Scan barcode
fatimareadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way impacted my views & opinions.
Kenneally's Hundred Oaks series has always been 50/50 for me. I hated some of the first few books in the series, but still, I kept reading. Why, you ask? Because every once in a while, I find gems like this book. I hoped Defending Taylor would be a book that I enjoyed, and I was definitely not disappointed. So far, it comes in as my second favorite after [b:Stealing Parker|12551077|Stealing Parker|Miranda Kenneally|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334451985s/12551077.jpg|17552643]. Yay!
I love how with each book, Kenneally manages to tackle teenagers' flaws and the problems they face in a completely relatable manner. Our studious heroine, Taylor, attends a prestigious private school, that is, until a terrible misstep gets her expelled and transferred to Hundred Oaks High, a public school. Now, she's treated differently by everyone, especially her parents. Her expulsion & the reasons behind it have caused problems for her father's re-election campaign and for her carefully laid out plans to get into Yale. Everything is unraveling and the lies keep building up. With all these pressure, how is Taylor going to be able figure out her goals?
I found Taylor's character to be very... real. She has flaws, but she tries to overcome them. There were many occasions where I felt sorry for her, even. She's trying to figure out what she wants, but the pressure that comes from everyone's expectations is hindering that. There were so many times when I wanted to shake her and yell "What are you doing?!". Still, I couldn't hate her. That's how relatable she is.
Then there's also Ezra, Taylor's childhood best friend whom she believes to have previously betrayed her. He seems to be the only one who understands her and what she's going through. I knew I would love Defending Taylor after I heard that the romance would be with the MC's brother's best friend. I have a weakness for the childhood-friends-turned-lovers trope. It didn't disappoint! This book was so much more mature than the other books in the series, especially because of the sexy time scenes. *wink wink* They were more detailed, and I'm glad they weren't just 'fade-to-black' like in other YA books.
So every Hundred Oaks book has a sport as its focal point, and Defending Taylor's is supposed to be soccer. However, I felt like the soccer plot was just pushed aside in favor of exploring the relationships between Taylor and her family & Ezra. The soccer aspect of the book was more of an incomplete subplot, which wasn't satisfying at all. I don't have a problem with soccer not being the main point of the book, but that cover is pretty misleading. So, yeah, that's a disclaimer if you wanted a more sport-focused book.
Overall, Defending Taylor is a fun summer read with a relatable heroine and no shortage of heart-fluttering romance. It's a beautifully written YA story that is sure to suck you in from the beginning 'till the very end.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
Kenneally's Hundred Oaks series has always been 50/50 for me. I hated some of the first few books in the series, but still, I kept reading. Why, you ask? Because every once in a while, I find gems like this book. I hoped Defending Taylor would be a book that I enjoyed, and I was definitely not disappointed. So far, it comes in as my second favorite after [b:Stealing Parker|12551077|Stealing Parker|Miranda Kenneally|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334451985s/12551077.jpg|17552643]. Yay!
I love how with each book, Kenneally manages to tackle teenagers' flaws and the problems they face in a completely relatable manner. Our studious heroine, Taylor, attends a prestigious private school, that is, until a terrible misstep gets her expelled and transferred to Hundred Oaks High, a public school. Now, she's treated differently by everyone, especially her parents. Her expulsion & the reasons behind it have caused problems for her father's re-election campaign and for her carefully laid out plans to get into Yale. Everything is unraveling and the lies keep building up. With all these pressure, how is Taylor going to be able figure out her goals?
I found Taylor's character to be very... real. She has flaws, but she tries to overcome them. There were many occasions where I felt sorry for her, even. She's trying to figure out what she wants, but the pressure that comes from everyone's expectations is hindering that. There were so many times when I wanted to shake her and yell "What are you doing?!". Still, I couldn't hate her. That's how relatable she is.
Then there's also Ezra, Taylor's childhood best friend whom she believes to have previously betrayed her. He seems to be the only one who understands her and what she's going through. I knew I would love Defending Taylor after I heard that the romance would be with the MC's brother's best friend. I have a weakness for the childhood-friends-turned-lovers trope. It didn't disappoint! This book was so much more mature than the other books in the series, especially because of the sexy time scenes. *wink wink* They were more detailed, and I'm glad they weren't just 'fade-to-black' like in other YA books.
