Read Online Famous in a Small Town Emma Mills Books

Product details Hardcover 320 pages Publisher Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (January 15, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 1250179637

Famous in a Small Town Emma Mills Books Reviews

• As cute as Mills’ other works, with a bit more dramatic twist.
  
  Mills has become one of my favorite contemporary writers. She’s witty, funny, and creates quirky characters that are lovable.
  
  Though this summary sounds like an easy, lighthearted read, I found it to be anything but. There’s a hidden depth here that slowly unveils itself the nearer we get to the end of the story. One I found to be absolutely heartbreaking.
  
  Sophie and August were adorable. Their friendship was easy from day one. He fit into the group even though they’d know each other all their lives. It’s clear he’s damaged in some way...something happened in his life that upset his whole world. He’s standoffish. And she is a bright light. Someone who loves everyone and only wants the best for them. She has a great family and group of friends.
  
  Sophie comes up with the plan to raise money for the band to make it to the Tournament of Roses Parade. She finds out they’ll be short money and figures the best way is to get the famous singer, Megan Pleasant, to play a concert. And while this is made to seem like the book’s focus, it is so not! It’s more of the group of friends and their history and dynamic. Interspersed through the book are texts with Ciara, Sophie’s older sister. Because of all of this, we get to know these characters as those they’re real people. It truly feels as though they HAVE known each other for 16-17 years.
  
  Brit was my favorite character for most of the book. Her humor is outstanding. And I loved her dedication to her cause. It wasn’t until the end when I realized how volatile she could be that I had to question my feelings. But no one is important. She may seem like she cares about nothing, but it’s clear she does...more than she shows. And in that way, I relate to her.
  
  August’s secret is revealed. And in a shocking twist, so is something we didn’t know about Sophie. I kinda halfheartedly guessed it, but not with any real meaningful way. And once confirmed, I was stunned. Saddened. And then all of her actions made so much more sense.
  
  If you love fun coming-of-age tales, you’ll love this. I enjoyed it, but <i>Foolish Hearts</i> is still my favorite from Emma.
• Absolutely loved this! I didn't even read the synopsis before knowing I wanted to read this. Emma Mills writes fantastic contemporary YA books, and does an exceptional job with friendships, and this was no different. It has a great group of friends and I'd actually really love to see a book about each one because we learn so much about them and fall in love with all of them but there's still so much I don't know about them that I want to! Also, this book is more than just one thing. It's about friends but it's also a romance and coming-of-age story with some mystery and famous singers and secrets and drama and mostly love. Definitely grab this one. I really think you'll love it, too! But fair warning, you also might cry.
• Oh Emma Mills, such cute and easy read contemporaries. <3
  
  On a completely semi unrelated note I wish the hardcover had a fun design like the others. But I will always pick up Emma's books for a pick me up.
• This is my second Emma Mills book, and I loved it. It was funny, poignant, and the characters felt like real people. Like friends. It was a great book to read while traveling.
• Reading this book, at first it seemed like it was going to be a very conventional YA contemporary novel, but a few things made it stand out for me.
  
  The elements of the average YA contemporary are there. The main character, Sophie, is an ordinary small-town girl. A new guy moves to town, and she finds herself falling for him, but August has issues that lead him to put the brakes on any potential relationship. However, as the two of them spend time together, it becomes difficult for them to be just friends.
  
  One plot twist really took me by surprise, but I don’t want to give too much detail about it because—spoilers. Let’s just say Sophie has her own heavy issue to deal with, and the author does a great job springing it on the reader. That said, I’m not totally sure it was necessary to add that element to the story, especially since it comes to light late enough in the book that it almost seemed like extra drama.
  
  I did like the way the romance between Sophie and August doesn’t overshadow her friendships, though. Sophie has a group of close friends, and they continue to be important to her and to the plot as her connection to August deepens. One of them in particular, Brit, has her own stuff going on that plays a role in the story, but they are all well-developed secondary characters.
  
  Another strong point to the novel was the dialogue. There’s some great banter between Sophie, August, and the rest of her friends. At other times, they were inarticulate in ways that struck me as very true to their ages.
  
  So, it’s a cut above the typical YA contemporary, and I think readers who enjoy them will find a lot to like here.
  
  A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.