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sandeeisreading's review against another edition
4.0
“It’s amazing how much one person can change the world, even if they don’t know they’re doing it.”
This book… gave me the feels.
And I freakin' loved it.
This book at first seemed so familiar with any YA Contemporary book, but after reading it, you realize how different it was. There was so much this book offered than the romance. Thank goodness!
I hate it when contemporary books pretend to be anything other than what they really are. It pretends to be some deep story about hopelessness, depression, and pain. But when you read it. There was none of that in there. It's either none, or there is a little bit of it, but they just feed you a little bit of it and the solely focus on the romance because that's what we all want right? Noooo. A big fat no!
I am so happy that this book is nothing like those pretentious books. Read the synopsis and that is what you are going to get. And more. Don't be fooled by the colorful book cover. This isn't just some fluffy YA romance book. It's something more. And it's one of the things I love about it.
Today would not be like yesterday. Today, I would be prepared.
But of course, she wasn't prepared when she found out who her dad was.
But let me start from the beginning. So, the story followed a girl name Kate who grew up without a father. Her mother never told her who he was and she never really given it much thought either. She passed away and was staying with her aunt and uncle, who were great by the way. Then one day, a day that she thought would be like any other, she finds out that she has a father. His name is Mark Copper, possibly the next President of the United States of America.
My father. I have a father. Maybe. Probably. Oh my God.
And just like that, Kate's life changed. She now not only have a father, but also a stepmother named Meg (or Margaret) and two siblings (Gracie and Gabe who I both love).
Suddenly the world had cracked open and everything was possible.
KATE
I loved Kate! She is such a great and refreshing character. I liked how she was so level-headed the entire time. I'm so sick and tired of main protagonists overreacting over stuff over and over again on YA books (also on NA books sometimes). Of course, being 16 (I think) she still had her immature moments. Moments where she doesn't think things through and it was fine. I get it. But there were more maturity in her character which makes her a good role model for younger readers.
Also, another thing I liked was how easy it was to relate to Kate and to root for her. The author made you care about her and I think it's a very important thing for a main protagonist for a Contemporary book to have.
THE COOPERS
I liked how the authors didn't make the Coopers the villain in this story. Basically, there wasn't any main antagonist in the story, aside from maybe the situation that they are currently in. It was so easy to just make them all the bad guys. But the author didn't choose the cliched route so I was happy.
Let me start with Meg. I loved Meg! She wasn't the evil stepmother that usually lurks around YA books. Horraaay! She was so understanding and loving and is overall a decent human being. Of all the people in this book, I feel that she is the person most affected and hurt about this entire situation. But she, being the strong woman that she is, took the situation with grace and understanding. Meg did not throw a tantrum. She did not start a war with her husband. I can't express how much love I have for this woman. YA books need to have more parents like Meg.
Gabe and Gracie are Kate's half siblings. And they're the cutest, especially Gabe.
With Mark Cooper (the dad), I was a bit more dubious. I wasn't exactly sure what I was feeling about him. You really don't get to know what was important to him, and I liked that. His intentions were clouded throughout the book but becomes apparent towards the end. I didn't really expect that that was how it was going to end for him, but I really ended up liking it.
IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ROMANCE!! Horraaayyy!
Yes! You heard that right. This book did not focus too much on the romance!
This is one of the things that really made me happy about this book.
For those of you who detest insta-love like me, you would really like the romance aspect in this book. Because… it is almost close to none. It focused more on the friendship aspect more than anything. It was so refreshing to read about a YA contemporary book that deals with the romance part realistically.
FAMILY
In this book you would see the different types of families and how important family is to each and every one of the characters.
Would you choose family over your own views in life? Would you disregard a family member just because of your own personal goals? Would you do something your parents won't approve because you think it's right?
These are just some of the questions that this book dealt with.
THE POLITICS WASN'T BRUSHED ASIDE
I think I mentioned early on how sometimes, books tend to be pretentious. How a book is marketed as something, like a horror book, but tend to be completely different after reading it. This book did not do that. You know that this book sort of has politics in it. Kate's father is a Republican Senator running for President. But those are just not in words. The author showed you what it's like being a candidate for these things and how it affects the person running for the position and their family. She shows you what kind of pressure the family of these candidates must be going through and I loved that. I'm not going to say that I'm an expert with American Politics, but it made me believe that whatever I was reading is possible. So kudos to Ms. Thorne for that!
