The One That I Want

Sweet....

My Review:


The complicated lives of teenagers...and Gemma seems to have more complications than most. Gemma has spent most of her life going with the flow. She has her own sense of style, but that is about the only place in her life where she stands up for herself. She has been lifelong friends with Addison and Addison is about the worst friend that I could EVER imagine. She puts Gemma down constantly and is always trying to undermine whatever Gemma is accomplishing. Gemma's latest accomplishment has been a huge weight loss and making the Majorettes team. Unfortunately, pretty much everyone in Gemma's life is not near as excited about those things as she is.


The summer before their junior year, Addison and Gemma are attending majorette camp. During majorette camp, a gorgeous kicker, Max, caught Gemma's eye. She was pretty sure that he was interested in her too, but then Addison stepped in and took over the conversation and the guy. Gemma just rolls over and goes with the flow...regardless of the amazing chemistry between Gemma and Max. Instead she ends up paired up with Carter, an equally gorgeous quarterback, but a guy that Gemma doesn't even like.


There is a lot of teenage angst throughout this book. Luckily, Gemma's humor comes through in most situations and for me, the chemistry between Max & Gemma made the book. I loved the scenes where they were together and how much their personalities just meshed.


Gemma has made a huge self-change over the last year of her life and in this book, you get to see how she deals with it. Honestly there is no one in her life supporting her in what she is trying to do from her bff to her mom and it's truly sad. It's interesting to watch her evolve through the book and develop that self-confidence to stand up for herself. She does this with the help of some healthier relationships and it was good to watch these develop and for her to realize just how the other toxic relationships were hurting her. By the end of the book, I was applauding her.


This is a sweet little YA read and is a wonderful book about self-discovery.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Cant put it down

Its a great book that you will love

4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Awesome

This book was adorable

4 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Such a cute and quirky storyy....

haha i just want to point out that the cover of this book is so misleading!!!
the guy is not even asian in the cover like really she shouldve found at least an asian model for it but with that it was a fun short read i enjoyed it.

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Really good

It was a really good but predictable

It was a cute story. The only thing I don't like is the cover. W

It was a cute story. The only thing I don't like is the cover. Why didn't they use an Asian model? Either than that it was really good. I hate the best friend Addison, she was aweful. I am def going to read it again.

Awesome story!

Love this story! Some characters annoy me in here but that's what they are meant to do. I would read it again! As a matter of fact I may go do that now.

Originally posted on Lovey Dovey Books. The One That I Want is

Originally posted on Lovey Dovey Books.

The One That I Want is a romantic comedy written as only the brilliant Jennifer Echols can.

Gemma is an exceptional majorette, self-conscious about her weight and struggling with relationships in her life. Meeting Max right before her sophomore year begins seems to be a bright spot in her otherwise cloudy summer, until she discovers he’s going on a date with her best friend, Addison…and she’s going on a date with his best friend, Max.

Sounds like soap opera drama, doesn’t it?

The One That I Want put me in bright spirits as soon as I started reading. Gemma, Addison, Max and Carter didn’t always get along and their interactions felt really authentic. I couldn’t get enough of Gemma’s humor. I could just picture her delivering the punch lines with the most sarcastic smile. Despite his proven ability to make girls mad at him, Mr. Kichirou Maximilian Hirayama had a way of lightning up the story and causing the cheesiest grins to spread across my face. Max is Japanese and had the cutest way of asking Gemma, “Do I look foreign in this?” I practically swooned every time!

High school probably would’ve been a mediocre experience for Gemma had she not found her calling – baton twirling as a majorette. I never had the desire to learn baton or tryout for majorette, but Echols made the sport fun and sassy, not at all like I believed it to be. My first impression of Gemma was that she was a tough girl that didn’t care what anyone thought of her and always stood up for herself. Truly, Gemma hid behind her purple streaked hair and second hand clothing and did things to keep other people happy. She changed so much throughout the story that her conscious efforts were practically tangible. I could feel when Gemma was going to take a stand and take what she wanted.

