggling to find her place in life and in her performing arts school so she decides to cross dress as a boy to audition for an a Capella group. At first, I went into this book thinking it was going to be a light and fluffy contemporary read but it was a lot more intense than I was expecting. There’s a lot of serious themes woven throughout the story and it was kind of hard for me to get into the plot because of it. The way the story ended up being made it hard for me to get lost into it the way I like to. What originally attracted me to this story was the music and a Capella elements though they weren’t as prominent as I was expecting. However, I really liked how they were done! It’s definitely hard to explain music, it’s something you listen to and experience in a different way, so one of the challenges with these kinds of themes in books is to be able to make it tangible for the reader to imagine. I really enjoyed the way the author described the way the group’s dynamic was and how they practiced. I’m glad it wasn’t something that was brushed aside for the rest of the story because some books do that, they say it’ll feature some form of music or dance but won’t really describe the characters being part of that activity so I’m glad this book actually showed them practicing for a big competition. I really liked the different and complex relationships between the characters and the diversity within them. That was probably one of the most important parts of this story. They all interacted with each other in different ways but I kind of wish there would’ve been more time spent on those developments within the friendships and relationships within the narrative. Despite all of this, I feel like some of the most important themes in the book felt underdeveloped. Jordan discovers her bisexuality in this book and I liked how it was just something she realized and accepted about herself when she understood it, though it’s not something that’s discussed a lot within her own internal monologue. Also there’s some talk about gender identity and what it means to be a girl or a boy and I felt like that wasn’t explored as much as it should’ve been. Jordan thinks about what she’s doing and how it could easily be seen as her being trans to the people who might find out what she’s doing, she understands it’s a problem, and yet there’s really no other non-binary or trans characters to really explore that theme and how what she’s doing might make them feel. Here is a twitter thread that describes the issues a little more. There wasn’t enough page time to show this topic the respect and nuanced it deserved in my opinion.
Jordan struggled a lot with the choices she made in this book but I wish she would’ve come clean about what she was doing sooner. She struggled a lot with guilt over her decision and over keeping it a secret but in the end, she didn’t make any moves to fix that for herself. The ending also kind of reiterated the thought that there’s really no consequences to lying to everyone you know, including your school which isn’t something that I can support because I don’t think lying is okay. I wish there would’ve been some personal responsibility involved with the decisions she made and how they might’ve affected people, specially when if I would’ve been in their position, I would’ve felt betrayed. However, I understood her family struggles and the loneliness she dealt with in school. I’ve always felt like I owed my parents everything because all they sacrificed for me and I totally connected with her feeling torn over what to do when it came down to staying at school or not. Also, I struggle a lot with feeling isolated from the people around me and it was actually kind of comforting to see a character dealing with that as well, even in such a big school.
As for the side characters, I really loved the Sharpshooters dynamics. They felt like a real group of guys who’d be into singing and rehearsing together. I was also really pleased that there wasn’t blatant misogyny within the group and they didn’t spend the whole time objectifying women. Their relationships were really genuine. There was a great atmosphere within the group, but also down the relationships between two individuals within the story. Jordan and Nihal had a really nice friendship though I kind of wish there would’ve been more page time to see it develop. The friendship between John and Mama was also really sweet, I love how they took care of each other while still teasing each other mercilessly. (Though I wish everyone would’ve just listened to him and called him by his name, specially since he asked them too.) I liked Isaac, though he was a little bit too impulsive for me. He was really charming and charismatic and I was really interested to see more interactions between him and Travis and to know more of their history. Something that I didn’t really like about this book is the high amount of bullying and violence, it was really intense and overpowering.
Overall, I’m beginning to think that the author’s writing style isn’t really for me. I liked the story overall but nothing really wowed me or made me fall in love with it. The plot was a lot more serious than I expected and while I liked some of the themes the author explored, some of them felt underdeveloped. I loved the music and a Capella part of the book, honestly it was my favorite part. I liked the characters but I also wanted to see more of their relationships and friendships develop on page. I’m not sure I’ll read more of this author’s work since I felt the first two books I read were kind of okay for me but it all depends on what it’s about.
