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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
I loved this book! I hope that there will be sequels!
Liebes Blaze,
du bist genau die Art von leichter Sommerunterhaltung, die ich zu schätzen weiß. Ich tue mich da oft schwer, weil mir die meisten Sommerbücher am Ende zu belanglos und seicht sind. Du hingegen hast den gewissen Extrapepp, nämlich in Form von Comics.
Damit meine ich nicht nur die Zeichnungen, die sich vereinzelt zwischen deinen Seiten wiederfinden sondern das Thema generell. Deine Protagonistin Blaze ist nicht nur nach einem Comichelden benannt (Johnny Blaze aka Ghost Rider), sie liest, zeichnet und atmet Comics – allerdings nur die Klassiker von Marvel (wie man Batman verschmähen kann ist mir ein Rätsel, aber Blaze steht eben nicht auf Deprihelden).
Man muss schon was mit Comics anfangen können, wenn man ‘ne gute Zeit mit dir haben will. Man braucht aber auch kein Experte zu sein. Mein Superheldenwissen beziehe ich nur aus Comicverfilmungen, zum tatsächlichen Heft habe ich noch nie gegriffen. Blaze vergleicht alles und jeden in ihrem Leben mit der Comicwelt. Könnten manche Leser nervig finden. MIch würde hier die Meinung von Experten interessieren - hat Blaze wirklich Ahnung oder hat die deine Autorenmama auf Wikipediawissen zurückgegriffen?
Thematisch nimmst du kein Blatt vor den Mund. Dich und deine Heldin Blaze interessiert nun mal was da zwischen den Beinen des Schwarms baumelt, das muss also angesprochen werden, genauso wie Sex und „vagina wedgies“. Ich fand das erfrischend offen und nie niveaulos (nieveaulos? ;).
Blaze ist eine Heldin mit Stärken und Schwächen. Sie tut viele coole Sachen (wer kommt denn sonst auf die Idee sich die Haare mit einer Getränkemischung zu färben?), allem voran ihre Racheaktionen. Gleichzeitig ist sie naiv und fällt auf die blödesten Touren rein. Sie ist eben noch jung und verknallt, und hat zum Glück immer einen nachvollziehbaren Grund für ihr Verhalten.
In Sachen Geschwister hat Blaze das große Los gezogen. Ihr Teenie-Bruder ist so süß. Ständig muss sie ihn und seine Freunde zum Fußballtraining fahren, aber sie macht das gern, weil sie eben ‘ne tolle große Schwester ist. Ihr Bruder will sie trotz Altersunterschied beschützen und auch seine Freunde finde diese große Schwester nicht nur ziemlich scharf (immerhin hat sie schon Brüste) sondern obercool. Ich fand es herzerwärmend wie diese Bande von Rotznasen Blaze zur Seite steht, wenn es hart auf hart kommt.
Schön wär’s gewesen, wenn Blaze auch solche Freundinnen gehabt hätte, aber Fehlanzeige. Ihre zwei einzigen Freundinnen sind das allerletzte. Die eine ist noch schlimmer als die andere, aber sie haben beide ihren Titel nicht verdient. Sie haben weder Interesse an Blazes Hobby (Comics), finden es eher peinlich und wollen nichts darüber hören. Ganz zu schweigen von ihren „freundschaftlichen HIlfeleistungen“. Dann lieber keine Freunde, Blaze!
Noch zwei Kritikpunkte, okay? Kann ja nicht alles knallpink sein.
Erstens fand ich Blazes Vater viel zu übertrieben blöd. Es gibt bestimmt solche Männer, aber das war einfach nur Fremdschämen und mir zu übertrieben, um noch glaubwürdig rüberzukommen.
Zweitens die Sache mit der Verhütung. Ich muss jetzt mal spoilern.
Also Blaze, war ziemlich cool mit dir. Danke für den kleinen Sommerflirt.
Alles Liebe,
Infinite Playlist
du bist genau die Art von leichter Sommerunterhaltung, die ich zu schätzen weiß. Ich tue mich da oft schwer, weil mir die meisten Sommerbücher am Ende zu belanglos und seicht sind. Du hingegen hast den gewissen Extrapepp, nämlich in Form von Comics.