EVERYONE HAD THEIR CHARACTER ARC
The story was not entirely just about Kate and her struggle. It was about everyone in the story. Everyone had their own part in the story. No character was just there to fill in the space. It wasn't only Kate that matured throughout this book, but also her Dad.
THE WRITING
The author's writing is so good. I cannot stop reading. I literally couldn't stop. It has been a while since I was this invested in a YA Contemporary. I usually just steer clear of them because... they just don't click with me. But this one... was so spot on on all levels! It hit all the right notes for me. And I want more!
THAT COVER! WHO DOESN'T LOVE THAT COVER
Anyone who would tell me that this cover is ugly... I would recommend to visit an Optometrist to get their eyes checked.
ANDY LAWRENCE
I'm not going to spoil you guys on who this guy is. But... I just didn't feel him. Of all the characters in this book, he was the one I did not really get or care about. He had his issues that I don't think were really solved. I dunno... I just don't feel him.
ROCKY START
I have to agree with my friend Cam, this book started out pretty rocky. The beginning happened so fast that it wouldn't even give you time to breath. It sort of throws everything out there in a chapter. It was so hurried it doesn't give the reader enough time to absorbed what just happened to Kate.
FAST AND THE FURIOUS ENDING
The issue that I had with the ending is the same as the beginning. It was so hurried. It tried to cram everything in a chapter just to end it. That's how it felt like to me. I wish there was more time for all the information to sink in. I'm not angry at the ending. It was an okay ending. It was just soo fast.
All in all, this book was a great read!
I read it in a few days which was surprising. Haha.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is in need of a contemporary book then I would highly recommend this. The situation may look farfetched, but believe me, this book read like it really happened to someone and wrote a memoir about it.
I walked out of the safe zone into the roaming spotlight and felt it catch me and stick, hot and blinding, vaguely registered the Jumbotron broadcasting my giant face, remembered late to smile and wave, and thought, of all things, of Andy Lawrence, what he said on the phone last week.
"I'm on."
talya_'s review against another edition
2.0
The main character Kate is the most boring character I've ever read about. For real, the girl is straight vanilla. Because of this, the entire book was pretty dull, bland, and uninteresting. Not to mention that this book is about politics (which, I mean, I guess I was expecting this, but I didn't expect it to be so BORING.) I did like that there's not too much romance (and of the little romance there, it's low-key insta-attraction-- not happy about that), the book is mostly about family and politics...but I wish it were more interesting. Seriously.
dizzybell06's review against another edition
3.0
This was an interesting read and gives some insight to life on the campaign trail. The book was fairly easy to get through and the story was nice.
mfumarolo's review against another edition
4.0
Read this in one afternoon, it made me cry in a good way. Very cute!
girlinthepages's review against another edition
5.0
This is the BEST contemporary YA novel I’ve read so far in 2015!
I don’t say this lightly. I requested this book on a whim from my library when I saw this novel was being compared to The Princess Diaries (and you all know what a weakness I have for Meg Cabot). The novel follows a teenage girl, Kate, who finds out her absentee dad is a senator, specifically a senator who is running for president. Kate is thrust into the limelight when an anonymous source leaks this to the press during the high profile campaign, and what follows is almost 400 pages of perfection: strong characterization, political intrigue, compelling family dynamics, and a dash of romance. The Wrong Side of Right is literally the whole package.
This story is intelligent.
I love this story because it delves so deeply into so many issues. It’s fast paced, and the reader feels Kate’s stress and exhilaration at being thrown headfirst into a political campaign (when she has mixed feelings on her own political views). The relationships are also emotionally complex and explored wonderfully throughout the novel, from Kate trying to reconcile her morally upstanding mother with being the senator’s “other woman” to Kate’s attempts at navigating a relationship with an extremely educated stepmother who often reads her better than she reads herself. I especially found Kate’s struggle with her liberal minded family and community back in LA to be especially poignant, as her association with her Republican senator father slowly tarnishes her credibility with those closet to her. Kate herself is a smart and strong young lady who I never had to be convinced to like, as she’s relateable enough to engage the reader while portraying just the right amounts of courage, fortitude, and (sometimes) indecision and impulsiveness to really feel like a young adult written for young adults.
The political aspects are well balanced.