I received an e-ARC of this book from Abrams Kids and Amulet Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Critically
Plot – 3 out of 5 stars
The plot of this book was really fun and cute though it also dealt with the heavier themes of like like gender identity, friendship, family and sexuality. It’s a coming of age story with secrets and some violence. However, I wish the ending matched the beginning, meaning I wish the themes involved would’ve come full circle in a different way and that the ending didn’t feel like such a cop out I guess.
Writing Style – 3 out of 5 stars
The writing style is pretty easy to read, however, there were really long chapters which made it feel like it was dragging by. It’s detailed and descriptive and quite funny and entertaining as well. I really loved the music side of the story, even though it wasn’t really a big focal point like I expected. I was a bit disappointed with the way some of the themes were explored and was hoping they would have more page time.
Characters – 3 out of 5 stars
I’m a little sad to say that I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I was hoping to. There wasn’t anything that I particularly disliked about any of them, I have started to think that maybe this author’s writing style isn’t for me. There’s just something about it that doesn’t really allow me to get lost into the story completely like I like to.
Jordan is kind of a frustrating character but it makes sense. She’s confused and a little lost. She wants to feel like she belongs in this fancy performing arts school she’s a part of but she isn’t really finding her place within it. She’s kind of quiet and feels discouraged with her dreams. She struggles with the decision she makes and feels very guilty. She’s torn and angry. She doubts herself a lot and feels a lot of pressure. She’s dealing with all these different things going on in her life but I wish that all this coming of age and self-discovery would’ve included more honesty and personal responsibility.
There’s a lot of side characters and they’re all such complex individuals with different stories and lives and their relationships are all so complicated and intricate. There’s a lot of diversity in this book which was so amazing to read because that’s one of the biggest positives of this story, how real they feel as a group, as people that reside in this school. I wish there would’ve been more page time for developing friendships, you see glimpses here and there but a lot of the book was just Jordan’s thoughts and feelings. I would’ve liked to have seen more page time of the friendships that developed since the story started and the ones that were already established before.
Emotionally
Spoiler
I’m sad to say that I was disappointed by this book. The hype is huge but I felt some things about the narrative went unexplored.The plot was serious. We follow Jordan, a girl who is struggling to find her place in life and in her performing arts school so she decides to cross dress as a boy to audition for an a Capella group. At first, I went into this book thinking it was going to be a light and fluffy contemporary read but it was a lot more intense than I was expecting. There’s a lot of serious themes woven throughout the story and it was kind of hard for me to get into the plot because of it. The way the story ended up being made it hard for me to get lost into it the way I like to. What originally attracted me to this story was the music and a Capella elements though they weren’t as prominent as I was expecting. However, I really liked how they were done! It’s definitely hard to explain music, it’s something you listen to and experience in a different way, so one of the challenges with these kinds of themes in books is to be able to make it tangible for the reader to imagine. I really enjoyed the way the author described the way the group’s dynamic was and how they practiced. I’m glad it wasn’t something that was brushed aside for the rest of the story because some books do that, they say it’ll feature some form of music or dance but won’t really describe the characters being part of that activity so I’m glad this book actually showed them practicing for a big competition. I really liked the different and complex relationships between the characters and the diversity within them. That was probably one of the most important parts of this story. They all interacted with each other in different ways but I kind of wish there would’ve been more time spent on those developments within the friendships and relationships within the narrative. Despite all of this, I feel like some of the most important themes in the book felt underdeveloped. Jordan discovers her bisexuality in this book and I liked how it was just something she realized and accepted about herself when she understood it, though it’s not something that’s discussed a lot within her own internal monologue. Also there’s some talk about gender identity and what it means to be a girl or a boy and I felt like that wasn’t explored as much as it should’ve been. Jordan thinks about what she’s doing and how it could easily be seen as her being trans to the people who might find out what she’s doing, she understands it’s a problem, and yet there’s really no other non-binary or trans characters to really explore that theme and how what she’s doing might make them feel. Here is a twitter thread that describes the issues a little more. There wasn’t enough page time to show this topic the respect and nuanced it deserved in my opinion.
