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Driven by Olympic dreams… To the outside world, Lori Anders has it all. The only child of affluent parents, she is a gifted swimmer with Olympic dreams. Armed with a winning attitude and genuine spirit, Lori appears destined for success.Yet despite her certainty in the pool, something inhibits Lori from achieving her full potential. Her focus on swimming has left little time for relationships. Lacking in confidence, Lori's light has few opportunities to shine.When an altercation with the school bullies brings her to the attention of the star quarterback, Lori finds herself in a unique position. Jason's affections renew her hope and force the shy swimmer out of her comfort zone. But, will it be enough to achieve her lifelong dream? “L. Diane Wolfe expertly combines the social interaction between teens and realistic problems that face our teens today for a genuine feel good novel.” - Donna M. McDine, Children's Author & Member SCBWI “Lori Anders is such a positive influence for anyone. She shows complete devotion to those she loves, and an unwavering determination to reach her dreams… Overall, anyone that picks up LORI will come away with a warm feeling by the end of her journey.” – Teens Read Too
382 pages, Paperback
First published March 17, 2009
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
L. Diane Wolfe
17 books52 followersL. Diane Wolfe
Professional Speaker & Author
www.spunkonastick.net
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
Known as “Spunk On A Stick,” Wolfe is a member of the National Speakers Association. She conducts seminars on book publishing, promoting, leadership, and goal-setting, and she offers book formatting and author consultation. Wolfe is the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and the author of numerous books. She travels for media interviews and speaking engagements and maintains numerous websites & blogs, including the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
Professional Speaker & Author
www.spunkonastick.net
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
Known as “Spunk On A Stick,” Wolfe is a member of the National Speakers Association. She conducts seminars on book publishing, promoting, leadership, and goal-setting, and she offers book formatting and author consultation. Wolfe is the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and the author of numerous books. She travels for media interviews and speaking engagements and maintains numerous websites & blogs, including the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 7, 2011
Mary Sue marries Gary Stu in a sea of typos and incorrect word choices.
• No character development (I guess having flaws wouldn’t make them perfect enough to be prom king and queen, swimming and football champions, and everyone’s best friends).
• A plot that drags because nobody has anything to overcome – they’re all too perfect!
• Very amateurish and kind of painful to get through.
Not recommended.
• No character development (I guess having flaws wouldn’t make them perfect enough to be prom king and queen, swimming and football champions, and everyone’s best friends).
• A plot that drags because nobody has anything to overcome – they’re all too perfect!
• Very amateurish and kind of painful to get through.
Not recommended.
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February 28, 2022I did not finish this book, but read a lot of it and wanted it to count towards my Goodreads challenge. Maybe I'll finish it down the road. No rating until then...
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February 16, 2022This is the book club selection for February 2022.
Looking at the blurb and reviews, this is a contemporary YA. The computer generated cover doesn’t mesh well with that genre and the series name is much bigger than the book title (which I cannot see in thumbnail view). Looking at the blurb and reviews, this isn’t an angsty YA where learning to trust and building friendships is the core: just getting what you worked hard for. I prefer characters to suffer to get what they want. So I’m passing on this one.
Looking at the blurb and reviews, this is a contemporary YA. The computer generated cover doesn’t mesh well with that genre and the series name is much bigger than the book title (which I cannot see in thumbnail view). Looking at the blurb and reviews, this isn’t an angsty YA where learning to trust and building friendships is the core: just getting what you worked hard for. I prefer characters to suffer to get what they want. So I’m passing on this one.
May 19, 2009
What would you do if your life went in a direction you hadn’t planned? Would you charge on forward? Would you have the confidence to continue down an unknown path? Or would you crumble under your own self doubt?
Lori Anders lives the good life. She is the child of wonderful parents. She has incredible grades in school. She is popular and well liked by everyone. She is also an amazing swimmer who has dreams of swimming in the Olympics.
But, even with all sorts of good things going for her, Lori still feels empty. Though she puts on a good face to the world, always appearing happy and content, inside Lori is unsure of herself and extremely unhappy.
That all changes when she meets Jason Phillips.
