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Always Upbeat/All That
the Lockwood high cheer squad has it all. and the ballers are hot, tough, and on point. but where there's cheer, there's drama
304 pages, ebook
First published May 11, 2012
13 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Perry Moore
134 books172 followersSTEPHANIE PERRY MOORE is the author of many Young Adult Christian fiction titles, including the Payton Skky series, the Laurel Shadrach series, the Perry Skky Jr. series, the Faith Thomas Novelzine series, the Carmen Browne series, and the Beta Gamma Pi series. She is also the co-editor for the impactful BibleZine, REAL. Mrs. Moore speaks with young people across the country, showing them how they can live life fully and do it God's way. Stephanie currently lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, Derrick, a former NFL player and author, and their three children. Visit her website at www.stephanieperrymoore.com.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 23, 2012
To begin this review, let me say a couple of things about "Always Upbeat/All That" which really impressed me. I don't think I've ever encountered authors who used the format of their books to compliment the style of the storytelling that's featured in the way that Stephanie Perry Moore and Derrick Moore have done with the first installation of the "Lockwood Lions" series. What do I mean by this? Well, they've written two books in one and it's a "flip" style book. Two perspectives, two stories, some shared events. You read one story and as you finish it, you can flip the book over and get the other perspective. The tag inside the book says that there are "two sides to every story" and that proves true in this particular work for the conflict in each of the perspective characters' experiences. What an awesome concept. No doubt that's one of the aspects that pulled me into "Always Upbeat/All That."
The other aspect that pulled me into this work is the fact that it introduces two teens who are coming of age and struggle within the realm of some tough issues they have to face in their lives. There aren't as many contemporary YA books that feature teens of color as leading characters, so I was glad to read this book featuring a prominent, diverse cast of characters with solid voices and identifiable tones. On the surface, things seem to be going well for them, but underneath it all, they both have to deal with some difficult blows.
In "Always Upbeat," Charli is a young woman whose life seems to have everything working well for her - she has an attractive boyfriend whom she loves (Blake), a great group of supportive friends, seemingly happy family life, and she's moving on up the social ladder in her cheerleading squad. Yet, Charli's feels various strains in her relationship with Blake, especially since he keeps wanting to take their relationship to the next level and other girls seem to vie for his attention. She also has pressures associated with her new role on the squad, and she's starting to suspect that not all is well in her parents' relationship as she thinks.
In "All That", Blake has to deal with the distance he feels in his relationship with Charli, as well as stresses about his role on the football team and future beyond that, and a shocking revelation that throws his home life in a tailspin. Both "Always Upbeat" and "All That" cross with respect to events that happen between and beyond the teens' lives and showcase a number of tough issues, including peer pressure, relationship strains, sexuality, terminal illness, among others. I appreciate the way that both authors approach the issues, and give voices to both teens in a way that's rational, plausible, and in places sweet and sentimental while also showing the honest voices of the teens who are faced with these challenges and how they come to terms with them.
I do have a few qualms with the books, however. I couldn't help but feel, after reading both stories, there were some developmental holes and plot progressions that didn't quite go as far as they could've gone. I still liked them, but I think in the brevity of such stories, the development of the characters suffered a bit more than it probably should have.
On one hand, as I mentioned, the stories are quick reads (each about 150 some pages), so there's not a lot of time to get to know the external players in the novel as well as those whose perspectives are integral to the novel. Charli and Blake get ample scene time, and their voices are strongly asserted, but the external cast of characters aside from the families were more difficult to get to know, and there are quite a few of them to keep track of. That's not to say that they didn't play integral roles to the plot - they did in spurts, but there was a part of me that wanted to know more, to feel more of their impact in the story at large.
