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Crush Control
Willow has spent most of her life as her mother’s sidekick in a popular Las Vegas hypnotism show. So when she and her mom move back to their sleepy southern hometown to start over, she thinks she’s in for a life of quiet normalcy. Except that her new life turns out to be anything but, when she kinda sorta hypnotizes Quinton, the hottest guy on the football team, to fall madly, deeply, head over heels in love with her. But what started out as an innocent way to make her best friend, Max, jealous soon gets way out of hand, and Willow begins to wonder if the mind—and more importantly, the heart—is something you can really control.
318 pages, Paperback
First published May 21, 2011
20 people are currently reading
2560 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Jabaley
3 books161 followersJennifer Jabaley is the author of two Young Adult novels published with Razorbill/Penguin Young Readers. She is currently working on a Domestic Suspense novel.
When not writing, Jennifer practices optometry with her husband in the North Georgia mountains. She has two very active kids and two very spoiled dogs.
Jen is an avid reader, tennis player, and Pilates junkie. She loves coffee, a great sporting event, and spending time with her friends.
When not writing, Jennifer practices optometry with her husband in the North Georgia mountains. She has two very active kids and two very spoiled dogs.
Jen is an avid reader, tennis player, and Pilates junkie. She loves coffee, a great sporting event, and spending time with her friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
June 28, 2011
Two years ago I read and fell in love with Jennifer Jabeley's debut novel, LIPSTICK APOLOGY. When I was offered the chance to review her sophomore novel, CRUSH CONTROL, I of course said yes. While I did enjoy this one, I did not love it like I did LIPSTICK APOLOGY. It was still a very cute book and the perfect summer read.
Willow Grey is in love with her best friend, Max. Too bad he is dating someone else. At least he seems to show some interest in her as more than a friend. Then Willow get an idea. Why not make Max jealous? Show him what he is missing? At first it seems like a great plan but then Willow realizes that first she has to find a guy to date to make him jealous. And what if that guy doesn't actually want to date her? Well that is where Willow's skills with hypnosis come in and it is all downhill from there.
My absolute favorite thing about CRUSH CONTROL was the humor. It cracked me up. Willow and her mom had a great relationship that allowed them to be very open with each other about EVERYTHING. They had some hilarious scenes. Willow and one of her new friends, Georgia, also had some very funny scenes. They were always up to no good and I loved all of Georgia's pop culture references. The best though was Willow's dog, Oompa. He was insane! I loved him (although I would never want my dog to do some of the things he did!)
The whole thing about hypnosis was very interesting. I have never had any interest in hypnosis so I knew nothing about it when I started the book. I was never lost or confused though because it was explained so well. I thought it was a unique twist to an otherwise unoriginal story. It made Willow's story a little different than all the other stories about girls secretly in love with their best friend. =)
Overall, CRUSH CONTROL is a great book but not one of my favorites. It is a cute story with multiple cute boys and just a fun story to read. If it sounds at all like something you might like, pick up a copy!
Willow Grey is in love with her best friend, Max. Too bad he is dating someone else. At least he seems to show some interest in her as more than a friend. Then Willow get an idea. Why not make Max jealous? Show him what he is missing? At first it seems like a great plan but then Willow realizes that first she has to find a guy to date to make him jealous. And what if that guy doesn't actually want to date her? Well that is where Willow's skills with hypnosis come in and it is all downhill from there.
My absolute favorite thing about CRUSH CONTROL was the humor. It cracked me up. Willow and her mom had a great relationship that allowed them to be very open with each other about EVERYTHING. They had some hilarious scenes. Willow and one of her new friends, Georgia, also had some very funny scenes. They were always up to no good and I loved all of Georgia's pop culture references. The best though was Willow's dog, Oompa. He was insane! I loved him (although I would never want my dog to do some of the things he did!)
The whole thing about hypnosis was very interesting. I have never had any interest in hypnosis so I knew nothing about it when I started the book. I was never lost or confused though because it was explained so well. I thought it was a unique twist to an otherwise unoriginal story. It made Willow's story a little different than all the other stories about girls secretly in love with their best friend. =)
Overall, CRUSH CONTROL is a great book but not one of my favorites. It is a cute story with multiple cute boys and just a fun story to read. If it sounds at all like something you might like, pick up a copy!
August 5, 2011
What would you do if you could control another person's mind?
Well, you can find out exactly what happens when Willow does just that! And it's hilarious, disastrous and a little bit of everything in between! I loved the story line for Crush Control, it could have been your typical "falling for your best friend" novel, but it wasn't. There is a lot more going on in this story. It's about Willow really coming to terms with herself. It's the strained relationship between Willow's mother and her grandmother and how that ultimately effects Willow. It's a story about friendship, love, and discovery!
