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3.3 AVERAGE
3.3 AVERAGE
I received a copy of Blaze courtesy of the publisher in exchange for a review.
BAM! I LOVED Blaze! I'm not one for comics, aside from the Marvel and DC comic cartoons, but damn! Blaze was fun and sassy and unique! POW! I read this book in one sitting, and was laughing several times throughout. The idea of a chick doing comic books based on her experience with a boy, Mark the Shark, was genius! What better way to get back at a man whore? Had one of my friends done something to shame me the way Amanda had done to Blaze, I probably would've shanked the bitch, but I guess it all worked out in the end. Blaze was a true super hero, and some of the girls could learn a thing or two from her. I will definitely look forward to more from Laurie Boyle Crompton!
BAM! I LOVED Blaze! I'm not one for comics, aside from the Marvel and DC comic cartoons, but damn! Blaze was fun and sassy and unique! POW! I read this book in one sitting, and was laughing several times throughout. The idea of a chick doing comic books based on her experience with a boy, Mark the Shark, was genius! What better way to get back at a man whore? Had one of my friends done something to shame me the way Amanda had done to Blaze, I probably would've shanked the bitch, but I guess it all worked out in the end. Blaze was a true super hero, and some of the girls could learn a thing or two from her. I will definitely look forward to more from Laurie Boyle Crompton!
I picked up this book because the cover was bold and the title snappy. I am a sucker for a great title and a good cover is necessary. Got both? I'm sold. "Blaze" delivers realistic but snarky dialogue in a fresh first-person voice that I related to almost immediately in the first chapter. Although Blaze has more gumption than I did in those years of my life, I understand her reluctant social life and her more 'boyish' interests. But how GREAT is it to find a legitimately nerdy heroine in a YA novel?! I practically jumped for joy. And more than just that, she is a funny, heartfelt, relatively normal human being despite family problems and a stilted social life? GASP. I love it. And seeing the intense comic-style sketches in between segments of story really was a neat touch.
Laurie Boyle Crompton (narrating as Blaze) avoids the traditional YA clichés and opts for more sassy, overt references to Marvel characters (and a few DC, although Blaze is pretty hardcore about Marvel Love) in a surprising (but yummy!) cocktail of heroes and villains that help Blaze navigate the cruel social stratosphere in an age where an accidental joke picture can go viral instantaneously and tear down a reputation in seconds. In short, "Blaze" is a bold, bright, sometimes painfully familiar account of high school, bullying, Weapons of Mass Internet Destruction, and the uneasy journey of a comic book-loving young lady whose world isn't as clear-cut as the monthly issues she covets.
A great read for older teens or twentysomethings like myself. Or, whatever, you're an adult, read what you want, dude. :)
Laurie Boyle Crompton (narrating as Blaze) avoids the traditional YA clichés and opts for more sassy, overt references to Marvel characters (and a few DC, although Blaze is pretty hardcore about Marvel Love) in a surprising (but yummy!) cocktail of heroes and villains that help Blaze navigate the cruel social stratosphere in an age where an accidental joke picture can go viral instantaneously and tear down a reputation in seconds. In short, "Blaze" is a bold, bright, sometimes painfully familiar account of high school, bullying, Weapons of Mass Internet Destruction, and the uneasy journey of a comic book-loving young lady whose world isn't as clear-cut as the monthly issues she covets.
A great read for older teens or twentysomethings like myself. Or, whatever, you're an adult, read what you want, dude. :)
I was kind of disappointed at last I thought there might be a moment between Blaze and Quentin. . . except that the book was well great
Remember when you were 17 and the world revolved around you and your problems? Yeah, that's this book. Blaze is 17. She obsesses about her crush. He turns out to be not a nice guy. It happens. Shit hits the fan with her friends. It happens. Being a teenager sucks. It happens. You grow up. You realize that the dorky quiet guy is the better person anyways. Add in a humorous, hormonal teenage Greek Chorus, and it's an enjoyable read.
3.5 to 4 stars
This one is hard to rate. I loved Blaze's voice, but I hated many of the choices she made. I enjoyed to comic geekiness, and could relate to Blaze's inner nerd. Her overwhelming desire to have a boyfriend, even one so wrong for her, made me want to shake some common sense back into her head. She engages in some dangerous, possibly life-altering choices, which left me disappointed in her.
This one is hard to rate. I loved Blaze's voice, but I hated many of the choices she made. I enjoyed to comic geekiness, and could relate to Blaze's inner nerd. Her overwhelming desire to have a boyfriend, even one so wrong for her, made me want to shake some common sense back into her head. She engages in some dangerous, possibly life-altering choices, which left me disappointed in her.
Fast paced, funny and the perfect fodder for Fan-Girls everywhere. LOVED all the comic book references (these weren't some shallow attempts dropped in for effect - Crompton knows her stuff), Blaze finding her voice (and releasing her Dark Phoenix) and the lovely (but not syrupy) relationship between Blaze and her younger brother (who's concealing his very own superhero identity). Great to read a book about the perils of teenage sexuality, relationships and bullying that has a fresh feel.