I also thought there was a little too much telling and not enough showing of certain conflicts that were portrayed in the novel. On one hand, I definitely appreciated the internal thoughts of both Charli and Blake in their respective lives and what they had to face. Some of this was done very well when the teens recognized what their parents or friends were trying to say or what they were going through, but they made it clear that they felt differently about the matter. Thank goodness for this, because it shows that the characters are intelligent and free-thinking - something that I don't see in a lot of YA novels, and it's a gem. At the same time, I think the telling of certain details lessened the emotional impact and told the reader the conclusions to draw, rather than allowing the reader to gain the lessons learned of each character from the emotional impacts and consequences that came to pass. It's not so much that it lectures, but rather stunts the emotional impact by repeating information that I think could've just been gained from showing the scene and letting it speak for itself in the dialogue and rolling events. It's minimal, but still impacted my enjoyment of the novel to a certain degree.
I think teens who are emotionally invested in the story won't mind that though, because the unraveling of events here is engaging, and it kept me reading throughout both Charli's and Blake's stories save for perhaps a few stumbling blocks in the beginning with the introduction of the characters. But the narrative voices were strong, the issues were handled well (probably could've been expanded more for fuller emotional resonance), and it begins a series that I think its respective age audience will like. I definitely liked "Always Upbeat/All That" and would certainly recommend checking into further books in the "Lockwood Lions" series.
Overall score: 3/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Smith Publicity/Saddleback.
On another note: I'm hosting a giveaway of an ARC of this title on my blog, "Writing Through Rose Tinted Glasses"! See the following link for details: http://rosepetals1984.wordpress.com/2... Contest ends May 25th, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck guys!
The other aspect that pulled me into this work is the fact that it introduces two teens who are coming of age and struggle within the realm of some tough issues they have to face in their lives. There aren't as many contemporary YA books that feature teens of color as leading characters, so I was glad to read this book featuring a prominent, diverse cast of characters with solid voices and identifiable tones. On the surface, things seem to be going well for them, but underneath it all, they both have to deal with some difficult blows.
In "Always Upbeat," Charli is a young woman whose life seems to have everything working well for her - she has an attractive boyfriend whom she loves (Blake), a great group of supportive friends, seemingly happy family life, and she's moving on up the social ladder in her cheerleading squad. Yet, Charli's feels various strains in her relationship with Blake, especially since he keeps wanting to take their relationship to the next level and other girls seem to vie for his attention. She also has pressures associated with her new role on the squad, and she's starting to suspect that not all is well in her parents' relationship as she thinks.
In "All That", Blake has to deal with the distance he feels in his relationship with Charli, as well as stresses about his role on the football team and future beyond that, and a shocking revelation that throws his home life in a tailspin. Both "Always Upbeat" and "All That" cross with respect to events that happen between and beyond the teens' lives and showcase a number of tough issues, including peer pressure, relationship strains, sexuality, terminal illness, among others. I appreciate the way that both authors approach the issues, and give voices to both teens in a way that's rational, plausible, and in places sweet and sentimental while also showing the honest voices of the teens who are faced with these challenges and how they come to terms with them.
I do have a few qualms with the books, however. I couldn't help but feel, after reading both stories, there were some developmental holes and plot progressions that didn't quite go as far as they could've gone. I still liked them, but I think in the brevity of such stories, the development of the characters suffered a bit more than it probably should have.
On one hand, as I mentioned, the stories are quick reads (each about 150 some pages), so there's not a lot of time to get to know the external players in the novel as well as those whose perspectives are integral to the novel. Charli and Blake get ample scene time, and their voices are strongly asserted, but the external cast of characters aside from the families were more difficult to get to know, and there are quite a few of them to keep track of. That's not to say that they didn't play integral roles to the plot - they did in spurts, but there was a part of me that wanted to know more, to feel more of their impact in the story at large.