The Wrong Side of Right doesn’t hit you over the head with conservative beliefs and propaganda. Kate has many democratic beliefs herself, and readers are never given the sense that she is compromising her beliefs even when she chooses to stand by her family. (Mini Spoiler: The one element that did surprise me is that Thorne chooses to avoid the sticky topic of pro-life vs pro-choice by conveniently making Kate’s father take a pro-choice stance, which is not normally associated with Republicans. Not that I’m necessarily complaining because it’s great to see progressive stances being taken by the right, but I almost feel this may have been done for the sake of avoiding focusing on such a hot-button social issue in a YA novel). Kate manages to find both the flaws and the great strengths in her father’s party as well as the democratic party, and I never felt while reading that one side was being bashed or given preference to over another. Readers affiliated with either political party can probably read this novel without being offended.
The political drama is also well balanced with the personal drama that unfolds in the story. It was so interesting to see how the campaign functioned, from the various tour stops to the usurping of other politician’s events to the way everything had a “spin” put on it. It’s clear Thorne did her research as to what it’s really like for the children and teens of powerful politicians, and how just because they’re minors by no means exempts them from the glare of their parent’s spotlight. The behind the scenes aspect of the race for the presidency is really what makes this novel stand out for me, and I think it would be a fun niche in YA if Thorne continued to write novels about young adults involved, whether directly or indirectly, in the political spotlight!
It has the trinity of every good story: romance, friendship, and family
Oftentimes a book will focus on just ONE of these things and can still be great. However, The Wrong Side of Right has all three elements and made me care about all of them. This novel is about all of the things in ordinary life being thrown into an extraordinary situation, which is my favorite type of contemporary because I can relate to it but also fantasize about certain elements as well.
Overall: The Wrong Side of Right is smart, funny, and deals with complex relationship dynamics and the intense (and sometimes ugly) sides of political campaigns. It’s a well balanced look at politics and relationships, and focuses on so many aspects of the life of a teenager. At almost 400 pages it never feels slow or like it contains filler content, despite being on the longer side for a contemporary. It’s an amazing debut and I can already tell that Jenn Marie Thorne is going to be one of my new favorite authors! I will be definitely be buying a copy to add to my shelves!
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I don’t say this lightly. I requested this book on a whim from my library when I saw this novel was being compared to The Princess Diaries (and you all know what a weakness I have for Meg Cabot). The novel follows a teenage girl, Kate, who finds out her absentee dad is a senator, specifically a senator who is running for president. Kate is thrust into the limelight when an anonymous source leaks this to the press during the high profile campaign, and what follows is almost 400 pages of perfection: strong characterization, political intrigue, compelling family dynamics, and a dash of romance. The Wrong Side of Right is literally the whole package.
This story is intelligent.
I love this story because it delves so deeply into so many issues. It’s fast paced, and the reader feels Kate’s stress and exhilaration at being thrown headfirst into a political campaign (when she has mixed feelings on her own political views). The relationships are also emotionally complex and explored wonderfully throughout the novel, from Kate trying to reconcile her morally upstanding mother with being the senator’s “other woman” to Kate’s attempts at navigating a relationship with an extremely educated stepmother who often reads her better than she reads herself. I especially found Kate’s struggle with her liberal minded family and community back in LA to be especially poignant, as her association with her Republican senator father slowly tarnishes her credibility with those closet to her. Kate herself is a smart and strong young lady who I never had to be convinced to like, as she’s relateable enough to engage the reader while portraying just the right amounts of courage, fortitude, and (sometimes) indecision and impulsiveness to really feel like a young adult written for young adults.
The political aspects are well balanced.
The Wrong Side of Right doesn’t hit you over the head with conservative beliefs and propaganda. Kate has many democratic beliefs herself, and readers are never given the sense that she is compromising her beliefs even when she chooses to stand by her family. (Mini Spoiler: The one element that did surprise me is that Thorne chooses to avoid the sticky topic of pro-life vs pro-choice by conveniently making Kate’s father take a pro-choice stance, which is not normally associated with Republicans. Not that I’m necessarily complaining because it’s great to see progressive stances being taken by the right, but I almost feel this may have been done for the sake of avoiding focusing on such a hot-button social issue in a YA novel). Kate manages to find both the flaws and the great strengths in her father’s party as well as the democratic party, and I never felt while reading that one side was being bashed or given preference to over another. Readers affiliated with either political party can probably read this novel without being offended.
The political drama is also well balanced with the personal drama that unfolds in the story. It was so interesting to see how the campaign functioned, from the various tour stops to the usurping of other politician’s events to the way everything had a “spin” put on it. It’s clear Thorne did her research as to what it’s really like for the children and teens of powerful politicians, and how just because they’re minors by no means exempts them from the glare of their parent’s spotlight. The behind the scenes aspect of the race for the presidency is really what makes this novel stand out for me, and I think it would be a fun niche in YA if Thorne continued to write novels about young adults involved, whether directly or indirectly, in the political spotlight!
It has the trinity of every good story: romance, friendship, and family
Oftentimes a book will focus on just ONE of these things and can still be great. However, The Wrong Side of Right has all three elements and made me care about all of them. This novel is about all of the things in ordinary life being thrown into an extraordinary situation, which is my favorite type of contemporary because I can relate to it but also fantasize about certain elements as well.
Overall: The Wrong Side of Right is smart, funny, and deals with complex relationship dynamics and the intense (and sometimes ugly) sides of political campaigns. It’s a well balanced look at politics and relationships, and focuses on so many aspects of the life of a teenager. At almost 400 pages it never feels slow or like it contains filler content, despite being on the longer side for a contemporary. It’s an amazing debut and I can already tell that Jenn Marie Thorne is going to be one of my new favorite authors! I will be definitely be buying a copy to add to my shelves!
Follow Me: Blog | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Bloglovin'
j_ritt02's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book!!! I found it at the library. No one I knew had read it yet, but it sounded interesting. SO, I tried it. I love Andy and Kate. They were so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, I love it.
dukeml29's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the familial aspect of this book! I thought it was cute and lighthearted but it was also serious at the appropriate parts.
ipomoea's review against another edition
4.0
I'm going to give this four, but if I subtract the internal squealing I did over much of this, it's probably a solid 3.5.
Kate's mom died last year, sending her from South Central LA to South Carolina to live with her uncle and aunt. Still grieving, she's nonetheless gone on with life, and is just finishing her junior year of high school in an election year when the unthinkable happens.
Suddenly, Kate Quinn, orphan, is Kate Quinn Cooper, unkown love child of the very much married Republican nominee for the presidency.
What do you do when your life is overturned yet again, and what if the only person who understands is the last person you should see?
I loved the familial relations, both relaxed and stiff. I couldn't work up to caring about the romance. I also really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at a campaign, which is probably why I'm watching The West Wing again.
Kate's mom died last year, sending her from South Central LA to South Carolina to live with her uncle and aunt. Still grieving, she's nonetheless gone on with life, and is just finishing her junior year of high school in an election year when the unthinkable happens.
Suddenly, Kate Quinn, orphan, is Kate Quinn Cooper, unkown love child of the very much married Republican nominee for the presidency.
What do you do when your life is overturned yet again, and what if the only person who understands is the last person you should see?
I loved the familial relations, both relaxed and stiff. I couldn't work up to caring about the romance. I also really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at a campaign, which is probably why I'm watching The West Wing again.
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.
allibruns's review against another edition
4.0
This is an absolutely adorable debut novel. I am biased since I love politics and this is set against the backdrop of a presidential election but even if politics isn't your thing I think you would enjoy this book.
My favorite thing in this book was Kate's relationship with her stepmother Meg, it felt so organic and sincere that it was truly the heart of this book to me. It was neither love or hate at first sight but developed over time as they got to know each other.
I really enjoyed Jean Marie Thorne's writing style.
As he walked away, something broke in me --snapped--so forcefully that I cóuld have sworn it made a noise.
My breath stilled. The tears dried in my eyes so quickly that the roon looked crystalline--bright, hard, sharp. It was as though I was seeing the way the world really looked fot the very first time.
My favorite thing in this book was Kate's relationship with her stepmother Meg, it felt so organic and sincere that it was truly the heart of this book to me. It was neither love or hate at first sight but developed over time as they got to know each other.
I really enjoyed Jean Marie Thorne's writing style.
As he walked away, something broke in me --snapped--so forcefully that I cóuld have sworn it made a noise.
My breath stilled. The tears dried in my eyes so quickly that the roon looked crystalline--bright, hard, sharp. It was as though I was seeing the way the world really looked fot the very first time.