Jordan struggled a lot with the choices she made in this book but I wish she would’ve come clean about what she was doing sooner. She struggled a lot with guilt over her decision and over keeping it a secret but in the end, she didn’t make any moves to fix that for herself. The ending also kind of reiterated the thought that there’s really no consequences to lying to everyone you know, including your school which isn’t something that I can support because I don’t think lying is okay. I wish there would’ve been some personal responsibility involved with the decisions she made and how they might’ve affected people, specially when if I would’ve been in their position, I would’ve felt betrayed. However, I understood her family struggles and the loneliness she dealt with in school. I’ve always felt like I owed my parents everything because all they sacrificed for me and I totally connected with her feeling torn over what to do when it came down to staying at school or not. Also, I struggle a lot with feeling isolated from the people around me and it was actually kind of comforting to see a character dealing with that as well, even in such a big school.
As for the side characters, I really loved the Sharpshooters dynamics. They felt like a real group of guys who’d be into singing and rehearsing together. I was also really pleased that there wasn’t blatant misogyny within the group and they didn’t spend the whole time objectifying women. Their relationships were really genuine. There was a great atmosphere within the group, but also down the relationships between two individuals within the story. Jordan and Nihal had a really nice friendship though I kind of wish there would’ve been more page time to see it develop. The friendship between John and Mama was also really sweet, I love how they took care of each other while still teasing each other mercilessly. (Though I wish everyone would’ve just listened to him and called him by his name, specially since he asked them too.) I liked Isaac, though he was a little bit too impulsive for me. He was really charming and charismatic and I was really interested to see more interactions between him and Travis and to know more of their history. Something that I didn’t really like about this book is the high amount of bullying and violence, it was really intense and overpowering.
Overall, I’m beginning to think that the author’s writing style isn’t really for me. I liked the story overall but nothing really wowed me or made me fall in love with it. The plot was a lot more serious than I expected and while I liked some of the themes the author explored, some of them felt underdeveloped. I loved the music and a Capella part of the book, honestly it was my favorite part. I liked the characters but I also wanted to see more of their relationships and friendships develop on page. I’m not sure I’ll read more of this author’s work since I felt the first two books I read were kind of okay for me but it all depends on what it’s about.
laurenkara's review against another edition
5.0
Read this review @ my blog Wonderless Reviews
I received a copy of this book from Amulet Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
INCOMING GUSHFEST IN 3, 2, 1……
I FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK TO PIECES??? I thought I might have found it enjoyable because of all the diverse elements and the concept, but I was not prepared for the affect it was going to have on me. I can almost guarantee that this book will be on my “Fave Books I Read In 2017” post at the end of the year. I annotated pretty much EVERYTHING. Honestly from the very first line which was:
“Monday morning was the worst possible time to have an existential crises, I decided on a Monday morning, while having an existential crisis.”
I knew I was going to love this book.
If this was a video it’d be the part where I say to pause it whilst you go purchase a copy for yourself.
I WAS SO SAD WHEN I FINISHED IT BECAUSE I WAS SO ATTACHED TO EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING. I’ll try to stop screaming at you all, but no promises!!!
So, our main character Jordan is a bisexual Chinese-American girl who has definitely become one of my favourite characters EVER. She was so wonderful. She made me laugh and cry and feel a whole range of emotions. She was so incredible real and considering this is an #ownvoices book it’s probably not surprising.