I also thought there was a little too much telling and not enough showing of certain conflicts that were portrayed in the novel. On one hand, I definitely appreciated the internal thoughts of both Charli and Blake in their respective lives and what they had to face. Some of this was done very well when the teens recognized what their parents or friends were trying to say or what they were going through, but they made it clear that they felt differently about the matter. Thank goodness for this, because it shows that the characters are intelligent and free-thinking - something that I don't see in a lot of YA novels, and it's a gem. At the same time, I think the telling of certain details lessened the emotional impact and told the reader the conclusions to draw, rather than allowing the reader to gain the lessons learned of each character from the emotional impacts and consequences that came to pass. It's not so much that it lectures, but rather stunts the emotional impact by repeating information that I think could've just been gained from showing the scene and letting it speak for itself in the dialogue and rolling events. It's minimal, but still impacted my enjoyment of the novel to a certain degree.
I think teens who are emotionally invested in the story won't mind that though, because the unraveling of events here is engaging, and it kept me reading throughout both Charli's and Blake's stories save for perhaps a few stumbling blocks in the beginning with the introduction of the characters. But the narrative voices were strong, the issues were handled well (probably could've been expanded more for fuller emotional resonance), and it begins a series that I think its respective age audience will like. I definitely liked "Always Upbeat/All That" and would certainly recommend checking into further books in the "Lockwood Lions" series.
Overall score: 3/5
Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Smith Publicity/Saddleback.
On another note: I'm hosting a giveaway of an ARC of this title on my blog, "Writing Through Rose Tinted Glasses"! See the following link for details: http://rosepetals1984.wordpress.com/2... Contest ends May 25th, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck guys!
June 13, 2012
I really liked the story of the cheerleader but it was nice to read the take from a guys point of view. I could understand the language the teens were talking like because my friends talk like they do. My mom read the book and felt it was more for teens or young adults. She did like the two different views of the story too. This was a fast read. I had it read in a weekend and my mom had it read in 3 hours.
March 21, 2025
I love this author 😍
May 16, 2013
Let me start by saying that I am definitely not the target audience for this book. Honestly, I don't know that I ever was - cheerleading and football and sports in general not being a huge focus of my high school. The intensity with which Charli takes on her responsibilities as team captain, however, is something translatable to anyone who has ever had to lead a group of any sort. I sympathized with Charli's struggles as she tried to stay the line of being a leader and being a friend (and not being a totalitarian dictator). Unfortunately, that was the only part of the story that caught my interest. I think that the format of this book (one story told from two perspectives) is a good tool for younger readers, but I think that anyone who reads Charli's story first will have a hard time even wanting to see the other side of the story . I could not make myself read the second story, which I am unhappy about, but given that the only part of the first story that interested me is not likely to be present in the second, and that, moreover, many things I didn't care about in the first story were almost guaranteed to be discussed in the second...I just couldn't get myself to do it. Even though the uniforms of the football team were purple, at least on the cover (yay not adhering to gender norms!).
So, yeah. Not for me.
disclaimer: I received this as part of Goodreads' first-reads giveaways.
So, yeah. Not for me.
disclaimer: I received this as part of Goodreads' first-reads giveaways.
June 1, 2012
Always Upbeat / All That by Stephanie Perry Moore. (:
About the book:
Always Upbeat (Cheer Drama): Savvy Charli Black seems to have the perfect life. Pampered and confident, she has her junior year at Lockwood High all mapped out. Date the hottest baller in school, check. Become captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, check. Her crew rules the school. But just as everything falls into place, her world begins to spin with one betrayal after another. All That (Baller Swag): Cocky quarterback Blake Strong s number one goal is to stay in the game, lead his boys to victory, and score a spot at his dream school. But his overbearing father wants Blake in the Southeastern Conference. Their difficult relationship hangs by a thread when the Strong family gets unsettling news. Will they reconnect and realize that there s more to life than football?
About the author:
From her page:
Stephanie Perry Moore is a Christian fiction novelist that is truly from the South. She was born in South Carolina, raised in Virginia, educated in Alabama, and now resides in Georgia. She has penned over 35 inspirational titles set in this part of the country.