When Lori is attacked after helping her friend deal with some bullies, Jason Phillips comes to her aid. He marvels at the fact that Lori is able to stand up to so much pressure, so much tension and still think positively.
Lori immediately tried to pull within herself, unsure as to why one of the most popular guys in school would even stop to help her. As Lori battles her self doubt and her lack of confidence, her relationship with Jason develops into something more than friendship.
Jason’s interest in her and their growing love help force Lori out of her shell and build up her confidence. But when something happens that tests her newfound confidence, will Lori give in to her old demons?
The Circle of Friends Book I: Lori is an absolute delight from start to finish. Never have I read such an emotionally charged wonderful book. Wolfe has succeeded in writing a book about people that matter, about people you can grow attached to. Real people.
What I found most interesting about The Circle of Friends Book I: Lori was its warmth. You can tell that the author has so much love for these characters that it is not possible to love them as well. It’s rare for me to become emotionally involved with a book but, while reading Lori, I was hoping and cheering right along with the characters.
It’s also rare for me to read a book with a message and not come away feeling as if I’ve had half a pound of sugar. Most books with a message usually hit the reader over the head from page one; but one of Wolfe’s strengths is that she doesn’t do that. She lets actions speak louder than words, lets the characters speak for themselves.
Wolfe manages to teach us some very wise advice while giving us an incredible story: never stop yourself from going after your dreams. Never give up on yourself. Never let lack of self-confidence stand in the way of achieving your dreams. It’s an incredible, inspiring message interwoven into one of the best novels I have ever read. Period.
If you want to read an incredibly well written novel that will change the way you see yourself, this is the book for you. Once you become a part of The Circle of Friends, you will never want to leave.
The Circle of Friends Book I: Lori is an amazing book that will leave you breathless for more.
Lori Anders lives the good life. She is the child of wonderful parents. She has incredible grades in school. She is popular and well liked by everyone. She is also an amazing swimmer who has dreams of swimming in the Olympics.
But, even with all sorts of good things going for her, Lori still feels empty. Though she puts on a good face to the world, always appearing happy and content, inside Lori is unsure of herself and extremely unhappy.
That all changes when she meets Jason Phillips.
When Lori is attacked after helping her friend deal with some bullies, Jason Phillips comes to her aid. He marvels at the fact that Lori is able to stand up to so much pressure, so much tension and still think positively.
Lori immediately tried to pull within herself, unsure as to why one of the most popular guys in school would even stop to help her. As Lori battles her self doubt and her lack of confidence, her relationship with Jason develops into something more than friendship.
Jason’s interest in her and their growing love help force Lori out of her shell and build up her confidence. But when something happens that tests her newfound confidence, will Lori give in to her old demons?
The Circle of Friends Book I: Lori is an absolute delight from start to finish. Never have I read such an emotionally charged wonderful book. Wolfe has succeeded in writing a book about people that matter, about people you can grow attached to. Real people.
What I found most interesting about The Circle of Friends Book I: Lori was its warmth. You can tell that the author has so much love for these characters that it is not possible to love them as well. It’s rare for me to become emotionally involved with a book but, while reading Lori, I was hoping and cheering right along with the characters.
It’s also rare for me to read a book with a message and not come away feeling as if I’ve had half a pound of sugar. Most books with a message usually hit the reader over the head from page one; but one of Wolfe’s strengths is that she doesn’t do that. She lets actions speak louder than words, lets the characters speak for themselves.
Wolfe manages to teach us some very wise advice while giving us an incredible story: never stop yourself from going after your dreams. Never give up on yourself. Never let lack of self-confidence stand in the way of achieving your dreams. It’s an incredible, inspiring message interwoven into one of the best novels I have ever read. Period.
If you want to read an incredibly well written novel that will change the way you see yourself, this is the book for you. Once you become a part of The Circle of Friends, you will never want to leave.
The Circle of Friends Book I: Lori is an amazing book that will leave you breathless for more.
July 2, 2020
I went into this book with hopes of putting out a four star review. Sadly, that was not the case. I forced myself to read this as fast as possible, mostly by skimming it. The book itself wasn't that bad, but I just couldn't stand it. All the characters were supportive and came through and took care of their issues in the end. The book was TOO happy. I get that it's meant to be a supportive book, but you can't have that without sacrifice and pain. Compared to other YA contemporary novels I've read, these characters all live a charmed life where just about everything goes right. The plot is see-through, if there even is one at all.
