Monday, March 3, 2014

16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler ~ Review

Source: Received eBook copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17586459-16-things-i-thought-were-true

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402277970http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/16-things-i-thought-were-true-janet-gurtler/1116827934

My Thoughts:




4 stars - This one captured my heart.

First Impression...


I've needed a change lately and a good YA sounds like the right choice.  Besides, I was so interested in the twitter aspect of this story.

The Characters...


Overall, what I loved the most about all of the characters in this book was how real they felt.  As a teacher, I often wonder at some of the YA characters I read about in books, wondering what school halls they came from.  But these characters?  They were real.

I loved that Morgan was obsessed with her chapstick and her twitter following.  She was worried what others thought about her.  She was worried about her mom.  She wondered who her dad was.  She made some silly decisions.  She could be a brat sometimes.  She was a teenager.  I really enjoyed getting to know her and watching her go through some struggles that ultimately helped her grow-up.

Adams was a cutie.  The manager at work, he seemed like a jerk at first but then when Morgan needs him - even though he doesn't know her yet - he's there for her.  And he keeps being there for her.  As she struggles with her viral status on YouTube, her mothers health and the trip to find her dad, Adam is always there for her.  He's not perfect.  He proved that for sure.  He's not some super gorgeous teen god but he's cute and he likes her.  Oh and he's a good kisser.

Amy. I so loved Amy.  She tell it how it is.  Never beats around the bush, the girl will pee on the side of the road when she's got to go but she won't let you down.  She doesn't embarrass easily and she's a great friend to Morgan and Adam.  She took my by storm and I really enjoyed her.

The Story...


The story grabbed me and held me.  I really haven't felt that stuck in a book feeling lately but this one did for me.  I wasn't sure where things were going a lot of times.  I guessed a couple little things right but there were some things that came out of left field and tugged at my heart.  Such a great story full of growing up advice and a sweet romance that didn't dominate the meaningful story.

Could I Put it Down...


No.  I read it straight through.

In The End...


This is a great YA story for more than YA.  I hope lots and lots of YA do read it though.  It's real.  We all make mistakes but it's important to learn from them and move on.  Be who you really are.  Anyone who just wants a really good story, this one is for you.



About the author:

Janet lives near the Canadian Rockies with her husband and son and a little dog named Bruce. She does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot. 




https://www.facebook.com/janet.gurtler?fref=tshttps://twitter.com/janetgurtlerhttp://janetgurtler.blogspot.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4147574.Janet_Gurtler




2 comments:

  1. Aw, this sounds absolutely great! I wish I'd had time to take 16 Things, bc I think I would've loved it too.

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  2. Aw! I'm definitely interested in reading this one. It sounds light and like a fast read! Great review!
    Bethzaida @ Bookittyblog

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