Jennifer Echols has taken a rare situation and turned it into a story brimming with love and big personalities. The One That I Want is a fast-paced young adult contemporary romance that will never get old.

*Book provided by author in exchange for an honest review*

I know girls both young and young at heart will love this tale of affection and friendship

I'm far from the target age that this book should appeal to, but from time to time i like to read books that are charming and easy reads. We don't all need to read murder mystories and romance novels to pass our time on the beach...lol.

I found this story very sweet, I can identify with the main character...she's a former chubby girl with dependence issues and a lack of self worth. She doesn't realize what a wonderful and beautiful girl she really is. I found her best friend Addison to be a bit of a "hater". Addison's character is out and out nasty...she's catty,cruel,and dishonest at every turn. The only let down for me in this story was that Addison ends up with any sort of happiness in the conclusion of this book. I'm all for forgiveness, but it isn't fair when someone is as nasty as this girl was that the author should think to include a happy ending for all...*bitter old lady*

Please take the time to read this book and any others from this brilliant author...she's managed to not only get the reader's attention, but she's also captivated not only myself but millions of other young at heart ladies who secretly pick up their teenage daughters,neices' and grand daughter's books.

Please don't take my word for it girls...buy this book NOW ;-)

MUST HAVE

i really love this story. It gives a teenager how it feels to get through battles that they are going though.. and love the love story that happens between the friends.. Must have book!

Amazing.

The sample got me hooked on the first few pages! Don't hesitate to read it for you're self (:

Love!

Loveddd!!! This book! Great story!

Cute awesome read

Another awesome great read by Jennifer Echols. After reading Endless Summer, I was happy to be able to read something funny and light. The One That I Want didn't disappoint at all. The action started right away and the characters were likeable (well, most of them) and the tension was there, too.

I really liked Gemma, the main character. I saw a real change in her from beginning to end. She slowly gains confidence in herself and actually starts standing up to the people who take advantage of her. I loved that she wore a Courtney Love shirt and refused to be pigeon holed. She broke that stereotype that rich girls are spoiled, because I certainly didn't see her as bratty and annoying. That label went to her best friend, Addison, who was so annoying and rude but reminded me of so many people I've known. And I liked Max and Carter. It was refreshing to have diversity within the characters, something which I find lacking in YA fiction.

But one thing kind of bothered me. I don't know why it did, but Gemma's weight loss made me feel like she caved into society's norms of beauty. I know she did it because she turned majorette, and it fueled her self esteem. She didn't transform into a diva queen after it or anything. But at the same time, there's nothing wrong with having a couple of extra pounds. We're all different, you know?

This was overshadowed by the rest of the novel, though. I'm sure everyone's had a friend like Addison who takes advantage of you and doesn't treat you fairly. I loved the humor and the dialogue between the characters, too. I like how Echols writes romantic comedies that are realistic and also include friendships.

A Quirky, Fun, Romantic Read

With each book of Jennifer Echols’ that I read, I enjoy contemporary YA books more and more. The One That I Want is a quirky, fun, romantic read with a lead character that is both the underdog and the clear winner at once. Gemma is worthy of us to root for the entire way through and any moments that she has that may give us doubt are short lived as she is just a good person through and through. Yes, she has her flaws, but she works on fixing them herself and is able to achieve her goals. While the story may not have been written with the intention of learning a moral lesson – I think that those that read this one will be reminded to stay true to ones self and to trust their own instincts. The character of Addison was written so well that I wanted to jump through the pages and strangle her myself. Seriously, that girl has issues. And Max…oh Max. Freaking adorable. Even with his mouth that doesn’t have much of a filter, he is just divine and he is such a match for Gemma it’s hard to see anything else. I can’t wait to read more of Echols’ writing, this is good stuff!

Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.

Ygh

Jtyt

0 out of 19 people found this review helpful.

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