Damit meine ich nicht nur die Zeichnungen, die sich vereinzelt zwischen deinen Seiten wiederfinden sondern das Thema generell. Deine Protagonistin Blaze ist nicht nur nach einem Comichelden benannt (Johnny Blaze aka Ghost Rider), sie liest, zeichnet und atmet Comics – allerdings nur die Klassiker von Marvel (wie man Batman verschmähen kann ist mir ein Rätsel, aber Blaze steht eben nicht auf Deprihelden).
Man muss schon was mit Comics anfangen können, wenn man ‘ne gute Zeit mit dir haben will. Man braucht aber auch kein Experte zu sein. Mein Superheldenwissen beziehe ich nur aus Comicverfilmungen, zum tatsächlichen Heft habe ich noch nie gegriffen. Blaze vergleicht alles und jeden in ihrem Leben mit der Comicwelt. Könnten manche Leser nervig finden. MIch würde hier die Meinung von Experten interessieren - hat Blaze wirklich Ahnung oder hat die deine Autorenmama auf Wikipediawissen zurückgegriffen?
Thematisch nimmst du kein Blatt vor den Mund. Dich und deine Heldin Blaze interessiert nun mal was da zwischen den Beinen des Schwarms baumelt, das muss also angesprochen werden, genauso wie Sex und „vagina wedgies“. Ich fand das erfrischend offen und nie niveaulos (nieveaulos? ;).
Blaze ist eine Heldin mit Stärken und Schwächen. Sie tut viele coole Sachen (wer kommt denn sonst auf die Idee sich die Haare mit einer Getränkemischung zu färben?), allem voran ihre Racheaktionen. Gleichzeitig ist sie naiv und fällt auf die blödesten Touren rein. Sie ist eben noch jung und verknallt, und hat zum Glück immer einen nachvollziehbaren Grund für ihr Verhalten.
In Sachen Geschwister hat Blaze das große Los gezogen. Ihr Teenie-Bruder ist so süß. Ständig muss sie ihn und seine Freunde zum Fußballtraining fahren, aber sie macht das gern, weil sie eben ‘ne tolle große Schwester ist. Ihr Bruder will sie trotz Altersunterschied beschützen und auch seine Freunde finde diese große Schwester nicht nur ziemlich scharf (immerhin hat sie schon Brüste) sondern obercool. Ich fand es herzerwärmend wie diese Bande von Rotznasen Blaze zur Seite steht, wenn es hart auf hart kommt.
Schön wär’s gewesen, wenn Blaze auch solche Freundinnen gehabt hätte, aber Fehlanzeige. Ihre zwei einzigen Freundinnen sind das allerletzte. Die eine ist noch schlimmer als die andere, aber sie haben beide ihren Titel nicht verdient. Sie haben weder Interesse an Blazes Hobby (Comics), finden es eher peinlich und wollen nichts darüber hören. Ganz zu schweigen von ihren „freundschaftlichen HIlfeleistungen“. Dann lieber keine Freunde, Blaze!
Noch zwei Kritikpunkte, okay? Kann ja nicht alles knallpink sein.
Erstens fand ich Blazes Vater viel zu übertrieben blöd. Es gibt bestimmt solche Männer, aber das war einfach nur Fremdschämen und mir zu übertrieben, um noch glaubwürdig rüberzukommen.
Zweitens die Sache mit der Verhütung. Ich muss jetzt mal spoilern.
Spoiler
Blaze schläft mit Mark, erstes Mal, und lässt sich von ihm überreden nicht zu verhüten. Wochen später kommt das böse Erwachen dank fehlender Periode. Ein paar Seiten lang ist große Panik angesagt, dann wird ein Schwangerschaftstest gemacht (negativ) und schwupp, fertig! Das war mir zu lasch. Kondome sind ja nicht nur da, um Schwangerschaften zu verhindern. Es wird überhaupt nicht mehr thematisiert, dass sie sich gar nicht erst zu so was hätte überreden lassen sollen, und die Frage, ab wann so ein Test eigentlich ein verlässliches Ergebnis anzeigt, kommt auch nicht auf. Ich will ja keinen erhobenen Zeigefinger von dir, aber mehr Aufklärungsarbeit hätte man hier schon leisten können.Also Blaze, war ziemlich cool mit dir. Danke für den kleinen Sommerflirt.
Alles Liebe,
Infinite Playlist
[Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading]
Once upon a time, I was mere high school freshman. I had a crush on an older boy (Travis). My brother played pee-wee football on a team with Travis’ younger brother (whose name I cannot remember — odd, I know). I attended every practice and football game I could once this good-looking boy with perfect pearly white teeth, dimples, and a great laugh was introduced into my life. We talked. We flirted.
