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tay123's review against another edition
1.0
No plot but it is a good book if you want a slow read that is easy to pick back up after putting it down for a while.
nonidude's review against another edition
just poor writing - not interesting enough to keep reading...
Plus I'm assuming there will be a moment where she falls for the asshole who keeps interrupting her talking and calling her by a name she doesn't like - blech.
Plus I'm assuming there will be a moment where she falls for the asshole who keeps interrupting her talking and calling her by a name she doesn't like - blech.
cuppaclo's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
caffeineaddict980's review
5.0
Penny is okay with her life, living in the same town she has always done. She soon wins a scholarship to a prestigious theatre camp and is thrown into competition with others, as she makes new friends she realises something.
Maybe she has bigger dreams than she ever thought possible.
Absolutely devoured this novel completely and surprisingly enjoyed this novel about a girl deciding what she wants out of life, choosing not to change anything and just expand on the dreams that she wants to explore now that she has the opportunity to do so - which brings up the question, if she had never gotten the scholarship in the first place, would she have never strayed from the original path in the first place?
Would she ever have considered getting more out of her life?
Overall, a unique and refreshing novel that deserves more attention!
Maybe she has bigger dreams than she ever thought possible.
Absolutely devoured this novel completely and surprisingly enjoyed this novel about a girl deciding what she wants out of life, choosing not to change anything and just expand on the dreams that she wants to explore now that she has the opportunity to do so - which brings up the question, if she had never gotten the scholarship in the first place, would she have never strayed from the original path in the first place?
Would she ever have considered getting more out of her life?
Overall, a unique and refreshing novel that deserves more attention!
lattelibrarian's review
5.0
This is a book I didn't know I needed. Normally, the books I didn't know I needed tend to fall under a different genre, so this one came at me as a surprise. Basically, my story is a lot different than Penny's. I'm in grad school, I work 40 hours a week, and I have an inkling of what I want to do with my life (be a librarian). Penny is a little different. She's still in high school, she has a good support system, but she's always just sort of imagined that of course she'll inherit her family's diner. And because she's so stuck in that mindset, she's never really bothered to dream for something more. And I think that's where I'm at.
Now, I know this is supposed to be a review and not a reflection about my life, but I think that it's important to note that despite Penny's and my differences, this book's theme can attract a large audience of people--especially in today's day and age. And that makes this book's theme hugely important in itself. It's never too late to want more, and it's never too late to reinvent yourself.
What I also hugely love is that this book is set in a small town which (is relatable) is hugely realistic for many people everywhere. And for those of us who live in small towns, I think I speak for us all when I say that it's so, so easy to get stuck there. I know people from my hometown who never left. Or who left for a bit and came back. And I'm afraid of that happening to me. And Penny's a bit afraid of that happening to her, too.
Ultimately, I think this introspective book deserves a place on everyone's TBR list, and is perfect for the senior in high school.
Review cross-listed here!
Now, I know this is supposed to be a review and not a reflection about my life, but I think that it's important to note that despite Penny's and my differences, this book's theme can attract a large audience of people--especially in today's day and age. And that makes this book's theme hugely important in itself. It's never too late to want more, and it's never too late to reinvent yourself.
What I also hugely love is that this book is set in a small town which (is relatable) is hugely realistic for many people everywhere. And for those of us who live in small towns, I think I speak for us all when I say that it's so, so easy to get stuck there. I know people from my hometown who never left. Or who left for a bit and came back. And I'm afraid of that happening to me. And Penny's a bit afraid of that happening to her, too.
Ultimately, I think this introspective book deserves a place on everyone's TBR list, and is perfect for the senior in high school.
Review cross-listed here!
whatanerdgirlsays's review
4.0
I have had the privilege of reading every Lauren Gibaldi book released so far prior to its release and I am SO glad for it. Lauren writes the kind of young adult contemporary that just makes me feel so GOOD. It reminds me of the first young adult literature that I ever read, the kind that made me so passionate about it. It reminds me of Meg Cabot and Sarah Dessen and authors like that, stories about young girls in the summer, trying to figure out what the hell is going on in their lives.
Penny has everything laid out in front of her. She doesn’t NEED to question anything in her future. She has a great boyfriend, a fantastic best friend, a community that knows and loves her and a job waiting for her. Everything is there. There are no risks and she’s okay with that.
But what I love is that Lauren takes Penny and throws her into something that she’s truly passionate about but hasn’t had the moment to really think of it beyond that. Sure, she loves it. She enjoys it but she hasn’t lived and breathed it the way she does at this camp and once she does that, it overwhelms her. This is where she’s supposed to be. Even if she doesn’t become famous or anything like that, this is what makes her happy, what fuels her fire, what gives breath to her lungs. It’s beautiful to watch because it’s exactly how I felt once I started blogging and was pushed headfirst into the YA community and felt more at home than I had ever felt in my life. It’s amazing and its uncomfortable because there is a PLAN and you can’t derail from it and it was familiar to watch Penny struggle with that, with what is supposed to be and what could be.