I'm kind of iffy on the title change, but I'm still hoping this one meets my expectations!! Because it sounds SO cool <3
***
I'm kind of into superheroes (a bit - mostly Batman) although I never really became involved with comics, oddly enough. I've been saying for a little while that I'd really love to read some more superhero-inspired YA (I think there's a lot of untapped potential there - just saying!) and it was this aspect that initially drew my attention with Blaze.
Blaze isn't exactly a superhero book, but it plays a big part in the plot. This ends up making Blaze a truly fun and unique contemporary that I think is going to have plenty of widespread appeal with all kinds of readers!
Reasons to Read:
1. Laugh out loud, tongue-in-cheek humour:
I find funny books to be a rarity; but that may just be that I have an extremely particular sense of humour. I love really dry wit, and Blaze's sense of humour just fit so well with mine that I couldn't help but laugh along. Plus, I thought it was fantastic how she relied on humour in difficult times - I have friends like that, and I sometimes do the same thing and I think it was really neat to see a character who could crack a joke at any time.
2. Real perspective on gossip/reputation:
Laurie handles these prevalent teen issues with ease in Blaze but without becoming too "heavy" and without preaching. It becomes so obvious how dangerous and hurtful cruel, thoughtless comments about other people can be. I love that it isn't focused on figuring out who's the victim and who's the villain, but recognizes that all people need to be treated with dignity and respect. And all of this is accomplished in a way that readers will relate to.
3. A unique format for a YA book:
One of my favourite aspects of Blaze is that it really utilizes Blaze's love of comics (and her talent as an artist) as one of the ways to immerse the reader in the story. The included illustrations in the book are done by an incredible artist - and while my ARC didn't contain the illustrations, I was able to get an inside look at some of the art for the novel through the Sourcebooks blog tour. I LOVED the way that the illustrations are included with the story, to help bring it to life. It's a really fun way of presenting the story.
You can find a sneak peek of the artwork here. (Includes Mark the Shark and the Blazing Goddess)
I only wish that the consequences for some of the poor choices made had been highlighted a bit better; there are a number of events which take place that many teens will experience (such as sexting, relationships, and gossip) but I don't think the outcome was as convincing as it could have been. Everyone largely comes out unscathed, and I don't mind that overall but I wish that some of these problems weren't as easily to solve as they came across in the book.
But this is a fun book, that's going to appeal to a broad range of readers - those who enjoy contemporary, humour, illustrations and artwork, and even superheroes/comics will find something to appreciate in Blaze.
ARC received from publisher for blog tour & review; no other compensation was received.
***
I'm kind of into superheroes (a bit - mostly Batman) although I never really became involved with comics, oddly enough. I've been saying for a little while that I'd really love to read some more superhero-inspired YA (I think there's a lot of untapped potential there - just saying!) and it was this aspect that initially drew my attention with Blaze.
Blaze isn't exactly a superhero book, but it plays a big part in the plot. This ends up making Blaze a truly fun and unique contemporary that I think is going to have plenty of widespread appeal with all kinds of readers!
Reasons to Read:
1. Laugh out loud, tongue-in-cheek humour:
I find funny books to be a rarity; but that may just be that I have an extremely particular sense of humour. I love really dry wit, and Blaze's sense of humour just fit so well with mine that I couldn't help but laugh along. Plus, I thought it was fantastic how she relied on humour in difficult times - I have friends like that, and I sometimes do the same thing and I think it was really neat to see a character who could crack a joke at any time.
2. Real perspective on gossip/reputation:
Laurie handles these prevalent teen issues with ease in Blaze but without becoming too "heavy" and without preaching. It becomes so obvious how dangerous and hurtful cruel, thoughtless comments about other people can be. I love that it isn't focused on figuring out who's the victim and who's the villain, but recognizes that all people need to be treated with dignity and respect. And all of this is accomplished in a way that readers will relate to.
3. A unique format for a YA book:
One of my favourite aspects of Blaze is that it really utilizes Blaze's love of comics (and her talent as an artist) as one of the ways to immerse the reader in the story. The included illustrations in the book are done by an incredible artist - and while my ARC didn't contain the illustrations, I was able to get an inside look at some of the art for the novel through the Sourcebooks blog tour. I LOVED the way that the illustrations are included with the story, to help bring it to life. It's a really fun way of presenting the story.
You can find a sneak peek of the artwork here. (Includes Mark the Shark and the Blazing Goddess)
I only wish that the consequences for some of the poor choices made had been highlighted a bit better; there are a number of events which take place that many teens will experience (such as sexting, relationships, and gossip) but I don't think the outcome was as convincing as it could have been. Everyone largely comes out unscathed, and I don't mind that overall but I wish that some of these problems weren't as easily to solve as they came across in the book.
