Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781466805958 |
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| Publisher: | Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) |
| Publication date: | 10/25/2011 |
| Sold by: | Macmillan |
| Format: | NOOK Book |
| Pages: | 304 |
| Sales rank: | 620,840 |
| File size: | 374 KB |
| Age Range: | 14 - 17 Years |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Amplified
4.5 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
17 reviews.
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Jasmine Kiss just graduated from high school and wants a break before College and instead of her Dad understanding, she ended up getting kicked out of the house with only her car, guitars, a few clothes and savings she'd saved up since forever. Jasmine drove out to Santa Cruz, her car broke down and she has no where to go. She's stuck walking around trying to find a place to stay before night comes.
Taking a break from paranormal books couldn't get any better. After starting Amplified, I couldn't put it down. I know reading is basically like watching a movie. But for me, only some books are movie material and this one is definitely one of them.
Reading about how Jasmine Kiss, who is only seventeen, struggled to find a place to live and a band to join on her own. It was admirable. I'm twenty and I don't think I can do anything without my family in the picture. The realism in this book had a huge presence that makes a reader connect to every character and scene in this book. It simply blew me away.
Jasmine is snarky, defensive, and guarded at all times. She's a character who doesn't want to show any type of feeling to anyone but the reader can't help notice that she's just a little girl struggling in a big bad world, so her facade doesn't fool anyone. The secondary characters on the other hand contributed so well into the story. Its hard to get secondary characters stick to the readers but this book nailed it. Congrats to Tara!
Music is a big factor in the entire book. And the descriptions of Jasmine's band on stage doing a few set lists is written very well. I'm thinking either, Tara Kelly did her homework or she has a hell lot of music experience to write about live performances like she's actually been up there on stage.
Overall, the only thing the book lacks is a good climax. The book was good but when it ended it felt abrupt and cut short like some pages were missing. Aside from that, the book was brilliantly written, with a unique concept and characters a reader could relate to. A definite unputdownable book for the teens!
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Amplified by Tara Kelly is a book that is entertaining and can be enjoyed by people of any age. Young adult readers can relate to the main character in her struggles to follow her dreams while figuring out her identity along the way.
In this book, a 17-year old girl named Jasmine gets kicked out of her house for not wanting to follow her father’s plans after high school. She takes the little that she has and moves to Santa Cruz, California to pursue a music career. Jasmine soon finds a house with three male roommates and convinces them to joins their band as the lead guitarist. There’s just one down fall…..she has stage fright. She struggles to overcome her fear and follow her dream.
High school students would like this book because they can relate to Jasmine. Many teens love music and dream of joining a band or being famous. On the other hand teens can also relate to how it feels to argue with parents over plans after high school and some may know what it’s like to get kicked out of their home. Jasmine serves as a good role model because she shows that anything can happen if you persevere and follow your dreams. Tara Kelly shows the reality of life decisions, dedication, and believing in one’s self.
I would recommend this book to parents and teachers because it offers an authentic reading experience for young adult readers.
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It was an amazing book. I couldn't put it down. Tara Kelly did an awesome job writing this book.
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I loved this book it was awesome. A must read.
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AMPLIFIED is a one-of-a-kind and outstanding YA that I cannot stop thinking about!! Seriously, I was so engaged in the characters and their lives that I was stuck thinking about them long after I had finished. AMPLIFIED is so honest, raw, and mesmerizing. I don't have a single complaint about it at all. You have to pick this one up when it hits shelves!Jasmine, to quote Kari from A Good Addiction, is so spicy! She doesn't back down from anything and is determined to make a niche for herself in the band. The whole situation with her controlling dad really made an impact on her and she just had to get away after graduation. I can definitely understand how she feels. When you have just had it with the world, you will go to extreme lengths to get away from all the pressure and the stress.I just loved Jasmine's attitude. She is tough, but she also has a softer side that comes out during the perfect moments. I don't know anything about music, but I could feel her raw passion for it. I wanted so badly for her to have her moment in the band. But it isn't at all easy for her. She has major stage-fright which causes quite a few problems with her and C-Side. Especially Bryn, the uber delicious drummer and self-appointed leader of the band. Oh, and she also has to deal with the brooding and yummy Sean who has a few problems of his own. Jasmine does have a rough time of it, but I was so proud of her by the end.I cannot brag enough about all of Kelly's characters. Even though they each have their darker sides, I came to care for them all. Sean is my absolute favorite. He is snarky, intense, and has so much chemistry with Jasmine. I really don't know how to describe their relationship with each other. It is rough, slow but oh-so sweet. There is just one teensy tiny complication that had me wanting to pull my hair out, though!Bryn is such a jerk, but I adored him. He is a bit of a player and he can be brutally honest, but he has just as much passion for music as Jasmine does. Vita is amazing! Props to her for owning who she is and never doubting it. Her friendship with Jasmine really made the whole story. Felix is a bit of a teddy bear. He is such a sweetheart and lightened the mood when it was needed.AMPLIFIED is definitely going on the list of my favorite YA novels. It is so powerful and gorgeous. Kelly has become an auto-buy for me!