She is the trailblazing author of the Payton Skky series, the first African-American Christian teen series. Her other young adult titles are the Laurel Shadrach series, the Carmen Browne series, the Perry Skky Jr. series and Faith Thomas ‘NovelZine’ series. The sassy, urban collegiate Beta Gamma Pi series and the hip, teen Yasmin Peace series were released in 2009-10. Her newest series is the adorable Morgan Love series. She and her husband will release the Alec London series for kids in the fall of 2011.
Her heart beats for adults as well. For this market she has penned Flame, an Essence best seller-A Lova’ Like No Otha’, Chasing Faith, and her newest release, Wearing My Halo Tilted.
She also was the General Editor for Nia Publishing. She produced the Women of Color Cookbook, the Men of Color Study Bible, the Wisdom and Grace Bible for Young Women of Color, the Strength and Honor Bible for Young Men of Color, the Women of Color Devotional Bible and the African-American Family Bible. She was the Co-Editor for the BibleZine, REAL, published by Thomas Nelson and is currently working on a new African-American women’s bible project.
She is a motivational speaker and community activist. She is working on several film projects. Among them she has a development deal with Turner Entertainment Networks and she is the Executive Producer/Creator for a web show called Locker Jam.
She lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, Derrick, a former NFL player and current sports chaplain for Georgia Tech Athletics. They have three children; Dustyn (16), Sydni (14) and Sheldyn (12).
She considers it an honor and a calling to write for the Lord.
My review:
OMG OMG OMG. I freaking love love love this book. I cannot wait to read other books from this author. I love how this book is a two in one. One about her and one about him. Its wonderful. I say go buy this book right now. Or get someone to get it for you. (: I seriously would love to read all her books. I wish I would be contacted from this author to review more books. ((:
Stars I give this book:
***** (5 Stars)
About the book:
Always Upbeat (Cheer Drama): Savvy Charli Black seems to have the perfect life. Pampered and confident, she has her junior year at Lockwood High all mapped out. Date the hottest baller in school, check. Become captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, check. Her crew rules the school. But just as everything falls into place, her world begins to spin with one betrayal after another. All That (Baller Swag): Cocky quarterback Blake Strong s number one goal is to stay in the game, lead his boys to victory, and score a spot at his dream school. But his overbearing father wants Blake in the Southeastern Conference. Their difficult relationship hangs by a thread when the Strong family gets unsettling news. Will they reconnect and realize that there s more to life than football?
About the author:
From her page:
Stephanie Perry Moore is a Christian fiction novelist that is truly from the South. She was born in South Carolina, raised in Virginia, educated in Alabama, and now resides in Georgia. She has penned over 35 inspirational titles set in this part of the country.
She is the trailblazing author of the Payton Skky series, the first African-American Christian teen series. Her other young adult titles are the Laurel Shadrach series, the Carmen Browne series, the Perry Skky Jr. series and Faith Thomas ‘NovelZine’ series. The sassy, urban collegiate Beta Gamma Pi series and the hip, teen Yasmin Peace series were released in 2009-10. Her newest series is the adorable Morgan Love series. She and her husband will release the Alec London series for kids in the fall of 2011.
Her heart beats for adults as well. For this market she has penned Flame, an Essence best seller-A Lova’ Like No Otha’, Chasing Faith, and her newest release, Wearing My Halo Tilted.
She also was the General Editor for Nia Publishing. She produced the Women of Color Cookbook, the Men of Color Study Bible, the Wisdom and Grace Bible for Young Women of Color, the Strength and Honor Bible for Young Men of Color, the Women of Color Devotional Bible and the African-American Family Bible. She was the Co-Editor for the BibleZine, REAL, published by Thomas Nelson and is currently working on a new African-American women’s bible project.
She is a motivational speaker and community activist. She is working on several film projects. Among them she has a development deal with Turner Entertainment Networks and she is the Executive Producer/Creator for a web show called Locker Jam.
She lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, Derrick, a former NFL player and current sports chaplain for Georgia Tech Athletics. They have three children; Dustyn (16), Sydni (14) and Sheldyn (12).
She considers it an honor and a calling to write for the Lord.
My review:
OMG OMG OMG. I freaking love love love this book. I cannot wait to read other books from this author. I love how this book is a two in one. One about her and one about him. Its wonderful. I say go buy this book right now. Or get someone to get it for you. (: I seriously would love to read all her books. I wish I would be contacted from this author to review more books. ((:
Stars I give this book:
***** (5 Stars)
June 26, 2012
What a great books for a teenager that likes some light reading during the summer! All That is an easy read, yet a great story about father/son relationships and how to come to common ground. Always Upbeat follow the stuggles of a popular cheerleader and what happens when you are betrayed by those that are the closest.
The main characters are Charli and Blake – two fairly typical teens in todays high school – yet despite their seemingly perfect lives, they are both struggling behind the scenes. What I liked about both books is that the “popular” kids are usually seen as spoiled, privileged and stuck up – but in reality, whether they want to admit it or not, they struggle just like the other kids in school.
Blake is a football star and trying hard to make it into his dream school, but he is having a hard time with a father that is overbearing and all he wants is for Blake to be in the Southeastern Conference. Their differences start to tear them apart and you watch as the two form a new relationship and rebuild it based on the most important needs in both of their lives.
Charli is captain of the cheering squad and is definitely in an “elite” group of girls that seem to run everything in their school – you know you saw this when you were in high school – I know I did. Her life starts to unravel as she is betrayed by many people.
Both books deal with important issues such as peer pressure, teen sex, illness of a family member and many other family related issues. They were both very easy to read, and honestly, I didn’t think either of them would be difficult for a young teen to read. If you decide to let your younger teen read it, I would caution you about some of the sexual content. I myself would find it a good teaching tool, but you may have some reservations.
About the Author:
Stephanie Perry Moore is truly a woman from the South. She was born in South Carolina, raised in Virginia, and educated in Alabama. She is the author of many YA Inspirational fiction titles, including the NEW Urban Flip Book Series, Lockwood Lions, the Payton Skky series, the Laurel Shadrach series, the Perry Skky Jr. series, the Yasmin Peace series, the Faith Thomas Novelzine series, the Carmen Browne series, the Morgan Love series and the Beta Gamma Piseries.
Mrs. Moore speaks with young people across the country, encouraging them to achieve every attainable dream. She currently lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, Derrick, and their three teenagers.
Visit her website at www.stephanieperrymoore.com. You can order the book at Amazon.
Win one!
Head over to my twitter https://twitter.com/#!/couponer101, tweet this: Couponer101 is giving away a free copy of Always Upbeat/All That @ http://tinyurl.com/7yo438f
Come back and leave me a comment with your twitter comment
Thats it! Winner be chosen on July 1st, 2012
The main characters are Charli and Blake – two fairly typical teens in todays high school – yet despite their seemingly perfect lives, they are both struggling behind the scenes. What I liked about both books is that the “popular” kids are usually seen as spoiled, privileged and stuck up – but in reality, whether they want to admit it or not, they struggle just like the other kids in school.
Blake is a football star and trying hard to make it into his dream school, but he is having a hard time with a father that is overbearing and all he wants is for Blake to be in the Southeastern Conference. Their differences start to tear them apart and you watch as the two form a new relationship and rebuild it based on the most important needs in both of their lives.
Charli is captain of the cheering squad and is definitely in an “elite” group of girls that seem to run everything in their school – you know you saw this when you were in high school – I know I did. Her life starts to unravel as she is betrayed by many people.
Both books deal with important issues such as peer pressure, teen sex, illness of a family member and many other family related issues. They were both very easy to read, and honestly, I didn’t think either of them would be difficult for a young teen to read. If you decide to let your younger teen read it, I would caution you about some of the sexual content. I myself would find it a good teaching tool, but you may have some reservations.