But this is a fun book, that's going to appeal to a broad range of readers - those who enjoy contemporary, humour, illustrations and artwork, and even superheroes/comics will find something to appreciate in Blaze.
ARC received from publisher for blog tour & review; no other compensation was received.
I was really excited about this book after reading the premise. Blaze is bit of a comic book geek (and proud of it), but she’s always had a crush on her younger brother’s soccer coach, Mark. Too bad Mark’s never noticed her at the soccer field or at school. One day, she gives him a ride home since she’s already the designated soccer mom for her brother and all of his soccer buddies and suddenly Mark is doing a lot more than just noticing her. He’s asking her out and kissing her and more. Until he gets what he wants from Blaze and then proceeds to humiliate her, making him Supervillian #1 in her mind. So in proper superhero fashion, Blaze sets out to get revenge.
It’s a real problem when my favorite character in the book is the main character’s annoying 13 year old brother. I wanted to like Blaze, but despite all the ways she could have been a great character, she’s just not. She has no backbone when it matters and is incredibly selfish and flat out stupid at times. And her friends. I hated her friends. They’re also self-absorbed, particularly the one who is the starts the whole Mark disaster. She thinks it’s Blaze’s fault that Mark’s friend isn’t interested in her, so she With friends like these, who needs supervillians? Between all the passive aggressiveness and idiotic behavior and slut shaming, I just couldn’t muster up any sort of sympathy for Blaze, let alone actual affection. In the end, Blaze does finally start to make marginally more intelligent decisions, The slight growth of Blaze and the great comic book references are the only things that kept this from being a one star book.
It’s a real problem when my favorite character in the book is the main character’s annoying 13 year old brother. I wanted to like Blaze, but despite all the ways she could have been a great character, she’s just not. She has no backbone when it matters and is incredibly selfish and flat out stupid at times.
Spoiler
Mark seduces her in the back of her minivan, convinces her to sleep with him without a condom, and then never speaks to her again. Her reaction? Create a passive aggressive comic book about him and post it on the internet. And then she’s somehow surprised when he posts a half naked photo of her on the internet. Stupid.Spoiler
takes the aforementioned half naked photo and texts it to Mark without Blaze knowing.Spoiler
though she does drive from Pennsylvania to NYC to visit her father who obviously doesn’t care about their family without even telling him she was coming.
Blaze is a comics obsessed high school senior who spends her time doing one of three things:
1. Reading Comics
2. Writing her "Blazing Goddess" Comic
3. Ferrying her little bro to soccer events
Option #3 leads to some pretty flirtatious encounters with the boy's soccer coach, Mark...and that's where things start! I want to be clear, though, that this is more of a coming of age tale and less of a romance. Decidedly less.
The Good:
This is probably the most realistic teen realistic fiction book that I've read. Blaze was totally someone I knew in high school. Sometimes, I was that person in high school. The way she talks, the decisions she makes...it all felt REALLY real. Sometimes uncomfortably real, but we'll get to that in a second. Anyway, the character development was there, and it was good.
In addition to realistic writing and well fleshed out characters, the book is pretty amusing! Its a funny, quirky, seriously charming read.
The Bad:
This book was so realistic that I had trouble reading it at times. Her bad decisions are SO RELATABLE, but so terrible that you just know some awful stuff is going to go down. I felt the need to put the book in the freezer. This isn't a bad thing, necessarily, but it made the book very put downable at times.
Really, my only other complaint is that the issues are ultimately resolved a little too perfectly.
The Verdict: Listen up, teenage lady nerds! This book is for you. I really liked it. 4 stars.
1. Reading Comics
2. Writing her "Blazing Goddess" Comic
3. Ferrying her little bro to soccer events
Option #3 leads to some pretty flirtatious encounters with the boy's soccer coach, Mark...and that's where things start! I want to be clear, though, that this is more of a coming of age tale and less of a romance. Decidedly less.
The Good:
This is probably the most realistic teen realistic fiction book that I've read. Blaze was totally someone I knew in high school. Sometimes, I was that person in high school. The way she talks, the decisions she makes...it all felt REALLY real. Sometimes uncomfortably real, but we'll get to that in a second. Anyway, the character development was there, and it was good.
In addition to realistic writing and well fleshed out characters, the book is pretty amusing! Its a funny, quirky, seriously charming read.
The Bad:
This book was so realistic that I had trouble reading it at times. Her bad decisions are SO RELATABLE, but so terrible that you just know some awful stuff is going to go down. I felt the need to put the book in the freezer. This isn't a bad thing, necessarily, but it made the book very put downable at times.
Really, my only other complaint is that the issues are ultimately resolved a little too perfectly.
The Verdict: Listen up, teenage lady nerds! This book is for you. I really liked it. 4 stars.
This book taught so much. I loved the relationship between Blaze and her brother.