So every Hundred Oaks book has a sport as its focal point, and Defending Taylor's is supposed to be soccer. However, I felt like the soccer plot was just pushed aside in favor of exploring the relationships between Taylor and her family & Ezra. The soccer aspect of the book was more of an incomplete subplot, which wasn't satisfying at all. I don't have a problem with soccer not being the main point of the book, but that cover is pretty misleading. So, yeah, that's a disclaimer if you wanted a more sport-focused book.
Overall, Defending Taylor is a fun summer read with a relatable heroine and no shortage of heart-fluttering romance. It's a beautifully written YA story that is sure to suck you in from the beginning 'till the very end.
Follow me on my blog, Book Whizz | Bloglovin' | Twitter
madithecloud's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
shirleymak's review against another edition
4.0
Ezraaaa :')
such a great book about self-discovery and the mess + confusion that is the college application process.
such a great book about self-discovery and the mess + confusion that is the college application process.
books4susie's review against another edition
5.0
Once again, another fabulous visit to Hundred Oaks that ended way too quickly.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
This review and many more can be found on my blog: Feed Your Fiction Addiction
Kenneally has tackled another tough and timely issue (actually, more than one) in her latest Hundred Oaks book and, as usual, she does so with honesty and realism. Her characters don’t always act the way we’d like them to, but they’re so relatable that we can understand the choices they make and empathize with them.
What Fed My Addiction:
The big issue.
Taylor has spent her life trying to live up to her parents’ expectations. She’s not unhappy about it, per se – she actually feels like she thrives in a work-all-the-time lifestyle – it’s just that she’s never put a lot of thought into why she makes the choices she does. She is so focused on academic success and long-term goals (that have been more or less given to her by others) that she sometimes resorts to drastic measures to achieve them. That’s where the “big issue” comes in. I don’t feel like I can really reveal what it is without it being a spoiler because the book is more enjoyable when there’s mystery around what exactly happened between Taylor and her boyfriend that got her kicked out of her prestigious boarding school, but I will say that she made a decision that’s more and more common in today’s high schools and universities, so I felt like it was an apt topic for Kenneally to tackle.
Not so adrift.
When Taylor gets kicked out of school, she feels very adrift – momentarily – but she picks herself back up and immediately starts working on her goals again, knowing that she’s going to have to go about getting them a bit differently than she had planned. Taylor is incredibly frustrated that one moment in her life has the potential to derail her so completely, and she is determined not to give up on any of her dreams and aspirations, even if she has to work harder than ever to achieve them and she has less support from the people around her. This is definitely admirable, but as the book progresses, Taylor starts to realize that maybe she should work toward her own goals rather than the ones she’s been given by default because of her family connections. She slowly starts to realize that academic and even career success isn’t worth it if it comes at the cost of her happiness.
Family.
Taylor’s family is complicated and realistic. I loved that her father was portrayed as a man who was tough on her but not a “cold political figure” (for some reason, when characters’ parents are in politics, they’re usually shown as these distant or downright cold people – I often think, “Geez, senators are people too – I don’t see why being in politics makes you automatically unaffectionate toward your kids!”). Taylor’s dad was a good, realistic balance. He expected Taylor to make her own way in the world and not rely on his connections, but he also did seem to genuinely care about Taylor – even though he was distant at first because of disappointment in her decisions. The rest of Taylor’s family was equally complex – they were neither super warm and likable or overly distant and stuffy (though her mom was a bit borderline there – she was the least likable of the bunch). They seemed like a real family that sometimes felt frustrated and disappointed with each other, but still always loved each other.
Ezra.
I can’t talk about the book without at least addressing the love interest – Ezra. He was sweet and kind and urged Taylor to think about herself rather than just what her family wanted for her. There was also a bit of mystery around why Ezra dropped out of school, and it turned out there was an important issue addressed there as well – but again, I don’t want to reveal what it was. I loved Ezra and Taylor together and felt like they complemented each other perfectly.
What Left Me Wanting More:
Responsibility.
