Source: Library
Pages: 256
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: July 5th 2011
Series: Standalone
Verdict: Pass
Summary: Paisley Tillery is the drummer for a country rock band. If they can make it to the stage at the Texapalooza music festival, then Paisley will be closer to her dream of a career in music and a ticket out of Prosper County. It's what she's always wanted. Until the band gets a new lead singer, the boy from Paradise, Texas.
With Paradise in her life, what Paisley wants, and what she needs, will change her forever.
Review: First off, I really think a different cover would have been better. I suppose there's romance in this book, but the main theme is music. Obviously there's the romantic subject of Paradise, whose real name is Gabriela (which to be honest, I found kind of funny, oops), but it's not the main thing.
So, onto the actual book. I had been looking forward to reading this book for awhile because what's not to look forward to? Strong female character? Music? Cute guy enters scene? Intriguing storyline? Check, check, check, check. But when I read the actual book, it wasn't quite the same as what I had expected. It was a bit too fast paced. It was hard to follow at some points. I thought that some of the characters were somewhat underdeveloped. I would have loved to know more about Waylon, since he plays a big role. After all, Paisley is the drummer for the Waylon Slider Band. Besides that, Paradise wasn't bad. But then again, it wasn't exactly all that great.
I was drawn to the sister duo of Paisley and Lacey. Right from the start, they both had to hide their true passions. Lacey was singing, following her mother's dream, and Paisley couldn't even tell her parents that she was a drummer in a band. Both of them struggled to find who they were and dealt with trust issues. I liked that I was able to see into Paisley's mind to find out that she truly did care about her parents' feelings, but just felt that she couldn't risk telling them the truth just yet. All the inner turmoil between both girls was a great conflict for this book because it was all part of finding who they were and discovering how to muster the courage to stand up for their true passions.
Obviously there's the band. This story starts right off the bat with a scene with the band—the audition with Paradise. The relationship with the band gets kind of shaky when Paradise becomes the lead singer for many reasons, but in the end, they're a unit. Their camaraderie had its ups and downs, but that's what made it so real and so likable.
And of course, there's Gabriela, better known as Paradise, the book's hunky country guy who has the voice of an angel, and possesses enough confidence to rock a man purse (aka a murse) and play an accordion of all things. In regards to him, I thought he was the character with the weird mood swings. He could be rude, cocky, careless, and intense at some points. But mostly, he was sweet, kind, and most importantly, caring towards Paisley.
While Paradise has a great plot line, I don't think it was carried out to its full potential. There were too many characters to fully keep track of and really get attached to. Many places felt rushed to me, yet other parts flowed just right. It was a bumpy road to the finish line, but it was still good enough that I retained interest to the very end. However, I absolutely hated the ending. It was incredibly random, and completely unnecessary. Out of everything in this book, what I disliked the most was the ending. I mean, come on, really now? So not cool.
All in all, Paradise was just okay for me. I probably won't ever be reading this again, but it really is a hit or miss kind of book. If you like fast paced books, this is the one for you. But if you are like me and like fully developed plot lines and characters, I'd say to pass on this one.
Eh, it was alright
★★★☆☆
No comments:
Post a Comment