Jill S. Alexander

This is an engrossing book by Jill S. Alexander, with what I considered a surprising culmination of events.

Paisley is the spirited teenage protagonist who desires to be a drummer. A boy from Paradise, Texas threatens to come between her and her dream.

This is definitely a page turner. I read it in an afternoon. I liked Paisley and the other characters. I didn't think anyone was painted as a stereotype, which is nice because writers thrusting stereotypes to be foils happens far too often in fiction.

I also liked the fact that while it is obvious that Alexander is a devout Christian, I didn't have that thrust in my face as I was reading. It was there, but not pushy.

I suppose that a lot of readers might only give this a three, but I am a sucker for a book about music and especially if it's well written.… (meer)

3.5***

Austin Gray is nearly 15 years old, and tired of just watching the parade; she wants to be one of the “hood ornaments” who ride in the parade, perched atop a shiny new pick-up truck and waving to her adoring public. She figures if she’s crowned next year’s Sweetheart, the town bully will finally have to stop targeting her. With the support of her best friend, Maribel, she decides to join the Future Farmers of America and vie for the title. The first step is to convince her mom to give her a chicken for Christmas. She gets not just any chicken, but a show bantam rooster, which she names Charles Dickens. Slowly she gains confidence and makes new friends, including a strong-silent-cowboy type. Now if she can just get her Mom to stop being over-protective, everything will be perfect.

This is a lovely YA novel dealing with universal themes – bullying, self-image, friendship, independence, loss, love, responsibility, peer pressure, self-confidence, and happiness. I like that Alexander doesn’t sugarcoat the issues that Austin faces, and that she has her heroine make some mistakes along the way. Still, Austin is a great heroine, and this is a sweetheart of a book.
… (meer)

First, don't judge a book by the cover. Its a lovely cover but it didn't seem to fit the story. Paradise by Jill Alexander was more of following your dreams even when there are things that are making the journey laborious, seemingly impossible, or downright hopeless.

(no spoilers here)

Following dreams, to me, is something that requires two elements: fortitude and hope, and in regards to the later there need not be much of it. This tale could have easily ended with reinforcing these two elements with a wide-open road ahead. Full steam. Just reach for it. You can do it! Oh, the places you'll go, a la Dr. Seuss.

Instead, the writer came out of left-field and blindsides the reader. I do have to give kudos...it was a pretty gutsy move for the author even though it almost felt like an afterthought to twist the story this way but who knows? Regardless, it didn't work for me and from reviews I'm not the only reader that felt this way.

People remember the biggest impact of the book and the impact fails to tell the whole story here.

This said, I very much enjoyed this book until the end. The writing was captivating: Music, young love, the banter, lovable and not so lovable characters - all in all, characters with depth.

I will read Jill Alexander again. Her writing is good. I will be a bit reluctant though, unless I read a review or two of her next book, at least for this Pollyanna.… (meer)

This is one of those books that is almost there. I loved the setting of small town Texas. It was unique, interesting and unexpected. I like the main characters and really felt their struggles and issues. But...much of the book felt flat. Secondary characters, the plot, the conflict. There was very little rising action and most definitely a weak ending. Which makes me sad because this book was about another 20 pages away from being a new favorite.
PS - Even YAers get to at least KISS at the end!! You can't expect me to read a pink book and not get at least a kiss.… (meer)