Amplified by Tara Kelly
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (October 25th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 304 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it..
Review: I adored this book. I read it a few months ago and it singlehandedly brought me out of my reading slump. I even picked Jasmine as one of my favorite characters of 2011.
Jasmine was a kick-butt character. LOVED her! Even though she had a privileged background she didn't want that life anymore. She ran away with her savings and went off to pursue her dream to play music. She had no idea what was ahead of her but she was willing to jump in headfirst and take on all the obstacles.
As soon as she stars on her journey, she hits a roadblock. Her car breaks down and she has to deal with this guy who has a horrible attitude. He thinks he already knows all about her but Jasmine wants to show everyone that she is much more than what she seems.
She soon explores some ads for housing/bands and finds the perfect opportunity. She could live in an oceanfront house with the band members. But first she has to audition and a few of them have little hope of her impressing anyone.
Jasmine is a little afraid of playing in front of people but she soon shows them just how talented she is. And that guy she met at the body shop? Yeah, he may more a part of her new life than she would have thought.
This book was surprising in so many ways because I loved each and every character. They were so realistic and believable. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to bring a lot of major male characters to life in a story but Tara did an outstanding job! Each guy was so different and interesting. I wanted to live in that house!
Amplified is a perfect example of how characters can break free from stereotypes and show some spunk and personality. Jasmine is a girl so many people can relate to and she just may encourage some people to take a leap of faith on their own.
Tara Kelly, you rock!!
Recommended: Contemporary/music fans looking for a fun, exciting read with a lot of depth.
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