I think what made me like this book a lot was that it didn’t take the…I guess, predictable course of having Penny renounce all her old ways and jump into this new world. I like that she sort of has to figure it out. She doesn’t become all knowing. She’s more unsure at the end than she was in the beginning and that felt more real to me. I feel like there’s this idea that as you get older, you just suddenly figure it all out and that most definitely is not how it happens. I like that Penny is ready to tackle what comes next, even if she’s completely unsure of what that is going to be. That’s kind of what makes life both super scary and exciting and I love how Lauren captured that in this novel.
Penny has everything laid out in front of her. She doesn’t NEED to question anything in her future. She has a great boyfriend, a fantastic best friend, a community that knows and loves her and a job waiting for her. Everything is there. There are no risks and she’s okay with that.
But what I love is that Lauren takes Penny and throws her into something that she’s truly passionate about but hasn’t had the moment to really think of it beyond that. Sure, she loves it. She enjoys it but she hasn’t lived and breathed it the way she does at this camp and once she does that, it overwhelms her. This is where she’s supposed to be. Even if she doesn’t become famous or anything like that, this is what makes her happy, what fuels her fire, what gives breath to her lungs. It’s beautiful to watch because it’s exactly how I felt once I started blogging and was pushed headfirst into the YA community and felt more at home than I had ever felt in my life. It’s amazing and its uncomfortable because there is a PLAN and you can’t derail from it and it was familiar to watch Penny struggle with that, with what is supposed to be and what could be.
I think what made me like this book a lot was that it didn’t take the…I guess, predictable course of having Penny renounce all her old ways and jump into this new world. I like that she sort of has to figure it out. She doesn’t become all knowing. She’s more unsure at the end than she was in the beginning and that felt more real to me. I feel like there’s this idea that as you get older, you just suddenly figure it all out and that most definitely is not how it happens. I like that Penny is ready to tackle what comes next, even if she’s completely unsure of what that is going to be. That’s kind of what makes life both super scary and exciting and I love how Lauren captured that in this novel.
sc104906's review
2.0
I received this through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
After winning a scholarship to a summer theater camp, it becomes the first summer she does not spend with her best friend and her boyfriend. Penny soon finds herself growing in new ways, that do not always match up with her old friends. She begins questioning her future and making decisions that will impact her trajectory. Penny's new theater camp friends are new and exciting, they push her to do more. Will Penny leave her old life and friends behind?
This book wasn't extremely memorable. I did not find myself connecting to the characters. Not much happened with the plot.
After winning a scholarship to a summer theater camp, it becomes the first summer she does not spend with her best friend and her boyfriend. Penny soon finds herself growing in new ways, that do not always match up with her old friends. She begins questioning her future and making decisions that will impact her trajectory. Penny's new theater camp friends are new and exciting, they push her to do more. Will Penny leave her old life and friends behind?
This book wasn't extremely memorable. I did not find myself connecting to the characters. Not much happened with the plot.
thebookishlibrarian's review
Penny wins a scholarship to an acting camp and is thrilled to be acting all summer long. When she arrives, however, she is met with lots of competition and some self-doubt. Then she meets a boy named Chase and realizes that she has the potential to dream big and make it her dreams come true.
charmaineac's review
3.0
This story was straightforward, inoffensive, and sweet. It's a classic coming-of-age story for a girl who goes to a new place and realizes how much more life has to offer.
My problem with the story was how constant and apparent everyone's desires were. Eventually, everyone kind of sounded like a broken record with their mantras. We get it Penny, you want something MORE. And Logan gets a huge disservice for always seeming so jealous, insecure, and small-minded. We view Chase with rose-tinted goggles, and I really don't support that (he plays around! Penny is so clearly just one of his many fiddles!).
I also didn't feel like "dreaming big" is that realistic for Penny's future. Show business is TOUGH. People who starve for fame go after it at such a young age. Where does that leave her? I have trouble understanding the comfort in such a simple life (that her friends lead in their tiny perfect world), but the big city dreams just seem so far out of reach.
I wanted to see Penny move away, get swept away by Chase, or have some other big shake-up. I think this book would've been far more effective if it were set in Penny's first year of university, not some summer camp retreat.
My problem with the story was how constant and apparent everyone's desires were. Eventually, everyone kind of sounded like a broken record with their mantras. We get it Penny, you want something MORE. And Logan gets a huge disservice for always seeming so jealous, insecure, and small-minded. We view Chase with rose-tinted goggles, and I really don't support that (he plays around! Penny is so clearly just one of his many fiddles!).
I also didn't feel like "dreaming big" is that realistic for Penny's future. Show business is TOUGH. People who starve for fame go after it at such a young age. Where does that leave her? I have trouble understanding the comfort in such a simple life (that her friends lead in their tiny perfect world), but the big city dreams just seem so far out of reach.
I wanted to see Penny move away, get swept away by Chase, or have some other big shake-up. I think this book would've been far more effective if it were set in Penny's first year of university, not some summer camp retreat.
anz16's review
5.0
My new favourite book. I loved the characters, the plot. I could relate to a lot of this, that may be why I loved it so much. But it’s a wonderful summer read.