Tiana Smith

I wasn't going to write a review ... After all, I try to be positive whenever possible since I know how much work goes into writing a novel.However. I just ... I just ... Ugh. Let me try to organize my thoughts.1. There wasn't much of a plot. There wasn't really an arc to follow, or developments to keep readers interested. Was the novel supposed to be about Taylor getting over the death of her mother? Not really, since she seems to mostly do that by week one. Was it about Taylor learning to get along with her father? Not really, since their relationship at the ending of the book is pretty much just as bad as the beginning. Was it about Taylor's relationship with Jake? No, since he's not even introduced until a good way through, and then, things with them just kind of go bad. So, I'm still not really sure what this book was about.2. All the drinking. Taylor is 15. Fifteen folks. And yet, she's able to get drunk and drink alcohol on several different occasions - *all* of them in public. So, she's at a bar, and no one thinks to ask for an ID? Only after 5 rounds of drinks, when the girls are getting super drunk does the waitress ask. Or the bartender at the hotel, does he even question? Nope. She's even with a 14 year old girl (who could not possibly look old enough to be 21) and the bartenders/waitresses/adults in the area don't do anything about it? Wouldn't the bartender's worry about losing their jobs? Wouldn't the guys hitting on them worry about going to jail? It's obvious they're too young (and most guys in their twenties really aren't interested in 15 year old girls, even if they are related to a rock star. It's just ... icky.) If the author had chosen to make her 18, then maybe this would have been more believable, but then of course, why would Taylor have had to go into her dad's custody? So, no, the author makes her 15 and then gives her the voice/attitude/actions of an 18 year old. I'm not buying it.3. The parents. Ugggggggh. Don't even get me started on the parents. So her mom (who dies at the beginning) is painted as kind of a floozy. She's constantly partying, doesn't pay much attention to Taylor and lets her do whatever she wants while she's off drinking with her buddies. She's always in a bathrobe, uses Taylor's college money to pay for her habits, and doesn't have a real job. So, not exactly a stellar role model, right? But then later, Taylor comes to the conclusion (this is supposed to be the epiphany and crux of the book) that her mother was really the strong one comparatively to her step mom, because her mother had the guts to go off on her own and raise a baby by herself, rather than get married to her dad. Taylor believes her mom was doing what was best for her by raising her that way. Taylor's dad even says something along the lines of "well, Taylor's mom must have been doing something right because Taylor turned out great." Ummmmmmm ... no, no, no, no, no. I know someone who was physically abused by their mother - they're an awesome person. That doesn't mean that their mother did the right thing. I know several people who turned out awesome, *despite* the fact that their parents weren't. In this novel, the mom was a flake, the dad had huge issues with alcoholism/fame/sleeping around, the step mom was controlling (but she was still the best of the bunch), and the book kind of painted this as a normal thing that Taylor just has to accept. No, Taylor, run as far away as you can. Go see a counselor. Get your own life and try not to learn any "lessons" from your family. 4. The sexual attitude of this book. So, Taylor is 15 (fifteen!) and the adults around her don't give her some kind of lecture when Taylor tells them about wanting to lose her virginity to a guy who she A. Has only talked to a couple of times, B. Doesn't even know his last name (until the very last day she sees him), or C. Isn't even interested enough to contact her via phone or email? Taylor goes to an all-girl boarding school, but claims that she's way less experienced around guys than all of her classmates. She says this while talking about sex, which gives off the general impression that most of her classmates have done it - even though she goes to an all-girl boarding school, so that isn't likely. Which, the author points out later, most of the girls there have not in fact, done it, so why should Taylor feel left out of anything? This whole book Taylor seems so ready to lose her virginity, even with a guy who doesn't make her feel loved, who she only just kissed for the first time (oh, and that was her first real kiss, so, I'd think she wouldn't be ready to jump into bed with him that night, but um, I guess she's ready to just go all the way at once), who doesn't even know *her* last name and just knows she's the rock star's daughter. I'd think she'd be smarter than that. Especially cuz, have I mentioned that Taylor is 15? Yes, I know, many teenagers are having sex by that age, but, if Taylor has only just had her first kiss, she's been sheltered at an all-girl's college and she doesn't know anything about this boy, I'd just think she'd be a little more hesitant. With all that said - I kept reading. I'm not really sure why. I think I was waiting for the book to be *about* something. I usually like to give books a chance until I get a feel for what they're about before I put them back on the shelf. This book just kind of meandered, then it ended. But, the writing was good enough that I was interested in seeing what was going to happen (even though nothing ever really did). I just had big issues with the morality of this book. Maybe if the girl was older, maybe if the parents acted more like parents (or at least adults), then maybe I would have been able to curb my ranting. As it was though ... I just ... Ugh.