Fantasies looped through my mind about this gorgeous boy becoming my boyfriend. I thought about how I’d tell my friends when we started dating, what it would be like to kiss him, and my parents would tease me about my sudden interest in football.
Guys, I asked this boy to a dance. (Unfortunately, he was going with someone else by the time I struck up the nerve to ask. Can you say devastated? This was probably the first and last bold boy-move I ever made.)
Travis consumed my life…much like Blaze’s fascination with her younger brother’s soccer coach, Mark, who is a classmate of hers. Blaze is the offical chauffeur to and from practices and games for her brother and his best friends. Her mom is incredibly busy working long hours since their father skipped town to chase after a career as an actor. For a teenager, Blaze carries a ton of responsibility and often doubles as a secondary mother-figure. She doesn’t really mind sitting at the games because she works on her comics and admires Mark from behind her mirrored sunglasses.
She, too, makes up fantasies about this boy and wonders what it would be like to date him. (Reading this snapped me back to all my Travis fantasy days and oddly enough, I ran into his mother in the grocery store.) Blaze’s daydreams tended to be a bit more crude and sexually-charged than mine ever were — at one point pondering what Mark’s boy parts were like as she sees him running across the field. While I thought she would be a relatable character for me, there were a handful of these times that I really couldn’t connect with her. She is most definitely not a girly-girl — her interests lie in geeking out over superheroes and comics, both by creating/drawing her own and being a connoisseur of all things Marvel. She’s a bit nerdy and has a small social sphere.
When Blaze catches Mark’s attention, her obsession reaches a whole new level. She mentally inflates their relationship to be more than it is and things progress rapidly. Without so much as a real date, Blaze finds herself in the back of her minivan with Mark. (Which is where I must mention I was extremely put-off. While I know unprotected sex happens, I feel Crompton could have used this platform to address Mark’s “reputation” and the possibility of pregnancy and STDs when he is coaxing Blaze into having sex without a condom. Blaze was more concerned with him fondling her boobs.)
After their minivan tango, Mark refuses to reply to her texts, IMs, and barely makes eye contact with her. Blaze is forced to realize she’s been used, just as she’d been warned by her little brother. She seeks revenge by publishing a comic in which she outs Mark the Shark. In reply, Mark leaks a photo that goes viral of Blaze in barely-there pink lingerie. The story shifted gears here. There was bullying and how the kids at school were responding to the photo, a side story about her father, a spontaneous road trip, Blaze’s two best friends who were pretty crappy after the photo went public, and a new boy at the comic book store. There was so much to wrap up in such a short amount of time.
Ultimately, Blaze handled the whole bullying situation with a lot of grace; she said some things at the end that made me really proud. But, I needed more resolution with Mark and the viral photograph when unnecessary emphasis was placed on her father. Throughout the story, there were definite times I found Blaze’s character refreshing and she made me laugh out loud, but overall I wish there had been a bit more balance that undoubtedly would have made me feel more invested in her well-being and all the intermingled story lines.
Once upon a time, I was mere high school freshman. I had a crush on an older boy (Travis). My brother played pee-wee football on a team with Travis’ younger brother (whose name I cannot remember — odd, I know). I attended every practice and football game I could once this good-looking boy with perfect pearly white teeth, dimples, and a great laugh was introduced into my life. We talked. We flirted.
Fantasies looped through my mind about this gorgeous boy becoming my boyfriend. I thought about how I’d tell my friends when we started dating, what it would be like to kiss him, and my parents would tease me about my sudden interest in football.
Guys, I asked this boy to a dance. (Unfortunately, he was going with someone else by the time I struck up the nerve to ask. Can you say devastated? This was probably the first and last bold boy-move I ever made.)
Travis consumed my life…much like Blaze’s fascination with her younger brother’s soccer coach, Mark, who is a classmate of hers. Blaze is the offical chauffeur to and from practices and games for her brother and his best friends. Her mom is incredibly busy working long hours since their father skipped town to chase after a career as an actor. For a teenager, Blaze carries a ton of responsibility and often doubles as a secondary mother-figure. She doesn’t really mind sitting at the games because she works on her comics and admires Mark from behind her mirrored sunglasses.