There were times when I felt like Taylor didn’t take enough responsibility for what happened to her. After all, even though she did cover for her boyfriend, she made choices that put her in that situation and wasn’t completely innocent (I wish I could say more than that, but I can’t figure out a way to do it without being spoilery). She also made the choice to cover for her boyfriend (hoping that either her father’s position would save her or that her boyfriend would step in and do the right thing and admit his part in it all). I could definitely understand her bitterness toward her boyfriend for letting things get out of hand, but I couldn’t help but think that she should have taken more responsibility for it too. She made the choice to cover for him – he didn’t ask her to. And then she basically refused to talk to him afterward, so it’s not like they talked through what was happening. Even though we didn’t see his side of things, I would imagine that he was just as confused and blindsided as she was. And since they were supposedly in love, a conversation or two about how it all went down would have been nice.
Romance developed a bit too quickly.
While I really loved Ezra and Taylor together, they pretty much went from 0-60 in no time at all (both physically and emotionally). I got that they had history, but I would have loved to see a bit more development between them first. This is a personal preference of mine, though, especially when it comes to YA.
Oh, I just realized that I forgot to mention soccer. I’m not a sports girl, so the sports parts of these Hundred Oaks books never stand out for me, but those of you who are will love the role that soccer played in the story and in Taylor’s life. This was another great read – Kenneally has a knack for writing realistic teens, and this book was no exception! I give it 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
Kenneally has tackled another tough and timely issue (actually, more than one) in her latest Hundred Oaks book and, as usual, she does so with honesty and realism. Her characters don’t always act the way we’d like them to, but they’re so relatable that we can understand the choices they make and empathize with them.
What Fed My Addiction:
The big issue.
Taylor has spent her life trying to live up to her parents’ expectations. She’s not unhappy about it, per se – she actually feels like she thrives in a work-all-the-time lifestyle – it’s just that she’s never put a lot of thought into why she makes the choices she does. She is so focused on academic success and long-term goals (that have been more or less given to her by others) that she sometimes resorts to drastic measures to achieve them. That’s where the “big issue” comes in. I don’t feel like I can really reveal what it is without it being a spoiler because the book is more enjoyable when there’s mystery around what exactly happened between Taylor and her boyfriend that got her kicked out of her prestigious boarding school, but I will say that she made a decision that’s more and more common in today’s high schools and universities, so I felt like it was an apt topic for Kenneally to tackle.
Not so adrift.
When Taylor gets kicked out of school, she feels very adrift – momentarily – but she picks herself back up and immediately starts working on her goals again, knowing that she’s going to have to go about getting them a bit differently than she had planned. Taylor is incredibly frustrated that one moment in her life has the potential to derail her so completely, and she is determined not to give up on any of her dreams and aspirations, even if she has to work harder than ever to achieve them and she has less support from the people around her. This is definitely admirable, but as the book progresses, Taylor starts to realize that maybe she should work toward her own goals rather than the ones she’s been given by default because of her family connections. She slowly starts to realize that academic and even career success isn’t worth it if it comes at the cost of her happiness.
Family.
Taylor’s family is complicated and realistic. I loved that her father was portrayed as a man who was tough on her but not a “cold political figure” (for some reason, when characters’ parents are in politics, they’re usually shown as these distant or downright cold people – I often think, “Geez, senators are people too – I don’t see why being in politics makes you automatically unaffectionate toward your kids!”). Taylor’s dad was a good, realistic balance. He expected Taylor to make her own way in the world and not rely on his connections, but he also did seem to genuinely care about Taylor – even though he was distant at first because of disappointment in her decisions. The rest of Taylor’s family was equally complex – they were neither super warm and likable or overly distant and stuffy (though her mom was a bit borderline there – she was the least likable of the bunch). They seemed like a real family that sometimes felt frustrated and disappointed with each other, but still always loved each other.
Ezra.
I can’t talk about the book without at least addressing the love interest – Ezra. He was sweet and kind and urged Taylor to think about herself rather than just what her family wanted for her. There was also a bit of mystery around why Ezra dropped out of school, and it turned out there was an important issue addressed there as well – but again, I don’t want to reveal what it was. I loved Ezra and Taylor together and felt like they complemented each other perfectly.
What Left Me Wanting More:
Responsibility.