Jordan is trying to figure out herself and her sexuality whilst also trying to succeed in scoring a spot in her school musical. She’s starting to think that she may be bisexual, but is unsure because she was in a relationship with a boy. Riley Redgate did a great job of portraying that despite your current or past relationships you’re still valid as a bisexual person. The romance in this is ultimately F/M, but that doesn’t erase the fact that Jordan is bisexual. Another thing I loved was that Jordan’s family was depicted as not being well off financially. As someone who comes from a poor family, this was so comforting to see. Normally class in books is always middle or upper.
I was fully expecting to hate the a cappella group that Jordan infiltrates. I thought they would be really shitty ass boys that would make me wanna punch things. Boy, was I wrong. Don’t get me wrong – there are some REALLY shitty people in this book, but the Sharpshooters aren’t one of them. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. In fact, if he was like 10 years older Isaac would be one of the new loves of my life. It’s not often that I get invested in romances, but this was one I was definitely getting behind. Jordan and Isaac were ADORABLE. I also loved the diversity within the Sharpshooters. I loved the friendship between Jordan and the guys. They all cared about each other so much?? IT WAS SO PURE.
“We walk into the next audition heads up and fearless, because no matter how many times we’ve heard no, we still imagine the answer will be yes, yes, yes.”
This book is so, so important and brings up so many great issues and topics. It delves into gender, sexuality and race. I feel like everything was handled pretty damn well. One thing I loved was just how much Riley Redgate went into “dressing up” vs. being trans. I always get worried with the “pretending to be the opposite sex” trope because so much can go wrong. It’s one thing to just dress up for fun and another to actually be transgender or genderfluid/non-binary. However, that was really bought to light in this book and Jordan totally recognised her privilege (in that sense).
Even though this book does delve into a lot of serious topics it’s also incredibly fun. I LAUGHED SO MUCH WHILST READING THIS. Like, the inevitable scene where Jordan’s facade ended was PERFECT and even though I knew it was going to happen the whole time I was like AHHH WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN???????? It’s a super quick read that I didn’t want to put down which sucked because WHY DID IT HAVE TO END. I WANT A SEQUEL !!!!!
Something else that’s SUPER FUN is that Riley Redgate ACTUALLY created some of the songs featured in this book!!!! Her voice is AMAZING, so I definitely recommend checking it out.
https://rioghnach.bandcamp.com/album/noteworthy-ost?from=embed
Please, please, please read this book because it is so WONDERFUL I can’t even express it in words.
I received a copy of this book from Amulet Books and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
INCOMING GUSHFEST IN 3, 2, 1……
I FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK TO PIECES??? I thought I might have found it enjoyable because of all the diverse elements and the concept, but I was not prepared for the affect it was going to have on me. I can almost guarantee that this book will be on my “Fave Books I Read In 2017” post at the end of the year. I annotated pretty much EVERYTHING. Honestly from the very first line which was:
“Monday morning was the worst possible time to have an existential crises, I decided on a Monday morning, while having an existential crisis.”
I knew I was going to love this book.
If this was a video it’d be the part where I say to pause it whilst you go purchase a copy for yourself.
I WAS SO SAD WHEN I FINISHED IT BECAUSE I WAS SO ATTACHED TO EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING. I’ll try to stop screaming at you all, but no promises!!!
So, our main character Jordan is a bisexual Chinese-American girl who has definitely become one of my favourite characters EVER. She was so wonderful. She made me laugh and cry and feel a whole range of emotions. She was so incredible real and considering this is an #ownvoices book it’s probably not surprising.
Jordan is trying to figure out herself and her sexuality whilst also trying to succeed in scoring a spot in her school musical. She’s starting to think that she may be bisexual, but is unsure because she was in a relationship with a boy. Riley Redgate did a great job of portraying that despite your current or past relationships you’re still valid as a bisexual person. The romance in this is ultimately F/M, but that doesn’t erase the fact that Jordan is bisexual. Another thing I loved was that Jordan’s family was depicted as not being well off financially. As someone who comes from a poor family, this was so comforting to see. Normally class in books is always middle or upper.