She, too, makes up fantasies about this boy and wonders what it would be like to date him. (Reading this snapped me back to all my Travis fantasy days and oddly enough, I ran into his mother in the grocery store.) Blaze’s daydreams tended to be a bit more crude and sexually-charged than mine ever were — at one point pondering what Mark’s boy parts were like as she sees him running across the field. While I thought she would be a relatable character for me, there were a handful of these times that I really couldn’t connect with her. She is most definitely not a girly-girl — her interests lie in geeking out over superheroes and comics, both by creating/drawing her own and being a connoisseur of all things Marvel. She’s a bit nerdy and has a small social sphere.
When Blaze catches Mark’s attention, her obsession reaches a whole new level. She mentally inflates their relationship to be more than it is and things progress rapidly. Without so much as a real date, Blaze finds herself in the back of her minivan with Mark. (Which is where I must mention I was extremely put-off. While I know unprotected sex happens, I feel Crompton could have used this platform to address Mark’s “reputation” and the possibility of pregnancy and STDs when he is coaxing Blaze into having sex without a condom. Blaze was more concerned with him fondling her boobs.)
After their minivan tango, Mark refuses to reply to her texts, IMs, and barely makes eye contact with her. Blaze is forced to realize she’s been used, just as she’d been warned by her little brother. She seeks revenge by publishing a comic in which she outs Mark the Shark. In reply, Mark leaks a photo that goes viral of Blaze in barely-there pink lingerie. The story shifted gears here. There was bullying and how the kids at school were responding to the photo, a side story about her father, a spontaneous road trip, Blaze’s two best friends who were pretty crappy after the photo went public, and a new boy at the comic book store. There was so much to wrap up in such a short amount of time.
Ultimately, Blaze handled the whole bullying situation with a lot of grace; she said some things at the end that made me really proud. But, I needed more resolution with Mark and the viral photograph when unnecessary emphasis was placed on her father. Throughout the story, there were definite times I found Blaze’s character refreshing and she made me laugh out loud, but overall I wish there had been a bit more balance that undoubtedly would have made me feel more invested in her well-being and all the intermingled story lines.
Blaze caught my eye with that awesome cover and title. I had a lot of hopes for it and I’m sad to say that I was majorly let down. In this case there were way more things I dislike about this book than things I liked.
I’ll start with the good stuff since like I said, there’s less of it. First off, I found the comic book references really fun. I’m a huge fan of comic books and I definitely understood Blaze’s love for them. Also, with all the Marvel comic movies coming out, a lot of the other comics have been overlooked but Laurie Boyle Crompton didn’t leave any out. There was a great mix of lesser known comics and the super popular ones that everyone knows about.
I also really loved the gang of soccer cretins as Blaze called them. The group consisted of Blaze’s little brother Josh and a few of his friends. Admittedly they were a little pervy but their good qualities definitely outweighed their flaws. They were funny, kind, and really, Blaze’s only true friends. They cracked me up with their antics but I definitely wouldn’t have minded having them around more.
The rest of the book just flopped, at least for me. The characters were all pretty bad but Blaze was by far the worst. She was very immature and naive. She did so many stupid things (like sex without a condom?) and she blamed others for her own mistakes. She did not have any redeeming qualities and I just wanted to reach into the book and slap some sense into her. As for her friends, who needs enemies when your supposed friends act like Blaze’s? They were catty and stupid and just plain mean in some cases. And what’s worse is that nothing was ever resolved between them. And then there’s Mark. There was nothing cute about Mark. He was dumb, cruel, and a major playboy. Sure he may have been attractive but Blaze just completely overlooked every one of his flaws because of his hotness.
The content was very mature. I really didn’t expect that when I started Blaze but be warned. There is tons of talk of sex, as well as the act of it. There was also cursing and just tons of other stuff that’s not really appropriate for younger YA readers. And what’s worse is that a lot of the time I felt like it was thrown in for the shock factor rather than out of necessity.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend Blaze but if you do still feel like picking it up, check it out from the library. Don’t waste your money on this one.
I’ll start with the good stuff since like I said, there’s less of it. First off, I found the comic book references really fun. I’m a huge fan of comic books and I definitely understood Blaze’s love for them. Also, with all the Marvel comic movies coming out, a lot of the other comics have been overlooked but Laurie Boyle Crompton didn’t leave any out. There was a great mix of lesser known comics and the super popular ones that everyone knows about.
I also really loved the gang of soccer cretins as Blaze called them. The group consisted of Blaze’s little brother Josh and a few of his friends. Admittedly they were a little pervy but their good qualities definitely outweighed their flaws. They were funny, kind, and really, Blaze’s only true friends. They cracked me up with their antics but I definitely wouldn’t have minded having them around more.