The main character is Lori. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with Lori herself, but geez, her world seems too perfect. There's no character arc. From page one, she wants to win the gold medal in swimming in the Olympics, and it was easy to see where that was going. The relationship is instant, and her and the male protagonist Jason have kissed by the end of chapter one and are seriously dating by the end of chapter two. Her relationship literally faces no obstacles, despite what the description says. There are no fights, no breakups, no tension. Lori and her friends simply get putting along and life just gets better and better. I don't like (or maybe I do) when characters hurt, but this book needed some pain and suffering. Everyone I know has their issues and none of them seem to be present in any of these characters. The only character I'd say who has legit pain and suffering, for lack of a better term, is James.
The book was a fairly easy read once I started skimming it. I got two hundred pages in the amount of time it had taken me to get fifty. It might have helped that my mom had said if I don't read the book, I had to come out and weed the garden with her... Anyway! The book seems to have no plot. The characters don't develop and their situation hasn't changed. The characters feel one dimensional. Sure stuff happened, but it wasn't plot. It was like a chain of meaningless events, not an arc where the characters think everything's fine, then there's tension, then they face their fear or challenge, and then things resolve to a point. All the characters end happy with their happily ever after. While I love that things worked out, I feel the need to point out that the characters never seem to fully realize just how good they've got it and no one is left out in the rain. The book simply didn't feel real. I couldn't relate to the characters. Lori has been training for years, and when it comes down to it, gets what she wants. There are things I've been doing for a while, but I know I won't get first, second, or third try. If you have nothing else to read, pick this up and try it. You might like it more than I did. It's written somewhat bluntly, but to be fair this was the author's debut. If anyone reads or has read the book/series, let me know! I want to hear your opinion on it. But I can't find it in my heart to give this book more than 2.5 stars.
The main character is Lori. Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with Lori herself, but geez, her world seems too perfect. There's no character arc. From page one, she wants to win the gold medal in swimming in the Olympics, and it was easy to see where that was going. The relationship is instant, and her and the male protagonist Jason have kissed by the end of chapter one and are seriously dating by the end of chapter two. Her relationship literally faces no obstacles, despite what the description says. There are no fights, no breakups, no tension. Lori and her friends simply get putting along and life just gets better and better. I don't like (or maybe I do) when characters hurt, but this book needed some pain and suffering. Everyone I know has their issues and none of them seem to be present in any of these characters. The only character I'd say who has legit pain and suffering, for lack of a better term, is James.
The book was a fairly easy read once I started skimming it. I got two hundred pages in the amount of time it had taken me to get fifty. It might have helped that my mom had said if I don't read the book, I had to come out and weed the garden with her... Anyway! The book seems to have no plot. The characters don't develop and their situation hasn't changed. The characters feel one dimensional. Sure stuff happened, but it wasn't plot. It was like a chain of meaningless events, not an arc where the characters think everything's fine, then there's tension, then they face their fear or challenge, and then things resolve to a point. All the characters end happy with their happily ever after. While I love that things worked out, I feel the need to point out that the characters never seem to fully realize just how good they've got it and no one is left out in the rain. The book simply didn't feel real. I couldn't relate to the characters. Lori has been training for years, and when it comes down to it, gets what she wants. There are things I've been doing for a while, but I know I won't get first, second, or third try. If you have nothing else to read, pick this up and try it. You might like it more than I did. It's written somewhat bluntly, but to be fair this was the author's debut. If anyone reads or has read the book/series, let me know! I want to hear your opinion on it. But I can't find it in my heart to give this book more than 2.5 stars.
March 11, 2009
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
For anyone that says there are few young adult books out there with a positive message with little sexual content or foul language, then they haven't discovered THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS series by Ms. Wolfe yet. LORI is the first in the series.
Lori Anders is pretty, but she's always been shy and lonely. Neither of her parents are around all that often, so she has been given pretty much anything she's ever asked for. The house she lives in comes with an indoor pool that she uses every day for her training. She has dreams of an Olympic gold medal in swimming.
