The Straight Road to Kylie (Review)

Title: The Straight Road to Kylie

Author(s): Nico Medina

Edition: Paperback, 320 pages

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: May 22, 2007

Source: Bought from Borders

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

The Summary

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Life is fabulous for Jonathan Parish.
He's seventeen, out and proud, and ready to party through senior year with his posse of best girlfriends. But the year starts off with the wrong kind of bang when Jonathan -- in an inebriated lapse of judgment -- sleeps with a friend of his... A girlfriend!
When word gets around that hot-but-previously-unavailable Jonathan might be on the market, the school's 'it' girl approaches him with a proposal: pretend to be her boyfriend, and achieve popularity like he's never known. But popularity isn't what Jonathan wants. And suddenly, going back into the closet becomes Jonathan's only way to get what he's after -- a trip to see Kylie Minogue.

(Goodreads)

My Opinion

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I picked this book up way back last year when all the Boarders were closing.  It looked funny and cute, so I figured, why not?  It wasn't funny and cut;, it was hilarious, adorable, and thought-provoking!  Totally exceeding my expectations, The Straight Road to Kylie by Nico Medina is a needed addition to your collection!

This sparkly story follows the journey of Jonathan Parish as he works to win tickets to see Kylie Minogue in concert.  There's just one catch: he has to go back in the closet, and come out a straight boy!  This is a hard task for an out and proud guy like Jonathan, but when the chance of a life time hangs in the balance he'll do anything!

While characters usually capture my attention first in books, this time it was the setting that hooked me in.  The story takes place in Orlando, FL, a city only an hour away from where I grew up.  I love books that take place in FL, as there aren't many, and especially ones where I know the city personally!  Every time a restaurant or street got mentioned I knew exactly where it was.  For me, it gave the book so much more life, and I kind of want to do a book road trip to see all the sites!

But characters were still a strong part of the story.  I adored Jonathan.  He was really funny and really dramatic, so much so that I laughed through the whole book.  He reminded me so much of my friend Jayson it was uncanny!  His obsession with Kylie Minogue, the hung-over work days at Target, even the crazy cliques of high school, everything about his life Jonathan navigates with pizzazz.  My other favorite character was Carrie, one of Jonathan's best friends.  She is sassy, smart, and one of the few bisexual characters I've seen in YA fiction.  While Jonathan goes through some hard times, Carrie is always there for him.  Great friendships like this always make books better for me!

Reading some reviews I saw the terms vapid and shallow, along with unrealistic thrown around.  I'm not trying to negate anyone's opinion, but it seems to me that these reviewers never experienced high school the way I did, which was very close to Jonathan's and his friends' experience.  Teenagers can be vapid and shallow, but they can also be fiercely loyal and caring, two traits also in the book.  Other reviews had issue with the underage drinking, but whether you agree with it or not, that is often a reality of teen life.  The fact is they were safe about it, and let's face it, when the parents are away the kids will play.  If Medina had tempered his portrayal of this aspect of teen life, or even wrote a huge anti-drinking part, I think the story would have felt less authentic.

I really enjoyed the book!  There were a couple of issues with dialogue tags that would throw me, but nothing that ruined the story.  Ultimately, The Straight Road to Kylie by Nico Medina is a fun, fast read with great GLBT characters!  Orlando gave a great background to the story, and each character added flavor.  I recommend you add this to your summer TBR list!

Extras
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Listen to some of Kylie Minogue's amazing songs!

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 4/5
Book Title: 5/5
Plot: 8.5/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 8.5/10
Ending: 8.5/10
Overall: 43.5/50: B+

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Summer Reads Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my stop on the Summer Reads Giveaway Hop!

This lovely hop is hosted by the illustrious Kathy @ I Am a Reader, Not a Writer & Julia @ Rex Robot Reviews!

This time around, since it is the Summer Reads Giveaway, I've picked six different books that, I think, all have something to do with summer!  Each of them is contemporary, and are all awesome reads.  