About the Author:
Stephanie Perry Moore is truly a woman from the South. She was born in South Carolina, raised in Virginia, and educated in Alabama. She is the author of many YA Inspirational fiction titles, including the NEW Urban Flip Book Series, Lockwood Lions, the Payton Skky series, the Laurel Shadrach series, the Perry Skky Jr. series, the Yasmin Peace series, the Faith Thomas Novelzine series, the Carmen Browne series, the Morgan Love series and the Beta Gamma Piseries.
Mrs. Moore speaks with young people across the country, encouraging them to achieve every attainable dream. She currently lives in the greater Atlanta area with her husband, Derrick, and their three teenagers.
Visit her website at www.stephanieperrymoore.com. You can order the book at Amazon.
Win one!
Head over to my twitter https://twitter.com/#!/couponer101, tweet this: Couponer101 is giving away a free copy of Always Upbeat/All That @ http://tinyurl.com/7yo438f
Come back and leave me a comment with your twitter comment
Thats it! Winner be chosen on July 1st, 2012
July 3, 2012
Such a unique urban fictional tale, two of Lockwood Lions most influential teens, Charli, Captain of the Cheerleading Squad and Blake, Quarterback of the Football team. What makes this book unique and interesting is that its a flip book! Two different perspectives of the same duo "Charli-Cheer Drama" and "Blake- Baller Swag", we follow their stories in anticipation of understanding one another, learning what the other doesn't know or doesn't see and hoping that the two will overcome teenage drama and unite together as the dynamic duo we want them to so desperately be...
I actually was read the book, when I received the book, I handed it over to my teen, (she's a little on the younger side and some of the details, incidents and concepts, were a bit much for her, so I definitely do not recommend this book to the younger teens at all. High School Age and Young Adults would much better relate to this book). What I did love and appreciate about the book is that it posed real life issues that not just"high profile" students face, but teenagers as a whole, it expressed concepts that even some young teens don't really share with their parents, so it made it an interesting read. We all learn to adapt, deal and cope with issues, life, drama, relationships in different ways, so being able to get an inside look at Charli & Blake's perspective, really helped me to understand what was going on with the both of them and why things were happening...But there were times when I found myself saying, "why aren't you both just talking to one another?" Wouldn't that just make things all too easy! What a concept!
All in all, my daughter enjoyed the book, it was sort of a bonding experience for the both of us. She did mention being apprehensive to read the book, because it featured a teenage cheerleader, and well, that's just not her thing, she's more on the athletic side of the spectrum, but said that she was uniquely pleased after reading Charli's first chapter, and intrigued to read and learn more. She found herself reading ahead, discussing each chapter with me and going back to read some more, even though some of the concepts/ideas were a little over her head. For a book to grasp that much of her time and attention, I'd say that it was very enjoyable.
I actually was read the book, when I received the book, I handed it over to my teen, (she's a little on the younger side and some of the details, incidents and concepts, were a bit much for her, so I definitely do not recommend this book to the younger teens at all. High School Age and Young Adults would much better relate to this book). What I did love and appreciate about the book is that it posed real life issues that not just"high profile" students face, but teenagers as a whole, it expressed concepts that even some young teens don't really share with their parents, so it made it an interesting read. We all learn to adapt, deal and cope with issues, life, drama, relationships in different ways, so being able to get an inside look at Charli & Blake's perspective, really helped me to understand what was going on with the both of them and why things were happening...But there were times when I found myself saying, "why aren't you both just talking to one another?" Wouldn't that just make things all too easy! What a concept!
All in all, my daughter enjoyed the book, it was sort of a bonding experience for the both of us. She did mention being apprehensive to read the book, because it featured a teenage cheerleader, and well, that's just not her thing, she's more on the athletic side of the spectrum, but said that she was uniquely pleased after reading Charli's first chapter, and intrigued to read and learn more. She found herself reading ahead, discussing each chapter with me and going back to read some more, even though some of the concepts/ideas were a little over her head. For a book to grasp that much of her time and attention, I'd say that it was very enjoyable.