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Deferring college to pursue her music dreams, Jasmine finds herself on the streets with nowhere to live, her father having kicked her out. Moving into a lovely house by the ocean with three guys and joining their band, C-Side, Jasmine gets her chance to shine musically. But with all the doubters in her life¿her father, and some of her bandmates¿will Jasmine be able to rise above it all and show them she¿s got what it takes to make it?Thank you, Tara Kelly, for reminding me of what a well-written contemporary YA with a flawed but still strong female protagonist can do for me and a relaxing reading night. AMPLIFIED was my unexpected but wholly gratifying pick for the type of evening I was worried I had lost forever: several hours of relaxing into Jasmine¿s ultra-cool, exciting, and satisfying musical world.I wish this book could have somehow come with a soundtrack: Tara Kelly¿s descriptions of Jasmine¿s mindset as she plays guitar is the kind that you want to experience, to live, yourself. To feel the thrill of being utterly absorbed in the act of artistic creation¿reading AMPLIFIED made me all the more determined to practice guitar more or get back into writing!There was something satisfyingly right about the tone of Jasmine¿s narration. It could¿ve been easy for her to go over-the-top dramatic with her reactions to everything going on in her life, but I loved that the writing was so smartly controlled. This means that we are allowed to sympathize with both Jasmine and her father as they battle it out epically over letting her scrabble uncertainly on her own or following his well-intentioned path to success. It means that we can connect with every member of the band: Veta with her admirable ¿badassness¿ yet kind heart; the utterly adorable Felix (no elaboration necessary, you really just have to read the book for this); Bryn¿s well-intentioned anal-retentiveness; and Sean¿s snide remarks masking a creative and sexy soul.Indeed, all of the characters, from major to minor, were well drawn, believable, and easy to empathize with. Some¿like Sean and Veta¿s younger sister, Zoe, with her thousand-page fantasy epics and cute-to-die-for crush that she so determinedly denies¿are easier to like than others¿Sean¿s vengeful ex¿but when it comes down to it, there are no stereotypes in AMPLIFIED, which made for an thoroughly absorbing read.Contemporary YA authors may have a more difficult time finding an audience fueled on hype and flashy premises, but in the long run, they, in my opinion, often gain the more devoted fans. And as Tara Kelly¿s sophomore novel was no less well-written and music-filled than her first, Harmonic Feedback, you can bet that I will be hovering through the Internet, waiting for news of her future books.
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A really great book about learning to really open up to people and accept yourself, as well as family relationships. Although the main character could be a little too negative sometimes, I still really enjoyed this book. I'd definitely recommend this to any one of my friends.4.5/5
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Focused less on physical pleasure and more on the thrill of music
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It was ok. Drawn out
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Loved it
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Recent high school graduate Jasmine Kiss (yes, that is her real name) has just left home for good after an argument with her father. He wants her to go straight to college. She wants to take a year off, join a band, and find out if she has what it takes for a career in music. Now she's stuck with no place to sleep, no job, and a beat up Jetta belching smoke. After perusing Craigslist she finds the perfect situation advertised: "Looking for a live-in lead guitarist (industrial rock)." The catches are "guys preferred" and must "be comfortable on stage." Jasmine is very much female, even if she does dress like a guy, and she's never played outside her dad's garage. Still, she gives it a shot and manages to get the room and a spot in the band. Now she just has to learn to trust her bandmates, and herself, before their big, career-changing gig in less than a month.
I absolutely loved this book. Jasmine is a very believable character and I identified with her fears and doubts, even if some of the music lingo went over my head. The realistic plot moved quickly but evenly, carrying me through the book at a rapid pace. I devoured this one, and recommend it to teens who love alternative music, quirky characters, and realistic fiction.
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I loved being taken into this world of music, excellence, and pursuit of passion. As usual, Kelly delivers a raw, real, and thoroughly entertaining read.
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My engish teacher let me have a prerealsed copy of this book and I was blown away! Tara Kelly is an amzing new (or at least new to me) author that I love. Her stories have just the right amount of description and talk. I highly recommend this book to anymore who loves music and who would love a great, fun read!! :)
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