“Honestly, the only thing more sobering that being poor was dealing with it.”
I was fully expecting to hate the a cappella group that Jordan infiltrates. I thought they would be really shitty ass boys that would make me wanna punch things. Boy, was I wrong. Don’t get me wrong – there are some REALLY shitty people in this book, but the Sharpshooters aren’t one of them. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. In fact, if he was like 10 years older Isaac would be one of the new loves of my life. It’s not often that I get invested in romances, but this was one I was definitely getting behind. Jordan and Isaac were ADORABLE. I also loved the diversity within the Sharpshooters. I loved the friendship between Jordan and the guys. They all cared about each other so much?? IT WAS SO PURE.
“We walk into the next audition heads up and fearless, because no matter how many times we’ve heard no, we still imagine the answer will be yes, yes, yes.”
This book is so, so important and brings up so many great issues and topics. It delves into gender, sexuality and race. I feel like everything was handled pretty damn well. One thing I loved was just how much Riley Redgate went into “dressing up” vs. being trans. I always get worried with the “pretending to be the opposite sex” trope because so much can go wrong. It’s one thing to just dress up for fun and another to actually be transgender or genderfluid/non-binary. However, that was really bought to light in this book and Jordan totally recognised her privilege (in that sense).
“I guess it was tempting to stick a rainbow-colored ‘Ally’ pin on your backpack and cal it a day, as if that were the endpoint, not the starting line.”
Even though this book does delve into a lot of serious topics it’s also incredibly fun. I LAUGHED SO MUCH WHILST READING THIS. Like, the inevitable scene where Jordan’s facade ended was PERFECT and even though I knew it was going to happen the whole time I was like AHHH WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN???????? It’s a super quick read that I didn’t want to put down which sucked because WHY DID IT HAVE TO END. I WANT A SEQUEL !!!!!
Something else that’s SUPER FUN is that Riley Redgate ACTUALLY created some of the songs featured in this book!!!! Her voice is AMAZING, so I definitely recommend checking it out.
https://rioghnach.bandcamp.com/album/noteworthy-ost?from=embed
Please, please, please read this book because it is so WONDERFUL I can’t even express it in words.
samrushingbooks's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
This was an interesting book. It felt a little slow for the first half but the I was completely engrossed in everything that was happening. The only thing I would have liked to see was a little more exploration into Jordan being bi. While it wasn't glossed over or anything, it was such a tiny part of the book. But I will say that there was a wonderful amount of diversity in this book: racial diversity, sexual diversity, religious diversity...it was great.
This was an interesting book. It felt a little slow for the first half but the I was completely engrossed in everything that was happening. The only thing I would have liked to see was a little more exploration into Jordan being bi. While it wasn't glossed over or anything, it was such a tiny part of the book. But I will say that there was a wonderful amount of diversity in this book: racial diversity, sexual diversity, religious diversity...it was great.
spellboundliz's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5
This was fantastic. I’m totally in love with Riley Redgate’s writing and I can’t wait to get my hands on her newest book.
This was fantastic. I’m totally in love with Riley Redgate’s writing and I can’t wait to get my hands on her newest book.
sapphic_in_the_stacks's review against another edition
It's been a while since I had to DNF a book, but I just couldn't get through it. I picked it up because I needed a book with a rainbow cover, but I just couldn't keep forcing myself to read it. I was hesitant about the premise, it seemed like something that would lend itself to a lot of second hand embarrassment, and She's the Man-esque antics that may not hold up in 2024, but I was willing to give it a shot. Unfortunately, it couldn't capture my attention, and I didn't find the constant tension enjoyable. I also felt like the character was just infodumping backstory constantly, which was tedious. Maybe it would have gotten better, but 20% was all I was willing to suffer through.
laviedecoco's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
captwinghead's review against another edition
4.0
This was the most interesting YA novel I've read since Ace of Spaces. Diverse representation, discussions of gender, discussions of poverty, and the characters sound like teenagers. The only hang up I have is that, since I'm not a non-binary person, I can't speak to the ethics of this story's scenario. There were a couple of moments I felt uncomfortable about it, but I can't say whether it was just a personal concern or if it was ethically questionable.
I picked the book up thinking it might turn out that Jordan realizes she might identify as non-binary. The discussions of how she never really felt like she fit as a girl and how she felt more comfortable when everyone thought she was a boy and stopped expecting her to perform gender a certain way (mostly) fit with some stories I've heard from non-binary people. However, the story ends and she ultimately she's a female character that just doesn't fit in the small box people wanted her to fit in. Which is okay, of course. I personally don't fit in with all the expectations of women either, but those uncomfy moments in the story remain.
However, I was enthralled by this book. The descriptions of the settings and Jordan's emotional states were vibrant. Jordan is a character I was rooting for and her financial struggles broke my heart. So much was added to her character to bring her to life and this was certainly not a story where I'd say we never really got to know her. She felt real and complex and I really appreciated that. The cast was more diverse than I was expected and I've never read a story with a Sikh character, let alone a queer one.
So, I must say there were some aspects of the premise that made me uncomfy from a "I can't speak to if this is okay" standpoint, but I was invested in the story.
Spoiler
The moment where Nihal sees Julian as a fellow member of the queer community and decides to come out, the discomfort I felt wasn't offset by the fact that Jordan ultimately turns out to be queer. The trust Nihal felt was based on dishonesty and as a queer person of color in an unwelcoming family, I honestly thought more would be made of that breach of trust. There's an apology and Jordan feels very guilty, both in the moment and in the aftermath of the reveal, but there's more made of Jordan deciding not to take action against Caskey (anger inducing) than there is time to unpack what she did to Nihal.I picked the book up thinking it might turn out that Jordan realizes she might identify as non-binary. The discussions of how she never really felt like she fit as a girl and how she felt more comfortable when everyone thought she was a boy and stopped expecting her to perform gender a certain way (mostly) fit with some stories I've heard from non-binary people. However, the story ends and she ultimately she's a female character that just doesn't fit in the small box people wanted her to fit in. Which is okay, of course. I personally don't fit in with all the expectations of women either, but those uncomfy moments in the story remain.
However, I was enthralled by this book. The descriptions of the settings and Jordan's emotional states were vibrant. Jordan is a character I was rooting for and her financial struggles broke my heart. So much was added to her character to bring her to life and this was certainly not a story where I'd say we never really got to know her. She felt real and complex and I really appreciated that. The cast was more diverse than I was expected and I've never read a story with a Sikh character, let alone a queer one.
So, I must say there were some aspects of the premise that made me uncomfy from a "I can't speak to if this is okay" standpoint, but I was invested in the story.
matiel72's review against another edition
5.0
A fun summery contemporary with a Chinese American cross-dressing girl to infiltrate one of her highschools top all male a capella groups. Diverse and fun 4.5/5 Stars
aburgess15's review against another edition
3.0
The reviews for this book looked like I would have really enjoyed it. I kept pushing and pushing and pushing to read each page. I usually give a book 100 pages before I put it down. I powered through this book and its only because of the last section of the book that it got 3 stars (otherwise it was well on the track of 2 stars).
The story concept was wonderful, girl goes undercover boy to join an all boy acapella group and makes friends while really enjoying herself being a part of something. I wish there was more internal conflict within Jordan/Julian. Just didn't seem like the book expanded on places it should (such as why was there not more while at the retreat while she was on her period and the dilemma it presented, why was there not more with Isaac at that same point)?
The story concept was wonderful, girl goes undercover boy to join an all boy acapella group and makes friends while really enjoying herself being a part of something. I wish there was more internal conflict within Jordan/Julian. Just didn't seem like the book expanded on places it should (such as why was there not more while at the retreat while she was on her period and the dilemma it presented, why was there not more with Isaac at that same point)?