Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Fiction Tuesday - A Midsummer's Nightmare



Whitley Johnson’s dream summer with her divorcé dad has turned into a nightmare. She’s just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée’s son? Whitley’s one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin’ great. Worse, she totally doesn’t fit in with her dad’s perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn’t even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she’s ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn’t “do” friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn’t her stepbrother…at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.”-summary
Alexandra Chando would make a complex Whitley. She definitely comes off so indifferent and cold in the beginning of the story. Once you get what she's about, then you feel for her and hope she finds someone who will be there for her.


I've never met a character quite like Whitley. Yet, I have a feeling maybe I have and just didn't know it.

Whitely has feelings for Nathan, yet she feels he's the son her Dad has always wanted. She feels her Dad never wanted her.


Whitley hasn't actually gotten over her parents divorce. Possibly, its what ruined high school for her. And it might not be the reasons, you think. Her Mom can't stop obsessing over her Dad. Quite possibly, she might have parents who never quite grew up. Her Dad enjoyed the single life for so long. Yet, never bothered to really be there for Whitley after the divorce.

And Whitley has turned to drinking to cope through being a party-goer. Although, it takes her most of the summer to realize this. She's a girl who's never been close to anyone. Maybe she doesn't even know how. Until Nathan Caulfield shows up and becomes a part of her life.

‘i want more. i want everything. i want you.’
‘nathan…’
‘i’m not settling for less, whitley,’ he said. ‘and neither should you.’

Nathan Caulfield


True, they met in the strangest circumstances. Even stranger that he's gonna be her stepbrother. This had Reid Ewing persona all over it. Yes, he's laid back. Complicated to. Yet, he sees something in Whitley that no one has seen before. And he might be perfect for her.

So here Whitley is in a new world. Away from a mother who won't shut up about her Dad's past. Its as if her dad has transformed into someone she doesn't know. And its all due to Nathan's mother. This was an interesting concept as seeing the step family as GOOD. And I liked that about the story.

Everyone needs a friend like Harrison (William Beckett). He just might be Whitley's guide to guys and fashion.



Also, Whitley finally makes a friend. Harrison...who just so happens to be smitten by Nathan. Still its a small circle of friends who find Whitley out. Who want to make things better for her. Even if her father can't find the time for her. And the situation goes from bad to worse when 'facebook' problems arise in this small little town her father and new family have moved too.



Honestly, Kody Kiplinger is one of my new favorite authors this summer. Actually, I would read her any time of the year. She's created some endearing characters with some unique situations that we can all relate too.

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6 comments:

  1. I seriously need to get my hands on a copy of this book - it sounds fantastic! :)

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  2. I really loved this book. More than I thought I would. And interesting to see her part of the "Caulfield" family. I really gave me a different perspective of "Holden" from Cather in the Rye, too.

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  3. that would be fun to see :)

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  4. One of my favorite reads this summer!

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  5. I would so love to see Will Beckett in a movie. Wow, sounds like a cool book!

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