It isn't until Lori defends her friend, Maria, from bullies at school that the course of her life totally changes. The bullies retaliate against Lori and she is rescued by none other than the quarterback of the school's football team. Unbeknownst to Jason, Lori has had a crush on him. Jason is amazed that he's never noticed Lori before, because he finds her truly stunning. And she is totally different from any other girl he has ever met.
After he rescues her, Jason invites Lori to have lunch at his table. She is immediately welcomed into the group. It's not long after that that she and Jason begin to date. They quickly become an item, and a couple that everyone admires. But Lori tells Jason that she will not have sex with him. She explains that she believes in saving herself until marriage. Although Jason isn't happy with the news, he realizes that Lori is special and is willing to wait.
From that point on, the rest of LORI shares the trials and tribulations of the couple as they go from senior year of high school through their college years. The two struggle together to remain a couple and are determined to make their relationship work. Lori is at one university on a swimming scholarship and Jason is at another school, reaching for his separate dream of an NFL contract at the end of his college football career.
Life isn't perfect for Lori and Jason, but through love and understanding, they do the best that they can.
Lori Anders is such a positive influence for anyone. She shows complete devotion to those she loves, and an unwavering determination to reach her dreams. There may be hints at sexual situations, but they are done within the limits of marriage - and abstinence is the message until marriage.
Overall, anyone that picks up LORI will come away with a warm feeling by the end of her journey.
For anyone that says there are few young adult books out there with a positive message with little sexual content or foul language, then they haven't discovered THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS series by Ms. Wolfe yet. LORI is the first in the series.
Lori Anders is pretty, but she's always been shy and lonely. Neither of her parents are around all that often, so she has been given pretty much anything she's ever asked for. The house she lives in comes with an indoor pool that she uses every day for her training. She has dreams of an Olympic gold medal in swimming.
It isn't until Lori defends her friend, Maria, from bullies at school that the course of her life totally changes. The bullies retaliate against Lori and she is rescued by none other than the quarterback of the school's football team. Unbeknownst to Jason, Lori has had a crush on him. Jason is amazed that he's never noticed Lori before, because he finds her truly stunning. And she is totally different from any other girl he has ever met.
After he rescues her, Jason invites Lori to have lunch at his table. She is immediately welcomed into the group. It's not long after that that she and Jason begin to date. They quickly become an item, and a couple that everyone admires. But Lori tells Jason that she will not have sex with him. She explains that she believes in saving herself until marriage. Although Jason isn't happy with the news, he realizes that Lori is special and is willing to wait.
From that point on, the rest of LORI shares the trials and tribulations of the couple as they go from senior year of high school through their college years. The two struggle together to remain a couple and are determined to make their relationship work. Lori is at one university on a swimming scholarship and Jason is at another school, reaching for his separate dream of an NFL contract at the end of his college football career.
Life isn't perfect for Lori and Jason, but through love and understanding, they do the best that they can.
Lori Anders is such a positive influence for anyone. She shows complete devotion to those she loves, and an unwavering determination to reach her dreams. There may be hints at sexual situations, but they are done within the limits of marriage - and abstinence is the message until marriage.
Overall, anyone that picks up LORI will come away with a warm feeling by the end of her journey.
February 6, 2014
This book was about a girl named Lori who always dreamed about going to the Olympics for swimming. I rated this book with four stars because I really liked how the author put things. For example, I thought it was interesting how she had Lori and Jason meet for the first time. At first when I started reading the book I actually thought it was kind of boring because it was babbling on about how Lori was in love with swimming. About 60-70 pages in it got really good and I could hardly put the book down! I thought this book was very good and I would definitely recommend it to other people.
January 31, 2024
I read this book when I was a teenager, so a “few” years ago! But it was just a great read to me then!
I have the next two in the series on the TBR!
I can’t wait to purchase a new copy of this to re-read!
I have the next two in the series on the TBR!
I can’t wait to purchase a new copy of this to re-read!
August 10, 2012
Very good. Will keep you wanting to know more.
December 4, 2009
This book was written by a grade school friend of mine. She wrote a whole series of teen books.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews