About this item
Highlights
- "Southern charm oozes off the page"* of this sexy and poignant novel about family, friendships, and first romance--from Jaye Robin Brown, the critically acclaimed author of Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit.
- 384 Pages
- Young Adult Fiction, Social Themes
Description
Book Synopsis
"Southern charm oozes off the page"* of this sexy and poignant novel about family, friendships, and first romance--from Jaye Robin Brown, the critically acclaimed author of Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit. It's Jandy Nelson's The Sky Is Everywhere meets Sarah Dessen's This Lullaby.
Amber Vaughn is a good girl. She sings solos at church, babysits her nephew after school, and spends Friday nights hanging out at her best friend Devon's house. But when she learns about an audition at a prestigious arts school, Amber decides that her dream--to sing on bigger stages--could also be her ticket to a new life.
Devon's older brother, Will, helps Amber prepare for her one chance to try out. The more time Will and Amber spend together, the more complicated their relationship becomes . . . and Amber starts to wonder if she's such a good girl, after all.
Then, in an afternoon, the bottom drops out of her family's world--and Amber is faced with an impossible choice between her promise as an artist and the people she loves. Amber always thought she knew what a good girl would do. But between right and wrong, there's a whole world of possibilities.
*Kirkus
Review Quotes
"I was completely smitten." -- Robin Constantine, author of The Promise of Amazing
"Hits a chord with the dreamer in all of us." -- Megan Shepherd, author of The Madman's Daughter
"Debut author Brown is off to a wonderful start with authentic characters who speak in true voices. Amber could be the best friend you had in high school--she's absolutely the real deal, and readers will clamor for another well-paced story featuring her and her friends." -- School Library Journal
"Southern charm oozes off the page." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Lyrically written with a deep sense of place and music. There is so much joy within the pages that the sorrow hits hard and emotions rise and fall and rise again like a vocalist running scales." -- ALA Booklist
"Brown makes a small town in North Carolina--where everyone knows everyone, and the outside world comes in via Appalachian Trail hikers--feel real, but the heart of the story is Amber, as she tries to find herself, love, and her voice." -- Publishers Weekly
"The writing shines when Amber describes the feelings that singing awakens in her. One could wish for an accompanying soundtrack." -- Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)