Tuesday 4 February 2014

(Review) The Promise of Amazing - Robin Constantine

Title: The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Format: ebook
Pages: 239 pages
ISBN: 9780062279507
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Date Published: December 31, 2013

Amazon | Book Depository

Summary (from Goodreads)
Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.
Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.
One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love
Review:


This book was simple at best and boring at worst. It offered very little insight into whatever it was the author wanted to convey. Perhaps Robin Constantine merely wanted to explore a specific reality, but I wished she had done it more spectacularly. It fell a little flat for me, but I nonetheless soldiered on and finished it anyways.

The Promise of Amazing is nothing more than a story of breaking out of old shells, Wren and Grayson shedding their old skins and coming together despite their differences. Wren is a do-gooder, quiet type who manages to save Grayson's life when he was choking on a cocktail sausage. It wasn't a memorable meeting, not really, but the whole event seemed to have stuck to Grayson and he has since put himself in Wren's way every time he gets.

What follows is a back and forth of "are we together or are we not" that almost gave me a headache for it's cliche settings and tackiness. What I did not expect was that no matter how cheesy it got, I still read on. The whole dynamics of their relationship were really cute, except for the whole issue with Grayson's money-making scheme past and his not-really-best-friend Luke screwing him over because he wants to do weed and hookers in Amsterdam. 

The part I enjoyed the most was that despite of everything that Grayson has hidden from Wren, she manages to give him the benefit of the doubt. I think that's a really good quality in a person, to not judge someone especially if you feel it in your gut that there might be something serious behind why he'd hide something from you. Not jumping to conclusions can make or break something good. And hearing Wren finally own up to her own mistakes was very refreshing towards the end. She has grown into a responsible lady and fully accepts the consequences of her actions, even if it led to her relationship with her dad being a little strained. Making your own mistakes is good, learning from them is even better and I feel like the change in Wren has done her good. In this aspect, I think the book has got it right. 

Rating: ♚♚♚


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