Book Review: Paradise

Welcome! I am starting to try out new formats for my reviews, so please bear with me.

I haven't read very much YA. I've read a decent amount, but nothing so wonderful as to make me want to read more of the genre. After taking a trip to the library, I found a book that I thought would change my mind. It was very promising.

What I'm Listening To:

• Dirt Road Anthem by Jason Aldean
• Friday Night by Lady Antebellum

I really love Texas. There's something really special about it that I adore. Cruising through the library I picked up this book:

Paradise

Author: Jill S. Alexander

Genre: YA Contemporary

Year: 2011

It's called Paradise and it's by Jill S. Alexander. The main character is Paisley. She wants nothing more than to play her drums. The country band shes in (The Waylon Slider Band) is getting ready for Texapalooza, a band competition that takes place in Austin. Paisley lives in a small Texas town, so I thought this would be a great read. I picked it up and was super excited to get started. 

It started off strong. I was really enjoying the characters and I was getting caught up in all that was happening. I felt all the frustration and confusion as all the characters were feeling. But at some point, it all stopped for me. I don't want to spoil the book, but certain things just irked me. This could just be me, but I hate when guys don't let girls know how they feel. Because honestly, we probably don't have any idea until a guy says something to us (I speak from experience). At some point, you have to step up and take the chance, no matter how scared you are! Even when the perfect opportunity is presented, the character refuses to do anything (I'm not mentioning who). 

Second, what was up with that ending?!?! Mrs. Alexander took the easy way out. There was barely any actual explanation as to what happened. I'm still confused. I finished one chapter and got confused on the very next. What is up with that? You don't do that to your reader! You make everything tie up and make sense unless it is part of a significant mystery, on purpose. This did not seem to merit that kind of ending at all. In the end, some stuff was tied up nicely and some characters developed nicely, but there was so much that could have been done better. 

I give it a Lone Star rating of ✯✯. 

This book left me disappointed. What started off as a good Texas YA novel, turned into a "what-in-the-heck-did-I-just-read" book. I'm sad and I really hope I'll recover. Maybe I'll find a good YA novel in the future, but as of right now, I just want to go back to the Fantasy, Adventure and Thriller genres. I might even go for a little Sci-Fi. Anything but that YA novice novel material.