The rest of the book just flopped, at least for me. The characters were all pretty bad but Blaze was by far the worst. She was very immature and naive. She did so many stupid things (like sex without a condom?) and she blamed others for her own mistakes. She did not have any redeeming qualities and I just wanted to reach into the book and slap some sense into her. As for her friends, who needs enemies when your supposed friends act like Blaze’s? They were catty and stupid and just plain mean in some cases. And what’s worse is that nothing was ever resolved between them. And then there’s Mark. There was nothing cute about Mark. He was dumb, cruel, and a major playboy. Sure he may have been attractive but Blaze just completely overlooked every one of his flaws because of his hotness.
The content was very mature. I really didn’t expect that when I started Blaze but be warned. There is tons of talk of sex, as well as the act of it. There was also cursing and just tons of other stuff that’s not really appropriate for younger YA readers. And what’s worse is that a lot of the time I felt like it was thrown in for the shock factor rather than out of necessity.
Overall, I wouldn’t recommend Blaze but if you do still feel like picking it up, check it out from the library. Don’t waste your money on this one.
Okay, no doubt about it, you must read this if you enjoy contemporary coming of age stories. It's humorous, uplifting, heartbreaking and triumphant all in the same book. Blaze is a girl that has had to grow up faster than the rest of her friends with the disappearance of her father to NYC to pursue his acting career. Being left to be the only breadwinner, Blaze's mother works as a physician's assistant in the ER and Blaze becomes the soccer mom and all around errand runner, chauffeur to her brother Josh's friends and chief cook of burned casseroles. It's no wonder when Mark, cute soccer coach of Josh's team shows some interest, Blaze dreams of a life of her own, one that doesn't involve prepubescent boys and Superturd, her brown mini van. But, when she gets a little taste of the life, she finds she might be in over her head.
As Blaze's life spins out of control, she finds herself turning more to her comics and creating The Blazing Goddess vs. Mark the Shark, to get her revenge against Mark. Her brother tried to warn her but...
Here is what I love about this book, besides the fabulous plot. Blaze does not care that she has to haul around four 13 yr old boys who are alternately obsessed with her boobs, farting, food and Nintendo. She is protective of them, as much as any mother would be and they play goofy games like Cows in the car. In return, the boys are just as protective of her, especially her brother, Josh.
Mom is a bit absent- she's lost her husband to his dreams, thinking he would come back after only a few months. Instead it's been years and life has been hard on her. But she doesn't realize the toll it's taken on Blaze. Until she finds out the mess Blaze is in and realizes she has been more than relying on Blaze. But its not just Mom, Dad's mother MeMa bashes him every chance she gets and whenever they visit it's like a slamfest on her Dad, something Blaze just can't take because she still sees the fun dad, the good times, the guy in the family portrait before things fell apart.
It takes a unplanned trip to comic con, four well meaning 13 yr olds and two caring truckers to help Blaze see her way out of the mess she's in and see her father for what he really is, a poor excuse for a dad. I absolutely love the relationship between brother and sister, how she seems to be taking care of him and then all of a sudden he seems wiser than her. I love his friends much more than hers. And mom, who for all her faults, loves her kids and is just stuck. Blaze definitely grows up in this novel for mature readers and shares her wit and knowledge about comics with us as she does.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing an E-ARC through NetGalley for review. This in no way influenced my review nor was I compensated for my review in any way.
As Blaze's life spins out of control, she finds herself turning more to her comics and creating The Blazing Goddess vs. Mark the Shark, to get her revenge against Mark. Her brother tried to warn her but...
Here is what I love about this book, besides the fabulous plot. Blaze does not care that she has to haul around four 13 yr old boys who are alternately obsessed with her boobs, farting, food and Nintendo. She is protective of them, as much as any mother would be and they play goofy games like Cows in the car. In return, the boys are just as protective of her, especially her brother, Josh.
Mom is a bit absent- she's lost her husband to his dreams, thinking he would come back after only a few months. Instead it's been years and life has been hard on her. But she doesn't realize the toll it's taken on Blaze. Until she finds out the mess Blaze is in and realizes she has been more than relying on Blaze. But its not just Mom, Dad's mother MeMa bashes him every chance she gets and whenever they visit it's like a slamfest on her Dad, something Blaze just can't take because she still sees the fun dad, the good times, the guy in the family portrait before things fell apart.
