[Blog Tour: Review] Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Title: Dirty Little Secret
Author: Jennifer Echols
Release Date: July 16, 2013

Goodreads

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

THOUGHTS:

Let me get this off my chest - I am one of Jennifer Echols' biggest fans. Every book of hers that I've read I've loved; every main character she has written about I've come to care about. I loved how she courageously tackled such heavy issues in both Forget You and Going Too Far (and she did such a bang-up job too!); I loved how her writing isn't stilted in any way - her words just flow, and I found it impossible not to finish her novels in just one sitting. Suffice to say I was ecstatic when I got the chance to participate in a blog tour for Dirty Little Secret, and once I received my e-copy, I immediately settled down with my kindle and began reading.

This is the first YA novel I've read set in the world of country music, amd this is actually one of the reasons why I was foaming at the mouth (okay, this might be a slight exaggeration) to read this book. True enough, Echols didn't disappoint - from the get go, I was thoroughly immersed in the country music culture, from the people of Nashville's sheer love of music to the downs and outs of fame in this world to those seeking it. I'm not really that well-versed with country music as a genre (and a culture, while we're at it), so I'm not able to say with a hundred percent conviction whether or not this aspect of the novel is accurate from every nook and cranny per se - but I can say with no qualms whatsoever that I enjoyed soaking in this world that I've heard so much about, yet have never taken the time to know more about.

I've always found Echols' novels to be raw and gritty, and this was no different. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that this is even darker, even a little depressing, than her previous works. Reading about Bailey's life was initially VERY difficult - imagine having the life you know snatched away from you at the blink of an eye. Imagine being deemed collateral damage in the face of your sister's dream... despite of the fact that you yearn for the same thing. I cannot begin to swallow how awful it must have been to be cast side by the people who are supposed to love you unconditionally. Moreover, the way Bailey's mom treats her left a sour taste in my mouth. No mother should make her  child feel like she is a waste of space, however, sadly, there are mothers out there who actively who do so. Bailey's situation is just horrifying.

Nonetheless, I can't help but admire Bailey's character. Here she is - her family's dirty little secret; the secret that can never be discovered at all cost because Bailey's sister cannot have bad PR when she debuts as a country singer - and yet she's willing to cater to her mother's (and her sister's recording company's) whims simply because that how much Bailey loves her younger sister. (Sorry for that abnormally long sentence!) That kind of love is fierce, real, and seldom chanced upon. Here you have this character who only wants unconditional love and support from those she cares about the most, and despite not getting that, she's still able to love her sister with such intensity.

My biggest qualm about this novel would have to be the love interest, Sam. I really didn't like him. At all. He wasn't the best person to stand by Bailey when she needed someone to lean on - as a matter of fact, he ended up pushing and prodding Bailey for a chance at stardom because of her sister's fame. He was manipulative, and it was frustrating to see Bailey be continually manipulated by this supposed guy who was supposed to love her. Suffice to say I don't think he was good for Bailey.

The ending was great. I love how Bailey finally stood up for herself and her dreams. While this is not my favorite Echols novels, I think that many others out there would be able to enjoy this one.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Title: Forget You
Author: Jennifer Echols
Release Date: July 10, 2010
Published By: MTV Books

WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . .  AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?

There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all--the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug--of all people-- suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life--a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

 

THOUGHTS:

Well... wow. In one word, this book was gripping. Raw. Gritty. Gut-wrenching. Okay... I might have gone a wee bit overboard with the one word descriptions, but I hope you guys understand what I'm trying to say. This book is good. It is seriously flat-out amazing. I mean, sure, it has its scratch-my-head, slap-my-forehead and scream-in-frustration moments (but then again, only a few books don't illicit such reactions), and yes, there are a few plot points that could have been explored better, but overall, Forget You is an amazing read. It has been well over a week since I finished reading this book, and I still can't stop thinking about it.

Based from the few reviews I've read in the bloggerverse, the main reason as to why some readers didn't like Forget You as much as they did Going too Far was because of the book's MC, Zoey. In all honestly, I'm not that fond of the Zoey either. I had such a difficult time understanding why she acted the way she acted at times and I couldn't even begin to fathom most of the decisions she made, but let's try put things into perspective here. Her mother attempted to commit suicide; her father - who has left their family for his girlfriend, doesn't give a damn about what happened and is hell-bent on keeping the world from finding out what happened to Zoey's mother. Add in the fact that Zoey suddenly loses memory of an entire night after a car crash, and when she wakes up, she finds out that things aren't as she remembers. For one, Brandon, the guy she thought as her boyfriend is studiously ignoring her, while Doug, the guy she can't stand - and the guy who can't stand her - is suddenly all interested in a relationship. Zoey is dazed, confused, and frightened, even and worst of all, she can't let anyone know just how little she remembers of that night.

So let me ask you this - based on the premise, based on all that Zoey's going through - doesn't it only make sense that she tries her best to keep her life as she remembers it? In my opinion, that's why she keeps reiterating that Brandon is her boyfriend (even though it's painfully obvious that Brandon considered her a fling and nothing else) because that's something she remembers clearly, and that's her semblance of normality right there. While it is indeed true that she and Doug have this connection - this intense connection - that's something that she can't wrap her mind around because she can't remember just what it is that happened between her and Doug, and as a result, she's frightened. She's mindblowingly frightened. Zoey's terrified that there's so much that she has forgotten, and even worse, she can't ask for help because she can't have the rest of the world thinking that she's mentally ill like her mother. Now, based on all that I have said, doesn't Zoey's actions throughout the book make more sense? In my opinion, the way Echols portrayed her was spot on and painfully honest.

Now that we've made sense of Zoey, let's now move on to what made me like this book (well, at least for me) - Doug. I loved how Doug cared for Zoey, and just how much he is willing to do for her. He's willing to to wait for Zoey to make sense of things, and he's there for her at every step of the way. Doug is loyal, honest, and is such a compelling character - he's one of those characters that I never get tired of reading about. He has gone through a lot in his life, and I loved how Echols didn't gloss over that one bit. She was able to portray just how it is Zoey and Doug helped each other through the hardships of their respective lives, and at the same time, she manages to create a love story unlike any other. There is simply no way that you won't root for Zoey and Doug to live happily ever after, believe me.

As much as I enjoyed Forget You, there are a few things that I wish could have been explored more. I wish we could have learned more about Doug. While we did learn a lot, there's just this feeling that it's nowhere enough. I felt like Echols barely tapped in the surface of Doug's character, and I feel like there's a lot more that he could have contributed to the story. Second, I also wish that we could have explored the character of Zoey's father more. He was painted as a goonish, jerk of a father (I mean, come on, installing cameras all over your house just so you can watch your daughter's every move?) with no ample reason for just why it is he acts the way he does.  Lastly, I wish we could have explored just how Doug came to love Zoey. I mean, I believe that he truly does love her, but I honestly wish that we could have gotten the long story.

All in all, I consider Forget You a compelling read. This is one of those books that will stay on your mind well after finishing it, and trust me, you won't be able to stop thinking about it that easily. Sure, Zoey might get on your nerves, but she is an engrossing character to read about, and Doug as a character isn't too shabby either. Forget You is a quick read, and I suggest that you give it a shot. It's a book that is vastly underrated but shouldn't be.

Rating: 3.5 Stars