 (Click on the covers for more info)

There will be ONE winner who can pick ONE book from the choices above. 

(The only exchange can be if you'd prefer The Last Little Blue Envelope)  

This giveaway is also INTERNATIONAL, as long as the Book Depository ships to you!

Once you've enter my giveaway, don't forget to hop to the others!

Happy Reading!

To enter:

Fill out the rafflecopter below 

(make sure BD ships to you first here)

The winner will be contacted by email

The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Must be 13 years of age

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Trailer Thursday (22)

Today I'm bringing you the very awesome trailer from one of my 2012 reads!

52 Reasons to Hate My Father

by Jessica Brody

Published Date: July 3, 2012

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Waiting on Wednesday (45)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

 Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

Starting From Here

by Lisa Jenn Bigelow

Publication Date: August 7, 2013

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Sixteen-year-old Colby Bingham's heart has been broken too many times. Her mother has been dead for almost two years, her truck driver father is always away, her almost girlfriend just dumped her for a guy, and now she's failing chemistry. When a stray dog lands literally at her feet, bleeding and broken on a busy road, it seems like the Universe has it in for Colby. But the incident also knocks a chink in the walls she's built around her heart. Against her better judgment, she decides to care for the dog. But new connections mean new opportunities for heartbreak. Terrified of another loss, Colby bolts at the first sign of trouble, managing to alienate her best friend, her father, the cute girl pursing her, and even her dog's vet, who's taken Colby under her wing. Colby can't start over, but can she learn how to move on?

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This sounds like a great contemporary, and probably one which I will boo-who through. Any stories with sick animals always make me cry (that's why I've never finished Marley & Me). But this also sounds like a really great GLBT book, but one where that aspect is just there and a part of life. More books need to include all sexualities in this way, but that's for another post. I think this will be an emotional roller coaster and I'm eager to read it!

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Top Ten Tuesday (23)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of their bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

The topic this week is: Top Ten Books for People Who Like X Author!

John Green is one of my favorite authors, and I think he writes extremely well.  In fact, there are some books by other authors out there that are reminiscent of his!  Each book listed below contains something that you'll find in most of John's novels: grief/emotional journeys, realistic teens, smart humor, and a little romance.  I think if you like his writing you'll like these as well!

Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn - After getting tossed from her posh boarding school, wild, willful, and coffee addicted Cyd Charisse returns to San Francisco to live with her parents. But there's no way Cyd can survive in her parents' pristine house. Lucky for Cyd she's got Gingerbread, her childhood rag doll and confidante, and her new surfer boyfriend.

When Cyd's rebelliousness gets out of hand, her parents ship her off to New York City to spend the summer with "Frank real-dad," her biological father. Trading in her parents for New York City grunge and getting to know her bio-dad and step-sibs is what Cyd has been waiting for her whole life. But summer in the city is not what Cyd expects — and she's far from the daughter or sister that anyone could have imagined.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini - Like many ambitious New York City teenagers, Craig Gilner sees entry into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School as the ticket to his future. Determined to succeed at life -- getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job -- Craig studies night and day to ace the entrance exam, and does. That's when things start to get crazy.

At his new school, Craig realizes that he's just average, and maybe not even that. He soon sees his once-perfect future crumbling away. The stress becomes unbearable and Craig stops eating and sleeping -- until, one night, he nearly kills himself.

Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, isolated from the crushing pressures of school and friends, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner - Shakespeare Shapiro has always hated his name. His parents bestowed it on him as some kind of sick joke when he was born, and his life has gone downhill from there, one embarrassing incident after another. Entering his senior year of high school, Shakespeare has never had a girlfriend, his younger brother is cooler than he is, and his best friend's favorite topic of conversation is his bowel movements.

But Shakespeare will have the last laugh. He is chronicling every mortifying detail in his memoir, the writing project each senior at Shakespeare's high school must complete. And he is doing it brilliantly. And, just maybe, a prize-winning memoir will bring him respect, admiration, and a girlfriend . . . or at least a prom date.