June 17, 2012
This book was very unique in how it was presented. Most books you read you have to read several books in order to get a whole picture of the characters over a series but with this book Stephanie introduces us to a very interesting style. It's a two way look at the same story. Basically we are introduce to Charli a young woman who is coming of age in a tough situation she seems to have everything but sometimes looks can be deceiving and not everything is as it seems. Now the catch is when you are done reading about charli you flip the book and read All That which is the story of charli's boyfriend Blake. He is the quarterback of the football team and is determined to stay ahead but when something happens his world is turned around.
This books deals with young people coming to terms with peer pressure, family illness, marriage trouble as well as teen sex. The book is a very good book geared toward self awareness and learning to be yourself. It also allows you to view the situation from two different points of view in one book. I highly recommend this book for any young adult who enjoys reading it is well written and a joy to read.
This books deals with young people coming to terms with peer pressure, family illness, marriage trouble as well as teen sex. The book is a very good book geared toward self awareness and learning to be yourself. It also allows you to view the situation from two different points of view in one book. I highly recommend this book for any young adult who enjoys reading it is well written and a joy to read.
July 4, 2013
I'll have to read a few more to really make an opinion on this new series--Lockwood Lions, the sports teams name for a suburban Atlanta high school. In this book (and if you didn't see from all of the advertising is a flip book where a girl's perspective is on one side and you flip the book over to read the boy's perspective) I read Blake's first. A great football player who is being bullied by his ex-NFL father and coach in helping him succeed and make it to a Division I school while now dealing with his mother's breast cancer, girl problems, and expectations. Then, I read Charli's-- Blake's girlfriend under the very end who becomes a head cheerleader but is dealing with insecurities and her parents' issues, as well as deciding whether Blake really is the man for her.
It's wholesome for the most part and is fairly well-written. Not mind-blowing but also not dumb. It's got heart, which I appreciated. And, an interesting twist as you see a story unfold from the two perspectives. I'll certainly read a few more to get the entire feel, but I don't feel like I'd be wasting my time.
It's wholesome for the most part and is fairly well-written. Not mind-blowing but also not dumb. It's got heart, which I appreciated. And, an interesting twist as you see a story unfold from the two perspectives. I'll certainly read a few more to get the entire feel, but I don't feel like I'd be wasting my time.
July 20, 2012
This was a typical teen romance, which I love to read, but it had a unique twist that I have never seen before in a story! Once you read the story through Charli's eyes, you are suppose to flip the book over and then read the story through Blake's perspective. How cool is that?! I especially loved how the story could relate to any high school students life and therefore makes it great read for the younger crowd. The relationship between Charli and Blake is a typical case and they deal with issues and drama that all teenage couples go through. Another big thing I admired about this story was that Stephanie, the author who focuses on writing Christian novels, wrote about the hard decisions a teenager who has certain strong beliefs has to experience. Teenagers receive a lot pressure from friends and family when they follow a certain lifestyle and this story really puts into perspective.
June 22, 2012
This is a great way to introduce reluctant readers to the idea that each character has a story to tell. As the reader, I felt compelled to side with Charli as I read Always Upbeat. Then when I heard Blake's side of the story, I could understand some of his actions and emotions. I liked that the two books were in one so that readers could have the experience at once. The characters are in high school and the issues they deal with are quite mature and I would hesitate to allow my middle school student to read the book without my guidance. Read with a parent, it could be a really great opportunity to discuss some coming-of-age issues such as sexual morality and peer pressure.
I received a copy of this book to review. The opinions are 100% mine.
I received a copy of this book to review. The opinions are 100% mine.
Want to read
September 8, 2012Looks like a great read!
November 13, 2012
Great book! And so were the are the others. Can't wait for the last one!!
April 21, 2013
charli has a perfect life and her boyfriend have problems and they break up, but they don't be enemies they kelp being friends.
August 12, 2016
Not my cup of tea, but my kids (students) love these books, so I'm on board. Whatever gets them reading!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews