Just Sing

Seven Oaks #1

by René Gilley

Sixteen-year-old Lily O’Brien has one goal in life—to sing. Her dream is to get into a topnotch college vocal program, but the summer before her junior year, her high school cuts their awarding-winning vocal ensemble. She might as well kiss her dreams goodbye.

When the snobby new neighbors move into their mansion up the hill, Lily is positive summer can’t get any worse, and she’s determined to hate and ignore them—until she meets Aiden.
He’s broken and beautiful, and they become reluctant friends. Through her newfound friendship, she finds the strength to step outside the comfort of her plan and follow her dream.

But when Lily’s family is about to lose their home, she puts her wishes aside and finds the answer to save their generations-old ranch in the last place she expected.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary

216 pages, Paperback

First published June 3, 2014

About the author

The Just Sing publisher is no longer in business and this book is no longer for sale.

Reviews

[Emily - Reads Must · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley to read & review as part of a tour. This is a 100% honest review.**

I didn't know what I expected from Just Sing. This is René Gilley's debut novel and it's got it's flaws but it's also full of little quirks and plot points that make this a really enjoyable read.

The story follows Lily O'Brien, a young woman who's life is about to be flipped upside down - again - when the music program at her school is canceled. The program was one of the only distractions Lily had from her crumbling social life and the troubled family dynamic back home. But when her teacher suggests Lily applies to music school things look like a way out of Seven Oaks and all the damaged pieces of her life. That is, until Lily's new neighbours move onto the ranch. Her new neighbours and their son. Aiden.

Lily's life leads little to be desired, I mean it's not the worst I've read but she sure doesn't have it easy. Her mother's a flake who left her and her brother after their father started drinking. Said father is still drinking, and has the tendency to be one mean drunk. She's plagued by bullies and now there are two new families moving into what used to be her home. That was, until her Grams had to sell the majority of her land to pay of back taxes.

It's not all bad though. Lily's always got her brother and gay best friend to keep her grounded. She has this strength in her and a wildly protective tendency towards her family - even if they don't always earn it - that I think deserves a medal. Seriously, I'm not sure I could have stuck it out the way she does.

Oh and then there's Aiden. I don't think I've ever wanted to climb into a book just so I could throw said book at a character's head before, but I honestly believe that would be the only thing that would make this boy stop acting like a complete tool. He's beyond frustrating - in a totally sexy way! You don't know if he's coming or going, if he's swoon worthy or just a massive dochenozzle! Although I am hopeful that he'll make a full recovery of from dochenozzle ways somewhere along the way in future books. PS. How amazing is the word dochenozzle? René threw this little gem into the text and it put one hell of a smile of my face!

Just Sing is well written and I have some serious respect for Lily, which surprised me. Lily says at one point that her life sounds like a soap opera and that's exactly how it felt. I think I could have done with another 50 pages or so though. I felt that the musical aspect of the book could have been must stronger so that the twist towards the end of the book didn't seem quite as random. But saying all that it doesn't take away from the vivid characters and intriguing story line that will leave you wanting more.

It leaves a lot of things up in the air and I'm definitely ready for Seven Oaks #2! This is a lovely little book and an all round enjoyable debut from an author I'm excited to read more from. Happy reading lovelies.

[Jennifer Blackwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite YA’s of 2014. I had the pleasure to read this story in the early stages, right when the brilliance was starting, and also in the later stages when The Writers Coffee Shop picked it up for publication.
The main character, Lily, is strong-willed, caring, and very close to her family. She is a talented singer, and when the vocal program at her school has been cut, she starts to look at other options. As a singer in high school, I was immediately drawn to her. Choir was my favorite class, and I think if my vocal program was shut down, I’d blow a gasket. I just loved how this was a hearty novel that effectively deals with family dynamics/issues. Every character in the novel was so unique and lovable in their own way, especially Lily’s very cute, damaged neighbor, Aiden, that puts her through the emotional wringer. At times I wanted to strangle Aiden, and others I swooned. He really is a deep, complex character, and I can’t wait to read more about him in book two (which on the DL, I hear is a tear-jerker!!! Lord, save me).
I felt so connected to Lily and her relationship with her family, Philip, and Aiden. If you’re looking for a heartwarming coming of age story, this is definitely one you need to check out!

[Christine Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full Review Posted on my Blog:
http://bibliophilicmadness.blogspot.com/

Just Sing

Cover: 3
Plot: 5
Characters: 5

Overall Rating: 5

REVIEW:

One word. Awesome.

Just Sing mixes in romance and music. Two of my favorite things.

This book was just so perfect! I loved that music was incorporated in this book and it reminded me of High School Musical. I was a little bit skeptical reading this book since at first I thought that the singing part of this book wouldn't be good but I was right it wasn't good, it was perfect.

Between the arrival of her rich new neighbors and the cancelling of her school's vocal program, Lily is sure her summer is going to suck. She never thought that a simple friendship with the neighbor's son would give her the strength to walk away tried-and-true plan and follow her dreams.

But when Lily's family is about to lose their home, she puts wishes aside and finds the answer to save their ranch in the last place she expected.

I loved Lily since she was very caring with her family and does everything to protect them. One thing I can say about her which is not good is that, she tends to believe other people rather than someone she knows well and goes on a rampage mode.

To be honest, I didn't like Aiden since he was very bipolar and had so many secrets and his anger was very misplaced. So I'm rooting for Jeremiah even if he was introduced in the last pages of the book since he seems to be a really nice guy.

This book inspires young readers to believe in what they want and try their best to achieve it even if the odd are not in their favor.


The characters were all awesome and I am so excited for the second book!

Received digital copy from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Katie Hamstead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. As a singer myself, I wish there was a little more singing throughout, rather than right at the end. I also had issue with the fact she couldn't really read music, especially since she got into a private school where reading comprehension would be part of the application process.
But Lily was a great character. With a crazy, messed up family, she struggles to carry the whole burden of keeping things together all on her own. I really felt for her, and really wanted to smack both her parents in the head for her.
Knowing how obnoxious high school drama/rivalry can be, I really felt for her with the whole Melanie drama, and wondered what the deal with Tyler was throughout.
Aiden is an interesting character. He was so back and forth, and obviously cared about Lily, but he still acted like a total jerk to her. Although, I still wish for more resolution on the Aiden matter, I also know this is a series and so hopefully more will come of it in later books, which I will certainly be waiting for!
All up, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Writing is good, it flowed well, and the characters acted fairly believably. The reason I didn't give it five stars is simply because of the unresolved Aiden issues. I am so ready for the next installment!

[Andrea (mrsaubergine) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice YA teen drama where the girls are mean and the boys are cute but ultimately let you down. I enjoyed it a lot, and am pleased to see it's the start of a series. Great debut from Ms. Gilley.

[T.A. Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! Review to come!

[Michelle]

What sounded like a promising synopsis just didn't quite match my expectations when I began reading. I couldn't feel any kind of connection with the characters and the plot itself did nothing for me,

[Lily Althea · Rating 4 out of 5]

> French Review <
> English Review <

Lily O’Brien loves to sing and has her whole future planned out. She’ll finish her two remaining years of high school and then will head out to the Berkeley’s music program. But her perfect plan quickly unravels when her high school’s music program is cut off due to financial issues. Without any musical background for the rest of her high school years, her chances to get into Berkeley are seriously jeopardized. Lily’s only hope is to apply to private schools and keep her fingers crossed that she’ll be accepted with a scholarship. On top of that, the sixteen years old girl also needs to considerate her family’s situation. She lives with her dad, little brother, her aunt, cousin, and grams in the family’s ranch and has to juggle between her dad’s alcohol problem and the new neighbors who invaded the ranch when her grams had to sell lands to pay taxes.

Just Sing evolves mostly around Lily’s struggle with her family, the reality of her dreams, and her first relationship issues with the neighbors’ son Aiden. Honestly Lily is a truly amazing character and she is very easy to like. She is strong-willed and her loyalty and love for her family is admirable. I totally got where she came from and was astonished by how well she is handling everything. She has much more in her plate than any average sixteen years old girl but she never acts like a victim which I loved. I was also particularly moved by her relationship with her grams, and all the problems her family is going through during the book made me weep quite a bit.

Of course, Just Sing is also a book about first love. Lily and Aiden are tiptoeing around their relationship’s statute most of the story and walk the very tiny line between love and friendship throughout the summer that is covered by the book. I, as a reader, had a very love/hate relationship with theirs. Aiden is complicated, he makes lots of mistakes for which he always has a very convenient excuse, and he always oscillates between being cocky and kind. I get that he has some sort of shield to protect himself from others but the guy honestly seemed bipolar at times. At the end of the day I think I let him get away with a lot of things, just like Lily did, mostly because I was moved by his family’s issues. To be honest I would be curious to see some insight in his life and some scenes from his point of view. His family has major resolving to do and even though he comes out as an annoying brat at times I think his parents have a part to play in his attitude. I would also love to read the scene where Aunt Susan goes out to confront him on Lily’s behalf. I wasn’t too warm about Aunt Susan before that but I was a total cheerleader for her at this particular time ;)

Overall I think this one was a good first novel. If the writing seemed a bit hesitant and shaky at times, the characters were compelling and Lily is impossible not to care about. I’m curious to see how the sequel will play out even though I’m worried that the love triangle will make an appearance. The Jeremiah’s thing is way too big to ignore and even if I had my issues with Aiden I’ll still root for him no matter what.

Anyway Just Sing was the fresh read I was looking for and that’s probably why I enjoyed it so much despite its flaws.

[Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Rating - 4.5 Stars

Review -
What to say?
As you may have figured out I love love love contemporaries where one of the main themes is music, it's my two favorite things and this book does a really good and original job with it. The characters are great and I love the setting of Seven Oaks and I just thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Dislikes -
-How it ended with Aiden - It's just, first of all I loved Aiden at first even with all of his flaws but how things ended with him just ruined him all together for me, not so much that it like ruined the whole story but enough that it disappointed me. Also, I just wish for one final scene with Aiden.

Likes -
- Lily - I loved her character, I loved that more than anything she wanted her brother and her family to be okay, throughout the whole book she's worried about leaving to follow her own dreams because she thinks it means that she would be abandoning her family. She's strong and kickass awesome. She's not the cliche character that thinks she's ugly and doesn't understand why any guy would ever like her and yadda yadda yadda. While she had her insecure moments she still believed in herself and in her voice and I loved that. I loved all the music stuff that was kinda in the background throughout the whole book. She writes a song about Aiden and then throughout it all she's trying to get into a music school and trying to figure out whether she would be able to leave her family behind and all that good stuff.
-Aiden - For the most part I still liked Aiden.
- Their relationship - I enjoyed reading about their relationship, their friendship and it morphing into maybe something more and all the ups and downs and how in the end it's part of what convinces Lily to follow her dreams. But again I wanted just one more scene with them together.
-Lily's family - I loved the uniqueness of her family and how in the end they were the most important thing in her life.
-Philip+ - Lily's best friend and sometimes bandmate, I just loved him, he's funny and sweet and the perfect best friend. I loved all of Lily's friends they were my favorite characters in this book but Philip was my favorite. Some of my absolute favorite scenes have to be the ones when Lily is competing in this contest to win the money to save their ranch, the parts there with Philip and Chase were just the best.
- This book also deals with some difficult situations and it handles them in a realistic fashion I think. Aidens mom died and his dad cheated on her and got another woman pregnant while she was sick and dieing and this makes Aiden hate them, but we also got to see Lily get to know his stepmom and learn that she's really not as bad as it would seem. And then Lily's mom abandoned them and her dad has a drinking problem and all these things are handle very well I think, they aren't just kinda avoided like in some books but not everything is all wrapped up all nice and neat either.

Overall -
I really really enjoyed this book, there wasn't much I didn't like and the little bit that I did dislike wasn't enough the tarnish the book in my mind. I know that there is supposed to be more of these books but I don't know exactly what they are supposed to be about besides Seven Oaks but either way I would definitely read more books by this author.

Recomended for - Contemperary fans and music lovers.

First seen on - http://www.the-story-goes.com/2014/04...

[The Book Breeze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily O’Brien says that her life is like a soap opera and she’s absolutely correct. Her mother abandoned Lily and her brother because Dad is a practicing alcoholic. Lily’s grandmother stepped up and took in the family, but then had to sell off most of the family ranch to pay back taxes. Lily’s aunt can’t be called supportive either so it is little wonder that music provides the only solace for this sixteen-year-old girl. Then, her school cuts the music program and fires the teacher who has trained her in order to bring on a new sports coach. No wonder, she wants to escape to a private boarding school that caters to artistic students. How can Lily leave her dysfunctional family when they depend on her to help hold things together?

In this debut novel, it seems as if Lily’s dreams will become the first casualty, but the girl never gives up. She is determined to follow her passion and begins to apply to schools, looking for private funding as well. Still, she won’t throw away her relationships with her younger brother, grandmother or other family members. There is much to admire about such a strong-willed, determined person who comes alive on the page, but she isn’t perfect. When new neighbors move into their fancy, upscale house on what was once the O’Brien property, Lily meets the “broken and beautiful” Aiden Cohen and he gives the term, “jerk” new meaning.

One would think that after being exposed to her abusive, drunken father, Lily would take a giant step or two backwards from Aiden. Instead, she finds herself falling into his “push-me, pull-you” emotional dramas. He constantly bombards her with emotion and pulls her into more relationship games than any sixteen-year-old girl should have to confront. Lily tries to be understanding, helpful and loving – she puts up with more from him than she should. Since she’s sixteen, it all works, although Lily doesn’t take much in way of abuse from her arch rival, another singer. The reader may want to kick Aiden to the curb. He’s selfish and downright nasty at times, especially to his younger siblings.

This becomes the biggest flaw in the book. Aiden takes up a great deal of Lily’s time and energy and he simply doesn’t appear to have any redeeming social values. One wonders why she is so susceptible to his charm when she actually manages to stand up to her father who has many of the same traits. Another problem is that Lily plans to be a singer. Shouldn’t she practice more singing around the house? While there was talk about “music” throughout the book, Lily rarely sang during the story. It would have increased the conflicts between Lily and the rest of her world if we could have seen her practice, not rarely perform with friends. Again, how could she perform without practicing? It would have strengthened the book to see more of her dedication to her future career. However, since Just Sing is supposed to be the first in a series, undoubtedly these questions will be answered. Lily O’Brien is a wonderful character and it will be enjoyable to watch her journey to adulthood.

This review was provided by Shannon Kennedy for her column Shannon's Space for the August 2014 edition of The Book Breeze

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My copy was provided by Netgalley.

Lily loves to sing. Singing is all that matters to her except for her family and friends. She would do anything to sing. It doesn't matter that her family doesn't have much money. She just wants to sing; her whole live revolves around her singing. Her high school is the perfect school for her. It has an award winning vocal ensemble, but one day the school decides to have some cuts and the ensemble is taken away forever. Now all of Lily's hopes at getting into a college vocal program are shot.

But then she meets Aidan. Aidan is damaged and broken, just like her. They become friends and maybe something more. Lily might have found a way to accomplish her dream. All seems perfect until Lily learns she might lose her home. Now she must deal with her feelings for Aidan, her love for music, and the love she feels for her family.

I love books that have music involved. It might be because I'm not musically inclined and I just like to read books about amazing singers. But I didn't really like this book. Lily's whole life is about singing. She's always complaining about how her music program got cut and she doesn't have enough money for the music boarding school. You would think a book all about an aspiring singer would have more music in it, but it didn't. Lily never really even sings in the book. There's no mention of her practicing or just singing for fun.

A normal professional singer would be practicing everyday, but this book just didn't have a lot of music in it. There are no song lyrics or anything which is kind of expected in a musical novel.

Lily is an awesome character though. She's strong-willed and she never gives up, no matter how much she wants to. She never puts guys in front of her family. When she has to make a decision between music and her family, Lily would always choose her family. No matter how many problems she faces, Lily never loses sight of her dream except when she has to sacrifice everything for her family.

I felt connected to Lily and as if I was here at times. She was just so caring, even to family members she didn't really like. She helps others even when it inconveniences her.

I didn't like Aidan at all. He made me want to strangle him most of the time. I'm sure he could have come off as likable to other readers, but I just didn't like him. He seemed controlling and selfish. He expects Lily to give up her friends for him and then he just ditches her and he always seems to have some kind of excuse. And, of course, Lily, the forgiving person she is, just accepts these excuses, no matter how much she may doubt him.

I expected more music related things in a novel titled Just Sing. I might have been expecting too much, but I also didn't like Aidan. And considering he's a major part in most of the book, I didn't enjoy much of it.

It's a well written book and I found it entertaining. I just didn't like Aidan.

[Miguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also posted at The Quirky Reader

4.5 stars Just Sing was a complete and pleasant surprise. There's not many YA novels out there that can capture my heart and soul wholly. And this book is definitely one of them.

Lily O'Brien is passionate about her art which is singing. She has so much determination stored in her wheelhouse that it'll probably last for a whole series. I love that she's constantly finding ways to salvage her dream of getting into a prestigious vocal program in college. She's staring straight ahead; she doesn't let anything, and I mean anything, get in her way. Even hot and charming boys -- one of her traits that I absolutely admired.

I love that she has a very close-knit relationship with her family even though her parents are divorced. She's the perfect role model for every son/daughter out there. I thought her relationship with her Gram was endearing and full of raw emotion. And then there's her relationship with Philip -- her only best friend. They make a great team and I can see they really compliment each other.

Along Lily's path to reaching her dreams, she meets broken and beautiful (and new neighbour) Aiden Cohen. At first, I was distraught with his character. He goes from helping Lily clean up after spilling her smoothie to ignoring and acting all cocky during her birthday. I was so close to labelling him as bipolar. But then, he shows this vulnerable side that I absolutely fell for. I know some people who've read this might disagree with me on this one, but the many shades of Aiden is the product of a tragic childhood. I'm not going to say what it is though.

Moreover, I thought Aiden was charming. He wasn't pushy and he kept things cool between him and Lily. But there was one scene though where he acted stupidly. I hope it gets resolved in the next book.

Just Sing surprisingly explored more themes than I anticipated. From family matters to friendship to young love to future decisions. It was the complete package for me. But there's this .0001% that was lacking in this novel for me. I was looking for more music elements in the story. I was actually expecting lyrics from Lily's original composition, but sadly there weren't any. Needless to say, it wasn't that big of a deal for me.

After reading the last chapter, I was momentarily frustrated with the way things ended. But then I remembered this was going to be a series which means there's a continuation of Lily's story. *does a little happy dance*

I always love a good surprise, and Just Sing was an indulgent surprise. Look out YA universe, René Gilley is one author to watch.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review**

Not only is the music program cancelled at Lily O’Brien’s school, but her family has to sell part of their farm, Seven Oaks, to pay their back taxes – not a good start to her summer! But when two wealthy families build their mansions on part of their old land – Lily thinks life is over as she knows it. She now has a constant reminder that part of her family’s legacy is gone. And to make matters worse, when one of the families moves in at the start of summer, they have a son her age, Aiden…and he is gorgeous! But he’s also cocky, smooth talking, and very broken. Half the time he acts like he’s never met her, and the other half he acts she might get her first kiss sooner than she thought.

With her own brokenness to deal with, Lily slowly befriends Aiden. With her alcoholic father, her mother that took off when things got difficult, her jealous aunt, her little brother Shawn, and her Gram – the only glue that holds them all together, she begins to see that life could be better with Aiden in it. And when her old voice teacher tells her about a few music schools that she might be able to get scholarships for, she thinks she is finally getting the break she’s been waiting for. But is it in the cards for Lily’s life to finally go the way she wants it?

This was a good story – a really good debut for Ms. Gilley. However, the story felt very choppy, and not put together the best in some places – it didn’t flow well. It felt like a character would be feeling one way or talking about something in particular, and then all of a sudden they would be thrown into a entirely different frame of mind/ conversation, without resolving the prior feeling/ train of though. Also, seeing as the books had the word "Sing" in the title, that it would have more of a musical aspect, but it was sadly missing. I am looking forward to seeing what else is in store for Lily – but am definitely hoping it’s a “smoother” ride the next time through!

[Kristen Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially, I gave this book 3.5 stars, but the more I thought about it, I didn't think I was fair. I think I was mad because maybe I didn't find out all i wanted to in book 1, or mad because it ended the way it did. BUT then I reminded myself it is BOOK 1 of a series AND I KNEW THAT prior to reading it. So I changed my rating to 4 stars.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. There were a few things I didn't. The main thing I didn't like was the book is called "Just Sing" and it is about Lily, who is trying to pursue her dream of singing. Yes we know that the music program at her school gets cut and that she is trying to get into a private music school. But I felt like the plot centered more around her relationship (or lack thereof) with Aiden, than it did her as a musician. I don't know, I guess the music nerd in me wanted more music.

And Aiden? What a jerk. Really. I got tired of his lame excuses and vague "I'll tell you the whole story later". I wanted to punch him in the face and demand he tell me the whole story now. BUT then I had to remind myself he was a teenage boy, so there's that.

Aside from his jerkiness, Aiden, along with all the other characters were well developed and believable. I think Lily was possibly my favorite. She had a feisty spirit and I liked that about her.

And it really was a good book. I look forward to reading the next one if not for the simple fact that I am DYING to know what the heck was up with Aiden, AND what happened to Jeremiah.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me just say CLIFFHANGER! So glad this is just the first book in a series. Lily O'Brien is one tough girl. She's only sixteen but taking on responsibilities and has the attitude of an adult. Her mom took off, her dad is a drunk and her music program at school got cancelled. The one good thing in her life seems to be Aiden. He's cute but has more mood swings than you can count. You love him, you hate him and you love him again. Lily takes each challenge that comes her way with a strength that is admirable. These evil girls in town hate her, she needs money to go to a private school, her family needs money etc. It's one emergency after the other! The ending with drive you nuts in a good way. Some things wrap up nice and neat but other things are left up in the air. I can't wait to read more of Lily's story. She deserves a happy ending so very much. I loved her character! I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Zed Whisper · Rating 5 out of 5]

‎Lily loves to sing and as much as she loves her family, her dream is to sing professionally at Berkeley. But due to budget cuts and her own family's severe financial problems, that dream has gone down the drain.

However lily has a summer to come up with a new plan, and she is determined‎ to turn her life around and things get even more interesting when the new, very rich, neighbours move in. Aiden and Lily soon become friends but Lily can't work the guy out. One minute he's super sweet and the next he's a complete jerk. Like Lily, I want to believe he isn't a horrible player but the circumstances are seriously not in his favour!

Lily's strength and love for her family was sweet to read about, and I liked the mix of family and friends so that there wasn't too much of either. Overall I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

[Natalie TBGWP · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely little read. I read it in one sitting and found myself being dragged through a quirky story that had me smiling throughout. My heart totally went out to Lily, she really does have it rough. She's so family oriented which surprised me a lot, but it gave her character a strength that made her strong, reliable and totally respectable. In the end I did feel extremely protective of her like she was my own child. It's a fast-paced, book of worry that will have you locked in until as they say the fat lady sings. Not that Lily's fat mind, well you know what I mean :)

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Sing is my favorite YA read of 2014 so far! It is filled with a great story, amazing secondary characters, and one awesome main character chasing her dreams. Lily is strong-willed and extremely talented, and her story is the perfect coming of age story for young adults everywhere.

5 out of 5 stars to Just Sing by René Gilley!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was awesome! I enjoyed seeing how Lily and Aiden interacted! I can't wait for the next book to come out! I need to know if my predictions are right!

For full review, check out Books, books, and more books at:

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This book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.