There were times when I felt like Taylor didn’t take enough responsibility for what happened to her. After all, even though she did cover for her boyfriend, she made choices that put her in that situation and wasn’t completely innocent (I wish I could say more than that, but I can’t figure out a way to do it without being spoilery). She also made the choice to cover for her boyfriend (hoping that either her father’s position would save her or that her boyfriend would step in and do the right thing and admit his part in it all). I could definitely understand her bitterness toward her boyfriend for letting things get out of hand, but I couldn’t help but think that she should have taken more responsibility for it too. She made the choice to cover for him – he didn’t ask her to. And then she basically refused to talk to him afterward, so it’s not like they talked through what was happening. Even though we didn’t see his side of things, I would imagine that he was just as confused and blindsided as she was. And since they were supposedly in love, a conversation or two about how it all went down would have been nice.
Romance developed a bit too quickly.
While I really loved Ezra and Taylor together, they pretty much went from 0-60 in no time at all (both physically and emotionally). I got that they had history, but I would have loved to see a bit more development between them first. This is a personal preference of mine, though, especially when it comes to YA.
Oh, I just realized that I forgot to mention soccer. I’m not a sports girl, so the sports parts of these Hundred Oaks books never stand out for me, but those of you who are will love the role that soccer played in the story and in Taylor’s life. This was another great read – Kenneally has a knack for writing realistic teens, and this book was no exception! I give it 4/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***
michalice's review against another edition
The Hundred Oaks series is one I have been invested in from the very beginning so getting the chance to snag Defending Taylor early for review was something I didn't expect, so you know I made a start on this as soon as possible.
Taylor makes the decision to take the blame for something, to ensure her boyfriend would get to keep his scholarship, assuming her Dads position would mean she would get a lenient punishment. What she wasn't expecting was to be kicked out of school and be forced to go to Hundred Oaks, her rival school. Attending a new school isn't something Taylor planned on, and she finds it hard to fit in and settle, especially with the animosity of school rivalry. Her effort to join the soccer team seems futile, when she is he only committed one, and the rest are happy to let their star player take over practice, if you could call it that, and refuse to accept her help.
Taylor wants so much to keep it all secret, to protect Ben, even if it means sacrificing her own future. She finds it hard to open up and share why she was expelled from school, but with the help of her counselor and some prompts she begins to open up to Ezra, but can she tell him the whole truth.
Defending Taylor was a book I found hard to put down. I love how easy it is to fall into this world and get to meet new characters, and catch up with old friends from Racing Savannah. Defending Taylor is a book that really makes you think about how far you would go to save someone you love, and how far is too far when it starts to impact your future?
Taylor isn't perfect, and she makes silly mistakes, but to me that makes her human enabling the reader to make a connection with her. I liked how her relationship with Ezra wasn't rushed, even though they did have some history together.
Final Verdict
Defending Taylor was a book that I could not get enough of. I really enjoyed reading this one and I'm looking forward to see what comes next in this series.
Taylor makes the decision to take the blame for something, to ensure her boyfriend would get to keep his scholarship, assuming her Dads position would mean she would get a lenient punishment. What she wasn't expecting was to be kicked out of school and be forced to go to Hundred Oaks, her rival school. Attending a new school isn't something Taylor planned on, and she finds it hard to fit in and settle, especially with the animosity of school rivalry. Her effort to join the soccer team seems futile, when she is he only committed one, and the rest are happy to let their star player take over practice, if you could call it that, and refuse to accept her help.
Taylor wants so much to keep it all secret, to protect Ben, even if it means sacrificing her own future. She finds it hard to open up and share why she was expelled from school, but with the help of her counselor and some prompts she begins to open up to Ezra, but can she tell him the whole truth.
Defending Taylor was a book I found hard to put down. I love how easy it is to fall into this world and get to meet new characters, and catch up with old friends from Racing Savannah. Defending Taylor is a book that really makes you think about how far you would go to save someone you love, and how far is too far when it starts to impact your future?
Taylor isn't perfect, and she makes silly mistakes, but to me that makes her human enabling the reader to make a connection with her. I liked how her relationship with Ezra wasn't rushed, even though they did have some history together.
Final Verdict
Defending Taylor was a book that I could not get enough of. I really enjoyed reading this one and I'm looking forward to see what comes next in this series.
talya_'s review against another edition
1.0
This book is boring as hell and focuses way too much on the boring, flat, sparkless romance. I honestly can't believe I wasted an hour of my life reading this.
reddyrat's review against another edition
4.0
Any Miranda Kenneally story is a win in my book. She always writes about athletic teens who grow personally in some way during the course of the book and end up with a great guy. Defending Taylor falls right into that camp.
Taylor is the "perfect" teen. Hard-working, intelligent, athletic, poised. She manages to work super hard, but look like everything comes easily. This is crucial for her, being the daughter of a prominent politician and the youngest of several "perfect" siblings. Of course, the book starts out by us witnessing the fallout of Taylor needing to be perfect. She's caught with her boyfriend's stash of Adderall (which she has occasionally indulged in). Being the perfect girlfriend and *not a snitch* is one of her other "wonderful" traits, and she takes the fall for him.
I really did not like that Taylor let herself take all the blame for the Adderall, including getting kicked out of school. I hated her skeezy boyfriend for letting her accept the blame. And I hated her parents for being more focused on being politicians with the perfect image than caring about their daughter. That said, I can see why Taylor made that decision. I think it was a very bad decision, but I can understand why she logically decided to do what she did - even though I think she was stupid. It's a short-sighted, teenagery thing to do - albeit loyal.
Ezra, the boy interest, was a good guy. He's taking time off to find himself (in the context of the book, it's not as losery as it sounds). He also has had to dig out from under the overwhelming expectations of his parents. Once I knew the reason he left school, I was able to sympathize with him much more. Although overall he's not the type of guy I find attractive. I thought he was a great match for Taylor and a kind and gentle person.
Even though sports features in all of Miranda's books, you could have left soccer out of this entirely and had just as good a story. Sports are more prominent in some of her books than others and this was probably the least use of sport in any of her books. I missed it. The soccer aspect made for a nice subplot and helped tie her to her new school, but it also was resolved too summarily.
The overall message in this book is to not push yourself too far. Not that you shouldn't aim high and work hard, but that you shouldn't get so caught up in achieving that your whole life explodes. I think the book demonstrates this value well without getting overly preachy.
All in all, not my favorite of Miranda's books, but still a solid and fun read.
Recommendation: Buy if you're a Hundred Oaks series fan. If you're new to the series, read her other books first.
Taylor is the "perfect" teen. Hard-working, intelligent, athletic, poised. She manages to work super hard, but look like everything comes easily. This is crucial for her, being the daughter of a prominent politician and the youngest of several "perfect" siblings. Of course, the book starts out by us witnessing the fallout of Taylor needing to be perfect. She's caught with her boyfriend's stash of Adderall (which she has occasionally indulged in). Being the perfect girlfriend and *not a snitch* is one of her other "wonderful" traits, and she takes the fall for him.
I really did not like that Taylor let herself take all the blame for the Adderall, including getting kicked out of school. I hated her skeezy boyfriend for letting her accept the blame. And I hated her parents for being more focused on being politicians with the perfect image than caring about their daughter. That said, I can see why Taylor made that decision. I think it was a very bad decision, but I can understand why she logically decided to do what she did - even though I think she was stupid. It's a short-sighted, teenagery thing to do - albeit loyal.
Ezra, the boy interest, was a good guy. He's taking time off to find himself (in the context of the book, it's not as losery as it sounds). He also has had to dig out from under the overwhelming expectations of his parents. Once I knew the reason he left school, I was able to sympathize with him much more. Although overall he's not the type of guy I find attractive. I thought he was a great match for Taylor and a kind and gentle person.
Even though sports features in all of Miranda's books, you could have left soccer out of this entirely and had just as good a story. Sports are more prominent in some of her books than others and this was probably the least use of sport in any of her books. I missed it. The soccer aspect made for a nice subplot and helped tie her to her new school, but it also was resolved too summarily.
The overall message in this book is to not push yourself too far. Not that you shouldn't aim high and work hard, but that you shouldn't get so caught up in achieving that your whole life explodes. I think the book demonstrates this value well without getting overly preachy.
All in all, not my favorite of Miranda's books, but still a solid and fun read.
Recommendation: Buy if you're a Hundred Oaks series fan. If you're new to the series, read her other books first.
sophia_she1's review against another edition
5.0
actually so cute & lowkey i don't disagree w what she did...