It takes a unplanned trip to comic con, four well meaning 13 yr olds and two caring truckers to help Blaze see her way out of the mess she's in and see her father for what he really is, a poor excuse for a dad. I absolutely love the relationship between brother and sister, how she seems to be taking care of him and then all of a sudden he seems wiser than her. I love his friends much more than hers. And mom, who for all her faults, loves her kids and is just stuck. Blaze definitely grows up in this novel for mature readers and shares her wit and knowledge about comics with us as she does.
Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing an E-ARC through NetGalley for review. This in no way influenced my review nor was I compensated for my review in any way.
Blaze shares an obsession of comic books with her father, really the only thing she shares with him. After he left, Blaze had to step into the second parent role, while her mom works long hours at the hospital. Blaze carts her 13 year old brother and his friends around in the Superturd (read minivan). While at soccer practice with her charges, Blaze falls for her brother's coach. Mark is a world class ladies man and Blaze's brother wants her to stay away. But, Mark is way too dreamy and Blaze gets with him. It ends terrible and Blaze extracts revenge.
I hated this book, but I liked the author's style (kinda). There was some seriously annoying slut shaming going on in this book, with no real redemption from this kind of thinking. I both loved and hated Blaze. In one paragraph should would be this kick butt, take no prisoners, strong woman, and in the next she would thoughtlessly gossip about another character's sexploits. The glimmers of awesomeness were there, but overall, it was terrible. I was grumbling at the book many times.
Also, what comic fanatic doesn't know about the cons!? Cons=life, this is just not believable.
I hated this book, but I liked the author's style (kinda). There was some seriously annoying slut shaming going on in this book, with no real redemption from this kind of thinking. I both loved and hated Blaze. In one paragraph should would be this kick butt, take no prisoners, strong woman, and in the next she would thoughtlessly gossip about another character's sexploits. The glimmers of awesomeness were there, but overall, it was terrible. I was grumbling at the book many times.
Also, what comic fanatic doesn't know about the cons!? Cons=life, this is just not believable.
It was kind of all over the place, even though it was a quick enjoyable read. I don't know that it dealt with anything seriously enough, though. There are no repercussions on the page for Mark, and I think that's dangerous and irresponsible. It's enough that at one point he says lay off? Hell no.
Blaze is sick of being invisible. She's been playing pseudo-soccer mom to her little bro (and his band of friends) and generally sacrificing her social life to pick up the slack ever since her father took off to New York. She's a comic book geek, named after comic hero Johnny Blaze of Ghostrider, who dreams of publishing her own comic books someday. Until then, she's sidelined on the soccer field drooling over Josh's coach Mark, a hottie that goes to her school. When Mark finally takes notice, Blaze is stunned... and psyched!! This is her chance of shedding her invisibility and actually having a boyfriend.
When Super-Virgin Girl takes over and almost ruins things with Mark, her friend sends him a "sext" of Blaze to try to get his attention. Blaze is humiliated, but it indeed gets Mark to want to see Blaze. After hooking up in her soccer-mom van, Mark fails to call again. And Blaze, looking to warn other girls of Mark's player ways, writes a comic book featuring Mark as the villain. She's flying high for a while, but then Mark retaliates by releasing her "sext", and the invisible life Blaze lived before is suddenly so far away. As she tries to endure relentless bullying, she wonders if she'll ever get back to normal again.
My Thoughts:
The first thing that grabbed me about this book was the awesome main character. I loved that Blaze was this self-proclaimed comic-book geek, who secretly enjoyed hanging out with her little bro and his band of kooky friends. I appreciated reading about a girl being into comic books, as I don't think it's all that common, but it rocks! I liked Blaze's whole attitude about life and her vulnerabilities too. All she wanted was a boyfriend and unfortunately she looked in the wrong place. She made a ton of mistakes and embarrassed herself along the way, but she really was just a girl who wanted a boy to like her.
I must say that I loved the drawings sprinkled in throughout the book. It was like getting a glimpse into Blaze's head and really helped with the story. And being from Pittsburgh, PA, I was appreciative of the Butler setting (which is like 1/2 hour North of the Burgh). So we have a kick-ass heroine, a cool country setting, and pretty drawings thrown in. What's not to like?
Now we get to the issues this book delved into. I really felt bad for Blaze during the bullying phase. And the fact that she was basically all alone in dealing with it was a little heartbreaking. It reminded me a lot of Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown the way everyone reacted so harshly over a picture! I know high school is melodramatic, but those kids were ruthless. It made me glad I grew up in an era where cell phones were pretty much gigantic and not capable of taking pictures at all.
So yeah, a totally enjoyable, fun book that will make you think about all the dumb stuff you did for the sake of trying to woo a guy (at least it did for me, and yes I did just say woo!). I wouldn't say it's a book that changed me or even is one that's going to be super-memorable as time goes on, but as far as main characters and fun 12 year old boys go, this one rocked it!
OVERALL: The story of a comic-book girl's struggles with family problems and living with mistakes. I loved the quirky characters in this book and the strong, but vulnerable Blaze. I was expecting more of a revenge book, but I got more of a coming of age feeling out of it. It's worth reading, but it's not mind-blowing.
My Blog:
When Super-Virgin Girl takes over and almost ruins things with Mark, her friend sends him a "sext" of Blaze to try to get his attention. Blaze is humiliated, but it indeed gets Mark to want to see Blaze. After hooking up in her soccer-mom van, Mark fails to call again. And Blaze, looking to warn other girls of Mark's player ways, writes a comic book featuring Mark as the villain. She's flying high for a while, but then Mark retaliates by releasing her "sext", and the invisible life Blaze lived before is suddenly so far away. As she tries to endure relentless bullying, she wonders if she'll ever get back to normal again.
My Thoughts:
The first thing that grabbed me about this book was the awesome main character. I loved that Blaze was this self-proclaimed comic-book geek, who secretly enjoyed hanging out with her little bro and his band of kooky friends. I appreciated reading about a girl being into comic books, as I don't think it's all that common, but it rocks! I liked Blaze's whole attitude about life and her vulnerabilities too. All she wanted was a boyfriend and unfortunately she looked in the wrong place. She made a ton of mistakes and embarrassed herself along the way, but she really was just a girl who wanted a boy to like her.
I must say that I loved the drawings sprinkled in throughout the book. It was like getting a glimpse into Blaze's head and really helped with the story. And being from Pittsburgh, PA, I was appreciative of the Butler setting (which is like 1/2 hour North of the Burgh). So we have a kick-ass heroine, a cool country setting, and pretty drawings thrown in. What's not to like?
Now we get to the issues this book delved into. I really felt bad for Blaze during the bullying phase. And the fact that she was basically all alone in dealing with it was a little heartbreaking. It reminded me a lot of Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown the way everyone reacted so harshly over a picture! I know high school is melodramatic, but those kids were ruthless. It made me glad I grew up in an era where cell phones were pretty much gigantic and not capable of taking pictures at all.
So yeah, a totally enjoyable, fun book that will make you think about all the dumb stuff you did for the sake of trying to woo a guy (at least it did for me, and yes I did just say woo!). I wouldn't say it's a book that changed me or even is one that's going to be super-memorable as time goes on, but as far as main characters and fun 12 year old boys go, this one rocked it!
OVERALL: The story of a comic-book girl's struggles with family problems and living with mistakes. I loved the quirky characters in this book and the strong, but vulnerable Blaze. I was expecting more of a revenge book, but I got more of a coming of age feeling out of it. It's worth reading, but it's not mind-blowing.
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*WARNING: There may be spoilers in this review, but big ones will be marked.*
Actual Rating: A very low 3.5...Maybe a 3.25?
Favorite Character: Quentin (Comic Book Guy), Josh
At the start, I really enjoyed this book. The first 63% (Approximately)was really good and I was excited to get to the end. Then everything just started to go down the drain. All of this wouldn't have happened if
a) Oh, and before we go onto the next one, note that I HATE Amanda.
b)
c)
Oh, yeah, mini spoiler but I was seriously creeped out when those people (Butterfly and Maniac) were following her...WTF?
Oh, and
And Quentin is the newest member of my "BOOK BOYFRIENDS" list :)
I think it's funny that this is a book about a girl that likes comics...it's different and just plain funny.
In general it was an okay book, and it kind of seems that way since there are more 4 star reviews than 5 star ones. Forgot about that...
Actual Rating: A very low 3.5...Maybe a 3.25?
Favorite Character: Quentin (Comic Book Guy), Josh
At the start, I really enjoyed this book. The first 63% (Approximately)was really good and I was excited to get to the end. Then everything just started to go down the drain. All of this wouldn't have happened if
a)
Spoiler
Blaze had just waited for Mark to talk to her, and not assume he was a lying, cheating bastard, after 2 hours apart. They could have talked about it, Mark probably would have said something wrong, Blaze would have regretted being with him...etc..and everything would be over (Of course, Josh had something to do with that when he told Blaze that Mark was a man-whore.)b)
Spoiler
Of course, when you send a picture like that to your best friends boyfriend, you're going to get a reaction. They're going to show people, it's going to go on the internet/peoples' mind (EVEN if you are in a good relationship.) It is NOT going to stay on that phone. So, If Amanda didn't send that, then there wouldn't have been a problem.c)
Spoiler
God, Amanda seems more of a slut then Catherine Wiggans AND Blaze put together. Considering that Catherines a virgin and Blaze only did it with one guy. *sigh* I guess it just shows how stupid some teenagers can be (some).Oh, yeah, mini spoiler but I was seriously creeped out when those people (Butterfly and Maniac) were following her...WTF?
Oh, and
Spoiler
I was like *deep relieved sigh* when she didn't burn the comics, i was seriously freaking out....And Quentin is the newest member of my "BOOK BOYFRIENDS" list :)
I think it's funny that this is a book about a girl that likes comics...it's different and just plain funny.
In general it was an okay book, and it kind of seems that way since there are more 4 star reviews than 5 star ones. Forgot about that...
Initial Impressions: This was cute! About what I expected it to be with a few surprises. It was definitely enjoyable and a refreshing read!
Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: BLAZE was a really nice contemporary. I wasn’t sure if it was going to actually lean towards superhero or if it was strictly contemp when I first picked it up so I’m kind of glad it was the latter. It was definitely a very different read and kind of refreshing – Blaze’s voice isn’t shy, as you’d expect of a “typical comic book nerd”. She’s witty and came across as kind of a tomboy to me, despite her affinity for pink. She’s definitely a voice that I don’t hear that often so although things like fart jokes were kind of annoying to me (just never found them funny…), it was definitely enjoyable hearing something different.
I’d definitely say this is a book for older teens. Blaze doesn’t censor herself – not so much for cursing, but there are many sexual references and situations that occur in this book and Blaze certainly makes a few leaps and bounds as far as her sexual maturity goes. She puts herself in a lot of precarious situations, but it was also interesting to read because at some point in time, I’m sure a lot of us have been there. It gets a little uncomfortable, and Blaze doesn’t make things easy on herself, but I do like that she does learn a very valuable lesson, albeit the hard way. As intense as some situations may be, it’s really a great message not to follow in Blaze’s footsteps and not to learn things the hard way like she ended up doing.
I think BLAZE ended up being a lot more serious than I was expecting, but I was surprised that I really enjoyed the journey. I feel like the superhero themes help create a lighter feeling when times are tough, as well as being Blaze’s outlet for her emotions when she feels like she can’t go to anyone else. I ended up feeling quite fond of her character and I was so proud at the progress she made with her life!
Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: BLAZE was a really nice contemporary. I wasn’t sure if it was going to actually lean towards superhero or if it was strictly contemp when I first picked it up so I’m kind of glad it was the latter. It was definitely a very different read and kind of refreshing – Blaze’s voice isn’t shy, as you’d expect of a “typical comic book nerd”. She’s witty and came across as kind of a tomboy to me, despite her affinity for pink. She’s definitely a voice that I don’t hear that often so although things like fart jokes were kind of annoying to me (just never found them funny…), it was definitely enjoyable hearing something different.
I’d definitely say this is a book for older teens. Blaze doesn’t censor herself – not so much for cursing, but there are many sexual references and situations that occur in this book and Blaze certainly makes a few leaps and bounds as far as her sexual maturity goes. She puts herself in a lot of precarious situations, but it was also interesting to read because at some point in time, I’m sure a lot of us have been there. It gets a little uncomfortable, and Blaze doesn’t make things easy on herself, but I do like that she does learn a very valuable lesson, albeit the hard way. As intense as some situations may be, it’s really a great message not to follow in Blaze’s footsteps and not to learn things the hard way like she ended up doing.
I think BLAZE ended up being a lot more serious than I was expecting, but I was surprised that I really enjoyed the journey. I feel like the superhero themes help create a lighter feeling when times are tough, as well as being Blaze’s outlet for her emotions when she feels like she can’t go to anyone else. I ended up feeling quite fond of her character and I was so proud at the progress she made with her life!