Book Review of Want

Book Review of Want Promoted by Enchanted Books Tours

WANT

Price: $14.99 (Print)
         $ 6.99 (eBook)
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: June 7th, 2012
Format: eBook and Paperback
Page: 302
Length: Super Novel
ISBN:  eBook: 978-0-9850115-8-1
           Paperback: 978-0-9850115-7-4

Julianne counts the days until she can pack her bags and leave her old-money, tradition-bound Southern town where appearance is everything and secrecy is a way of life. A piano virtuoso, she dreams of attending a prestigious music school in Boston. Failure is not an option, so she enlists the help of New England Conservatory graduate Isaac Laroche to help her.
She can’t understand why he suddenly gave up Boston’s music scene to return to the South. He doesn’t know her life depends on escaping it. Julianne must face down madness from without, just as it threatens from within. Isaac must resist an inappropriate attraction, but an indiscretion at a Mardi Gras ball—the pinnacle event for Mobile’s elite—forces their present wants and needs to collide with sins of the past.

Will Julianne accept the help she’s offered and get everything she ever wanted, or will she self-destruct and take Isaac down with her?

Great for fans of:

Teach Me - R.A. Nelson

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

Cut - Patricia McCormick

Author Information:

After collecting a couple English degrees in the Midwest, Stephanie Lawton suddenly awoke in the deepest reaches of the Deep South. Culture shock inspired her to write about Mobile, Alabama, her adopted city, and all the ways Southern culture, history and attitudes seduce the unsuspecting.

A lover of all things gothic, she can often be spotted photographing old cemeteries, historic buildings and, ironically, the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. She also has a tendency to psychoanalyze people, which comes in handy when creating character profiles.

On her thirtieth birthday, she mourned (okay bawled) the fact that in no way could she still be considered a "young adult," so she rebelled by picking up Twilight and promptly fell in love with Young Adult literature.

She has a love/hate relationship with Mardi Gras -where does all that money come from?-and can sneeze 18 times in a row.

Book Excerpt:

If you want vampires and werewolves, faeries, fallen angels or zombies, you won’t find them here. I know a real-life monster. She drains the life out of me and tears at my flesh with words and fingernails that sink deeper than fangs ever could. I’m not her only victim, just her favorite.

Even the thick walls of our ancient house couldn’t absorb the crash of a delicate heirloom when she’d aim at Daddy’s head for his latest transgression. My six-year-old self used to peek around the corner and along the steps to where the monster did battle with Daddy. The night I saw her hit him w<as the night I knew it’d soon be my turn. I was right, and it’s gotten worse over the last eleven years, especially since my brother R.J. went off to college.

Tonight I’m studying for finals. Our air conditioner wheezes in the evening heat, and sweat drops stain my history book. There’s a knock on my bedroom door, but Daddy doesn’t wait for an answer before opening it. I’m glad he’s finally home from work, but it’s weird that he’s in my space with a constipated look.

“Juli, it’s Mr. Cline.” I stop breathing. “He’s in the hospital.”

I’m going to be sick. “And?”

“He had a stroke. Half his body’s paralyzed, but the doctors think it might only be temporary. Try not to get worked up.”

“Try not to get worked up. Right.” My piano mentor and stand-in grandpa might be a vegetable but I shouldn’t get worked up.

“He’s already asking for you. His sister said you should try to visit after school tomorrow.”

I swallow back tears and nod.

I think about Mr. Cline all through school next day. If I lose him, that’s one less person who knows the real me. If I lose him, my chances of getting into the music school I want melt like gum in the sun. I Bolt for my car as soon as the last bell rings and drive like a maniac to get to the hospital before visiting hours end.

Book Review:

This was a hard book for me to read.  I have worked for many years with abused children and the main character in this book is abused and that made it very difficult to read.  On the other hand, it was also about triumphing over your past and problems.  I think my biggest issues was that I wanted the abuse to be reported and someone to say, “Yes that was wrong.  You didn’t do anything wrong, it had nothing to do with you, I’m sorry this happened to you.”  I didn’t feel that the father took responsibility for his part of the abuse and I wanted to reach into the book and snatch her away from her parents and give her all the love she never had.  However that wasn’t the point of the book, more a subtext.   It just happens to be one of my “over-react” button topics.

This book is more of a coming of age story, if I had to classify it.  It’s similar to a regency era novel with its strict social norms, whether people follow them or not, set in modern southern society.  Someone not raised with the Southern debutant/social society (or any society that has ridged social hierarchy) might have a difficult time understanding the underlying issues that result in much of the drama in the story. 

            Because it made me think and challenged me, I give this book 4.5 out of 5 clouds.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.