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger - Since his debut in 1951, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins, "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them." His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher - Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year. Had big things planned. Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world.

How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen-year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho?

First, Ben makes sure that no one else knows what is going on—not his superstar quarterback brother, Cody, not his parents, not his coach, no one. Next, he decides to become the best 127-pound football player Trout High has ever seen; to give his close-minded civics teacher a daily migraine; and to help the local drunk clean up his act.

And then there's Dallas Suzuki. Amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki, who may or may not give Ben the time of day. Really, she's first on the list.

Living with a secret isn't easy, though, and Ben's resolve begins to crumble . . . especially when he realizes that he isn't the only person in Trout with secrets.

Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic - I had the dream again. The one where I’m running. I don’t know what from or where to, but I’m scared, terrified really.

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. But in the short time he has left there’s one thing he can do: He can try to help the people he loves live—even though he never will.

It’s probably hopeless. But he has to try.

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger - Best friends and unofficial brothers since they were six, ninth-graders T.C. and Augie have got the world figured out. But that all changes when both friends fall in love for the first time. Enter Alé. She's pretty, sassy, and on her way to Harvard. T.C. falls hard, but Alé is playing hard to get. Meanwhile, Augie realizes that he's got a crush on a boy. It's not so clear to him, but to his family and friends, it's totally obvious! Told in alternating perspectives, this is the hilarious and touching story of their most excellent year, where these three friends discover love, themselves, and how a little magic and Mary Poppins can go a long way.

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler - Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life... and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last.

Purity by Jackson Pearce - Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas - For Steve York, life was good. He had a 4.0 GPA, friends he could trust, and a girl he loved. Now he spends his days smoked out, not so much living as simply existing.

But his herbal endeavors -- and personal demons -- have lead to a severe lack of motivation. Steve's flunking out, but if he writes a one-hundred-page paper, he can graduate.

Steve realizes he must write what he knows. And through telling the story of how he got to where he is, he discovers exactly where he wants to be....

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Teaser Tuesday (45)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
• MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

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Fairy Bad Day 
by Amanda Asby

Publication Date: June 9, 2011

         "Hey, Em," Tyler said, leaning over Loni. "The explosion sucks, but don't let it get you down." He gave Emma a pat on the hand, which would've been comforting if he hadn't been wearing a pair of thickly spiked, flame-resistant gloves that he used hunting salamanders.        

(Pg. 37)

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I wanted to read something cute, but fierce this week and someone on Goodreads suggested I pick this book up.  Luckily, I had it waiting for me on my shelf.  I'm almost done with it, and I got to say it is super fun!  I love the mystery, the snark, and the fairies!  Emma is a kick-ass leading lady, and Curtis is a super hunky leading man.  All together, a good time!

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Recommend A... (7)

Welcome to the first installment of "Recommend A...", a fun new meme created by Shanyn over at Chick Loves Lit. Shanyn will post a new prompt each week, and anyone interested in participating will post a book recommendation that follows the prompt. A different way to get recommendations!

This week's prompt is: Recommend a Contemporary Book!

There are so many amazing contemporary books out there!  And while some people love contemporary, it has always been a hit-or-miss genre for me.  That being said, I do have a couple of contemporaries that I love, and that I hope you love too!

Deadline

by Chris Crutcher

Published September 18, 2007

Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year. Had big things planned. Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world.

How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen-year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho?

First, Ben makes sure that no one else knows what is going on—not his superstar quarterback brother, Cody, not his parents, not his coach, no one. Next, he decides to become the best 127-pound football player Trout High has ever seen; to give his close-minded civics teacher a daily migraine; and to help the local drunk clean up his act.

And then there's Dallas Suzuki. Amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki, who may or may not give Ben the time of day. Really, she's first on the list.

Living with a secret isn't easy, though, and Ben's resolve begins to crumble . . . especially when he realizes that he isn't the only person in Trout with secrets.

The Big Crunch
by Pete Hautman
Published January 1, 2011

June and Wes do not "meet cute." They do not fall in love at first sight. They do not swoon with scorching desire. They do not believe that they are instant soul mates destined to be together forever.

This is not that kind of love story.

Instead, they just hang around in each other's orbits...until eventually they collide. And even after that happens, they're still not sure where it will go. Especially when June starts to pity-date one of Wes's friends, and Wes makes some choices that he immediately regrets.

From National Book Award winner Pete Hautman, this is a love story for people not particularly biased toward romance. But it is romantic, in the same way that truth can be romantic and uncertainty can be the biggest certainty of all.

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Mini Review (Above & 12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn)

Above

by Leah Bobet

3 stars

Summary:

Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee’s wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above—like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers.

But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe’s history and the shadows’ attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home—not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before.

Review:

This was one of the debuts of 2012 I was looking forward to.  The cover is gorgeous and the premise sounds intriging.  When I read it, the book was still those things, but it was also confusing and slow.  Above has all this amazing potential, but it falls flat for me.  The writing is heavy with the narration creating a confusing line of time.  I get that Leah Bobet was experimenting with style choices, but I think it only detracted from the story.  The action often drags, and there are long periods of down time with overly expalnaied backstory.  When the action does happen it is often hard to follow.  Overall, Above was not a book for me.  I appreciated the effort, and I'm sure some will fall in love, but I couldn't get behind it.

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12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn

by James Proimos

4 stars

Summary:

It’s Wes Anderson meets Holden Caufield in this wry and funny novel about a boy who is sent to live with his uncle when his father (a bestselling self-help author) dies.

James “Hercules” Martino has until the end of the summer (a.k.a. two weeks) to accomplish the twelve tasks given to him by his Uncle Anthony. The tasks will take him to the far reaches of Baltimore, lead him to a Beautiful and Unattainable Women, and change the way he sees his past, present and future.

Review:

This was an emotional punch filled with humor.  There may not been much in the pages, rounding out at 128, but Proimos still tells a great story.  I think of this book as a collection of vignettes strung together by the list Hercules needs to complete.  Some of the tasks seem to be impossible, while others are just difficult, but he manages to complete each one.  The book had me laughing through the whole thing, and I really think boys would enjoy it.  12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn can be used as a great gateway book for more difficult reads!

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Past. Present. Future. (8)

There are a a lot of these "What're you reading?" features around, so I figured, hey why not start one too? Basically, here's where I highlight the books I've read, the books I'm reading, and the books I'm going to read. Fun, right? Please join in if you want!

PAST:

The Selection by Kiera Cass - One of my most anticipated books of 2012, and I'm finally reading it!  I'm loved the book!  It was super sweet, but also really intriguing.  It leaves off on a horrible cliffhanger though!!  It made me so mad, but also anxious for the next book!!!

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough - One of my favorite books read in 2012!  I can't believe I didn't read this when it first came out, but I'm glad I did now!!  Really great witch mythology, and the journey Tamsin goes on is so fun, but full of danger!  I have to go get the 2nd book!








PRESENT:

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby - Super cute and super fierce!  You can tell from the cover this book will be fun, and it really is!  I'm almost done, and I wish there was another book in the series because I don't want to let these characters go!  Definitely reading more by Amanda Ashby after I'm done!







FUTURE:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - Ooooh this book is on top of my 2012 debut list!  Sounds like an awesome mystery/supernatural story, it takes place in a kingdom similar to Russia!  I love Russia, so yay!  I want to know how this Shadow Fold came to be, how Alina uses her power, and who the heck is the Darkling (or maybe what...?)!  I'm really excited to dive in! I PROMISE I WILL EVENTUALLY READ THIS!

If any of you've read any of these books, let me know what you thought (but NO spoilers) down below in the comments!

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In My Mailbox (46)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and inspired by one of her friends, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, where we get to post about the books we receive each week through publishers/authors, our own purchases, contests won, and libraries.

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(Check out my Youtube page for more info)

I hope you guys all had a great book week!

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