book review: outspoken

Penny Beck is a girl who says yes when she means no. She keeps to herself, follows the rules, and does what she's told. After a disastrous experience with her boyfriend, she's determined to change from the spineless person she's always been into the strong woman she wants to become. All she needs is a little practice. On a cross-country trip to check on her grandpa, she strives to become bolder and more outspoken with the strangers she meets. Penny's plan is to practice saying and doing what she wants without worrying about what anyone else thinks. Then she meets Archer, an introspective loner to whom she finds herself drawn. She realizes she does care what he thinks, very much. Will Penny be able to stick to her plan, or will she revert back to her people-pleasing ways?

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My Review:

I had to sit on this book for a while before posting a review. Usually I have strong feelings, or at least a gut feeling, about a book halfway through. This one I read all the way through and stared at it, postponing the review again and again.

So let's start with the basics and get more defined from there. I didn't in any way dislike this book. At the same time I wasn't jumping with excitement to turn the pages. My hands turned with the pace of the book which was even, not rushed but not really sleepy.

Second, the story itself. I really liked following the journey of Penny from a girl who wants to improve and be her own woman to is better and strong. The story itself is wonderful and has a great moral.

And the characters. I liked Penny's friends and her grandpa. Penny was alright, but maybe could have had a wider emotional range. I didn't buy into Penny's parents for a second. They may as well have been cardboard.

So is this some literary masterpiece that will be analyzed and forced into students for centuries to come? No. But it is the type of book that I would love to see in every library and reaching millions of kids for decades to come. I love the message and I love the cozy feeling after reading it and I would definitely buy this book for a friend.

End rating: 4 out of 5

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.