Resisting the Rebel by Lisa Brown Roberts Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr
on July 25th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Purchase links: Amazon
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Source: Entangled Publishing, NetGalley
Disclaimer: This book contains a villain pretending to be a hero, a hero pretending to be a villain, a disco-dancing heroine, two overprotective sidekicks, a little bit of bad language, and a whole lot of swoony kissing.
Spirit committee leader Mandy Pennington is secretly in love with her best friend, Gus, but when he hooks up with her archenemy at a party, she decides to win him over once and for all. She just doesn’t know how. But who better to help than hot loner Caleb Torrs?
Caleb’s got his own problems, but when he sees Mandy pining over Gus at a party, he thinks she’s finally smoked the spirit stick and lost her mind. Maybe he has, too, because he just asked Mandy to be his fake girlfriend.She’ll get her loser friend’s attention, and he’ll get his stalker ex off his back.It’s a win-win.
But soon one fake date blends into the next and before he knows it, he actually wants to kiss Mandy. For real. Too bad their plan is working, and Gus is finally noticing the one girl Caleb just might be falling for…
We received this book/audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
book review: 6 1970’s Disco stars
I’m not such a YA fan from nature since I’m being more attracted to more complicated and dark stories. But, this time, I’m immensely happy that I didn’t pass this book up. It was one of the most beautiful YA books I have ever read.
Resisting the Rebel is how Mandy, trying to get Gus – the guy of her dreams -, in the end she gets Caleb; the one for her. The story line is quite simple. Mandy had had a crush on her friend Gus since forever, but he doesn’t pay her the attention she wants; to see her more than a friend. So, during one of these moments Caleb Torrs becomes a witness of that. And he offers her a non-rejecting offer: he will become her fake boyfriend to make Gus pay her the wanted attention and for him to get rid of his psycho ex. But, the plan doesn’t go as planned and both of them find themselves in some very “real” situations.
Well, it does sound kind of a familiar scheme, right? I know. It really does. But believe me when I say that it’s pretty far away from the usual. And you want to know why? Because the lead female character isn’t a normal girl. Mandy Pennington is the exact opposite of the typical high school girl. Except being a kid with a severe difficulty such as ADHD (aka dysgraphia), also she is really really really really into the ’70s style. But that’s where the difference is made. She doesn’t let any of those things destroy her true self and keeps doing what she know is good for her soul no matter the obstacles put from her teachers or her schoolmates. Although, the one thing she wants the most, Gus, she can’t have it. And here comes Caleb Torrs, the unsocial guy of the school, to save the day with his offer. So, after Mandy accepts it, the plan is set in motion. But, as the go along with their performance, the initial ground of their relationship starts to change dramatically. Plus, there is something else beneath this plan that only Caleb knows about and which is the most vital thing of all.
… each step bringing him closer to the redhead who was making him crazy, making him wonder what was real and what was fake.
Since we’re dealing with a YA novel here, the immature behavior, silly thoughts, school drama etc is only expected. And it may has indeed all of them, although, as I said above, Mandy’s personality is what makes it incredible and totally beautiful. As for Caleb, he’s a sweetheart on testosterone. He can be both a bad ass AND a sweet, gentle, thoughtful guy who cares for the important people in his life. And – those who have read it will get me – let’s not get me started on his prom-posal! I mean, GOD! I wanted to become a USA high school student just for to be the lucky girl on the other side of the proposal. I couldn’t swoon fast enough! 😉
This is the first book I read from Mrs Lisa Brown Roberts and I have to say that I’m more than impressed. Her writing is really beautiful just like the stories she writes and it holds you in his arms until the very end. One of the top things I loved in this book was the fact that she didn’t write a YA story of two normal high schoolers, but she added the rejection and humiliation a kid, that happened to have a difficulty, a different brain function or a different POV of life and his/herself, has to deal during the “dramatic” periods called Puberty and High School. It touched me deeply that I got to meet a teen character with a strength and such passion for life which equals those of ten adults. Mandy has become one of my favorite female characters EVER – and I’m talking about among every female I have read until now no matter the age. This story made me want to read it again and again because everything was so well-connected and the heroes so special that made me feel even more special and proud of myself just because I’m ME. Mandy taught not only that the difference in us is what we should focus on but that the true happiness comes only when you truly love yourself just the way it is and you are surrounded by people who love you because of that. So, THANK YOU Mandy, Caleb & Lisa for enforcing even more my love of ME.
Because you can’t be anyone else but yourself since every other role is already taken…….
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