The characters in this novel were fantastic! Willow's friend Georgia.... she was the best friend I always wanted! These two get into some over the top antics! Hexes or voodoo dolls anyone? Max and Quinton... although I'm not sure how much we got to see of the "real" Quinton, but either way, it was always hilarious when he was in a scene. Just look for the scenes with Willow's dog and you'll know what I'm talking about!
This is such a fun book! It should definitely be in your summer reading piles! Quick and entertaining, the perfect read for a hot summer day!
Well, you can find out exactly what happens when Willow does just that! And it's hilarious, disastrous and a little bit of everything in between! I loved the story line for Crush Control, it could have been your typical "falling for your best friend" novel, but it wasn't. There is a lot more going on in this story. It's about Willow really coming to terms with herself. It's the strained relationship between Willow's mother and her grandmother and how that ultimately effects Willow. It's a story about friendship, love, and discovery!
The characters in this novel were fantastic! Willow's friend Georgia.... she was the best friend I always wanted! These two get into some over the top antics! Hexes or voodoo dolls anyone? Max and Quinton... although I'm not sure how much we got to see of the "real" Quinton, but either way, it was always hilarious when he was in a scene. Just look for the scenes with Willow's dog and you'll know what I'm talking about!
This is such a fun book! It should definitely be in your summer reading piles! Quick and entertaining, the perfect read for a hot summer day!
June 13, 2012
The beginning of CRUSH CONTROL is winning. Willow returns to her hometown after years as her mother's assistant in Vegas. She knows how to hypnotize a crowd, but not how to interact with people her own age. And she desperately wants to fit in, because her hometown contains Max, the boy she stayed in touch with and secretly crushes on. The boy she hypnotized to be her best friend forever.
Then Willow meets Quinton, who is hot, available, intelligent, and athletic. Perhaps there are other guys out there. She also makes two good friends who have her back in all things romantic: TV addict Georgia and cheerleader Mia. Just when things are coming up Milhouse, Willow starts to use her rudimentary knowledge of hypnotism on her peers without thinking about the consequences.
To this point, I devoured CRUSH CONTROL. Seriously, I got through the first half in thirty minutes or less. Then the story becomes very conventional and Willow misplaces her brain. No really. She starts trusting in e-order witchcraft to solve her problems. Even that is not as frustrating as knowing where everything is going. You know how Quinton's condition will go wrong. You know how Mia's requests will go wrong. Jennifer Jabaley's voice is charming, but not enough to overcome the thin plot. (Nor is it enough to make the final plot twist anything other than lame. Max really needed more to do during the story.)
Strangely, I cannot remember anything in the first half that was noticeably unconventional. I think there was the potential for a more unusual story. Part of the problem is that Willow is the only dynamic character. Her mom and grandmother reconcile, but they're still the same people as when the story began.
CRUSH CONTROL is excellent summer reading. It's a book to sit back with and have a few laughs. There's nothing more to it than that. It could be any of a million beach books. But for a moment, I thought it might be something more rare.
Then Willow meets Quinton, who is hot, available, intelligent, and athletic. Perhaps there are other guys out there. She also makes two good friends who have her back in all things romantic: TV addict Georgia and cheerleader Mia. Just when things are coming up Milhouse, Willow starts to use her rudimentary knowledge of hypnotism on her peers without thinking about the consequences.
To this point, I devoured CRUSH CONTROL. Seriously, I got through the first half in thirty minutes or less. Then the story becomes very conventional and Willow misplaces her brain. No really. She starts trusting in e-order witchcraft to solve her problems. Even that is not as frustrating as knowing where everything is going. You know how Quinton's condition will go wrong. You know how Mia's requests will go wrong. Jennifer Jabaley's voice is charming, but not enough to overcome the thin plot. (Nor is it enough to make the final plot twist anything other than lame. Max really needed more to do during the story.)
Strangely, I cannot remember anything in the first half that was noticeably unconventional. I think there was the potential for a more unusual story. Part of the problem is that Willow is the only dynamic character. Her mom and grandmother reconcile, but they're still the same people as when the story began.
CRUSH CONTROL is excellent summer reading. It's a book to sit back with and have a few laughs. There's nothing more to it than that. It could be any of a million beach books. But for a moment, I thought it might be something more rare.
June 12, 2011
After reading Jennifer Jabaley’s smashing and bittersweet Lipstick Apology, I was eager to read more by her. Therefor when Crush Control, her second YA novel, landed in my hands, I was eager to devour it one page at a time. Thankfully Crush Control was a great second novel, because not only was the premise fresh and enticing, but the characters were relatable and fun to read about it.
Crush Control opens up just as nine-year-old Willow Grey is about to hypnotize her best friend Max to stay her best friend until the end of time. For some, this may be extreme, but for Willow, it is her only way to take control of the fact she will be moving to Las Vegas in a few days, and thankfully enough, it works. Max and her stay best friends throughout the years, talking every day on the phone, exchanging text messages, and just being there for each other, which makes the fact that a now seventeen-year-old Willow will be moving back to their hometown even more perfect. However, not everything is as perfect as Willow bargained, because as soon as she sees Max, she knows she wants to be more than just friends, while Max seems to think being friends is good enough. Willow knows she needs a plan to get the guy of her dreams, but will hypnotizing him be worth the risk? Only time and more pages can tell in this action packed novel!
Willow was the type of character whom it is easy to be torn over, because while Willow was a sweet and nice girl at heart, her actions and manipulative side did not always show that. However, while this aspect made me take a while to warm up to her, it also made her all the more real so to say, because when it comes down Willow’s dilemmas with mind control can easily be shown at as yet another way people, especially teens, seek control over their lives. Another aspect that made Willow down to earth, in my eyes, was her relationship with her mom. Very Gilmore Girl-ish, it was a very sweet and unique add to the story. I also loved the secondary characters introduced in this such as Georgia, the girl whose obsession with soap operas will never cease to make you laugh, and Mia, the cheerleader with a lot of heart.
As mentioned before, the premise of Crush Control was very refreshing. I enjoyed the idea of seeing a teen deal with the advantages and disadvantages that come with mind control, and better yet, Jennifer Jabaley execution of the was nothing short of great. It was always fun to see all the twists, turns, and complications that came from it, especially when Willow grew as a character because of it. The area dealing with Willow and Max was also interesting, especially when you added Quinton to the mix, as I never knew exactly how everything was going to turn out.
Jennifer’s writing in this was also descent. She did a great job of developing the characters in an easy to relate to way, and I loved all the pop culture references.
Light, breezy, and full of fun, Crush Control is yet another great addition to your summer reading list, as it’s sure to have you rooting for Willow (if not all the characters) every step of the way.
Grade: B+
Crush Control opens up just as nine-year-old Willow Grey is about to hypnotize her best friend Max to stay her best friend until the end of time. For some, this may be extreme, but for Willow, it is her only way to take control of the fact she will be moving to Las Vegas in a few days, and thankfully enough, it works. Max and her stay best friends throughout the years, talking every day on the phone, exchanging text messages, and just being there for each other, which makes the fact that a now seventeen-year-old Willow will be moving back to their hometown even more perfect. However, not everything is as perfect as Willow bargained, because as soon as she sees Max, she knows she wants to be more than just friends, while Max seems to think being friends is good enough. Willow knows she needs a plan to get the guy of her dreams, but will hypnotizing him be worth the risk? Only time and more pages can tell in this action packed novel!
Willow was the type of character whom it is easy to be torn over, because while Willow was a sweet and nice girl at heart, her actions and manipulative side did not always show that. However, while this aspect made me take a while to warm up to her, it also made her all the more real so to say, because when it comes down Willow’s dilemmas with mind control can easily be shown at as yet another way people, especially teens, seek control over their lives. Another aspect that made Willow down to earth, in my eyes, was her relationship with her mom. Very Gilmore Girl-ish, it was a very sweet and unique add to the story. I also loved the secondary characters introduced in this such as Georgia, the girl whose obsession with soap operas will never cease to make you laugh, and Mia, the cheerleader with a lot of heart.
As mentioned before, the premise of Crush Control was very refreshing. I enjoyed the idea of seeing a teen deal with the advantages and disadvantages that come with mind control, and better yet, Jennifer Jabaley execution of the was nothing short of great. It was always fun to see all the twists, turns, and complications that came from it, especially when Willow grew as a character because of it. The area dealing with Willow and Max was also interesting, especially when you added Quinton to the mix, as I never knew exactly how everything was going to turn out.
Jennifer’s writing in this was also descent. She did a great job of developing the characters in an easy to relate to way, and I loved all the pop culture references.
Light, breezy, and full of fun, Crush Control is yet another great addition to your summer reading list, as it’s sure to have you rooting for Willow (if not all the characters) every step of the way.
Grade: B+
July 18, 2011
This was a fun book. It kind of reminds me of The Locket which I loved and this simply could not live up to that book.
June 21, 2024
June advent calendar book
WAY better than i expected it to be based on the cover and description. It was a pretty goofy and shallow story but it was so much fun and got me hooked so fast. I love the cliche high school love stories and this one had a fun twist to it
WAY better than i expected it to be based on the cover and description. It was a pretty goofy and shallow story but it was so much fun and got me hooked so fast. I love the cliche high school love stories and this one had a fun twist to it
June 20, 2011
Summary: When Willow was nine years old, her mother, a hypnotist, decided to move the family to Las Vegas. Willow, afraid that her best friend Max would forget her, decided to hypnotize him into being her best friend forever. Now, at age seventeen, Willow is back from Las Vegas, and she’s starting to develop more-than-just-friends feelings for Max. But will he ever see her as anything more? It seems her childhood hypnosis may have backfired…
Crush Control is a fun, somewhat ridiculous tale of hypnosis gone awry. Many of the situations presented in the story are laughable for their incredulity, but they’re still enjoyable nonetheless. The addition of hypnosis gives the otherwise fluffy book a unique twist, and Jennifer Jabaley has certainly done her research—everything hypnosis-related is fascinating and easy to understand.
Crush Control starts out very strong—Willow, our narrator, moves back to her new town and almost instantly winds up in an embarrassing situation (her dog starts to hump the leg of a gorgeous boy) that is totally hilarious. It won me over completely. However, towards the end of the book, things shift from amusing to ridiculous, and it becomes impossible to believe that these things could actually happen (Willow and her friend attempt banishment spells and voodoo to reverse a hypnotic suggestion). I found myself tiring of the silliness.
For me, Willow wasn’t the most intriguing character; she mainly serves as a device through which the reader is to learn a lesson (hypnotizing your friends is not okay, kids). Still, Willow’s narration is enjoyable, and her reactions to things are almost always hilarious. Though Willow didn’t stand out to me, most of the other characters did. Each of Willow’s friends are interesting in their own way, but Mia is by far the most complex. It’s nice to see side characters with a well-developed backstory.
Despite my slight qualms with the book, Crush Control is still an enjoyable read. Fans of romantic comedies will get a kick out of Willow’s unrequited love and the crazy things she does to get her childhood friend to want to be more than friends. Plus, the hypnosis aspect of the story gives Crush Control a little oomph.
Crush Control is a fun, somewhat ridiculous tale of hypnosis gone awry. Many of the situations presented in the story are laughable for their incredulity, but they’re still enjoyable nonetheless. The addition of hypnosis gives the otherwise fluffy book a unique twist, and Jennifer Jabaley has certainly done her research—everything hypnosis-related is fascinating and easy to understand.
Crush Control starts out very strong—Willow, our narrator, moves back to her new town and almost instantly winds up in an embarrassing situation (her dog starts to hump the leg of a gorgeous boy) that is totally hilarious. It won me over completely. However, towards the end of the book, things shift from amusing to ridiculous, and it becomes impossible to believe that these things could actually happen (Willow and her friend attempt banishment spells and voodoo to reverse a hypnotic suggestion). I found myself tiring of the silliness.
For me, Willow wasn’t the most intriguing character; she mainly serves as a device through which the reader is to learn a lesson (hypnotizing your friends is not okay, kids). Still, Willow’s narration is enjoyable, and her reactions to things are almost always hilarious. Though Willow didn’t stand out to me, most of the other characters did. Each of Willow’s friends are interesting in their own way, but Mia is by far the most complex. It’s nice to see side characters with a well-developed backstory.
Despite my slight qualms with the book, Crush Control is still an enjoyable read. Fans of romantic comedies will get a kick out of Willow’s unrequited love and the crazy things she does to get her childhood friend to want to be more than friends. Plus, the hypnosis aspect of the story gives Crush Control a little oomph.
December 11, 2012
Very funny, with a little bit of everything.
I was surprised when Willow mentioned Taylor Swift! And she even hypnotized someone to sing her songs (Mine and You Belong With Me).
Later, there was a Taylor Lautner look-alike. I couldn't stop laughing at that!
There were comparisons of One Tree Hill, Dawson's Creek, Twilight, and Harry Potter. The Notebook and Pretty Little Liars were here as well!
And there was A Midsummer Night's Dream were the plot of the story revolved. Same theme and symbols.
It was weird reading something like that.
On another note, I was annoyed at Willow. What she did was TOO MUCH! Playing with someone's emotions, wanting to be the center of attention, her lies- it was overboard!
I felt bad for Quinton. He was a perfect boyfriend but at the same time, he was not real. He was just made up.
If only. .
Max was cute and adorable and amazing. I'd be happy to be his bestfriend. But he was confusing, like he couldn't make up his own mind. Fortunately, his plan worked out at the end.
Willow was clingy, needy, annoying, and selfish. She didn't think of the consequences of her actions. She wanted to please everyone so she ended up hurting the people she loved. With her hypnotism, she created a tangle of mess that left glitched in people's life.
The good thing about it was she realized her mistakes and she did everything she could to make up for her bad choices.
CD- the answer was there all along, buried beneath everything. It turned up at the most unexpected time, as if it was not mentioned at the beginning.
You Belong With Me was the answer!
By reading this book, I learned lessons. And it reminded me of certain events in life.
The ending was fast, I wanted to read more. I was curious about the other characters.
That's the thing about the relationship of the writer, story, and the reader, only they knew what happened between the lines.
I was surprised when Willow mentioned Taylor Swift! And she even hypnotized someone to sing her songs (Mine and You Belong With Me).
Later, there was a Taylor Lautner look-alike. I couldn't stop laughing at that!
There were comparisons of One Tree Hill, Dawson's Creek, Twilight, and Harry Potter. The Notebook and Pretty Little Liars were here as well!
And there was A Midsummer Night's Dream were the plot of the story revolved. Same theme and symbols.
It was weird reading something like that.
On another note, I was annoyed at Willow. What she did was TOO MUCH! Playing with someone's emotions, wanting to be the center of attention, her lies- it was overboard!
I felt bad for Quinton. He was a perfect boyfriend but at the same time, he was not real. He was just made up.
If only. .
Max was cute and adorable and amazing. I'd be happy to be his bestfriend. But he was confusing, like he couldn't make up his own mind. Fortunately, his plan worked out at the end.
Willow was clingy, needy, annoying, and selfish. She didn't think of the consequences of her actions. She wanted to please everyone so she ended up hurting the people she loved. With her hypnotism, she created a tangle of mess that left glitched in people's life.
The good thing about it was she realized her mistakes and she did everything she could to make up for her bad choices.
CD- the answer was there all along, buried beneath everything. It turned up at the most unexpected time, as if it was not mentioned at the beginning.
You Belong With Me was the answer!
By reading this book, I learned lessons. And it reminded me of certain events in life.
The ending was fast, I wanted to read more. I was curious about the other characters.
That's the thing about the relationship of the writer, story, and the reader, only they knew what happened between the lines.
Read
February 15, 2013 They had lived in Worthington until Willow was 9 years old but then relocated to Vegas. Willow's mom is a professional hypnotist who had her own show in Vegas until she decided that Willow needed a more normal home life. Willow is very excited to be reunited with her grandparents and also her life-long best friend, Max. Willow has discovered that her feelings for Max have changed from that of a friend to feelings of love. Now she is hoping to find out that he is feeling the same about her. Unfortunately, Willow soon discovers that while Max is happy to have her back, he has a steady girlfriend named Minnie. In what started out as a way to make Max jealous, Willow decides to use her knowledge of hypnosis to stand out to her new classmates. She is asked to help a popular cheerleader overcome her fear of tumbling and a very cute football player asks for help to stop his sleepwalking. While Willow has Quinton hypnotized she implants a suggestion that would make him attracted to her romantically. She also implants all the things that she thinks would make him a wonderful boyfriend.....treating her special, pampering and showering her with romance, see her as sexy and alluring but chivalrous and never pressuring her in any way, treating her like a goddess of love. The results are dramatic and as their relationship grows it takes unexpected twists and turns. Willow is left to decide if having the "best boyfriend" is better than having someone who truly cares for you. She also discovers that actions can have dramatic and perhaps tragic results. In the end she must decide who she really is and what she really wants from her life.
September 28, 2011
Crush Control is a really cute story with a fun twist! Willow and her mother have been in Vegas for years doing a hypnotism show. Now they are back in their small town and Willow is doing her best to adjust. It is made a little easier when her best friend Max is by her side. They have been best friends since childhood and it's nice to see a friendly face.
But things aren't exactly turning out great when she finds out Max is dating someone else. Willow doesn't know what to do to get his undivided attention so she comes up with an idea to hypnotize hotty Quinton into falling in love with her. But hypnotism is nothing to mess with and Willow gets a little more attention than she bargained for.
Crush Control has a ton of hilarious moments as poor Quinton turns into the world's most perfect boyfriend. But maybe he's a little too perfect. Every girl likes a little romance but it was so funny to see Quinton pull out all the stops in order to make Willow happy. And even better to see all the insane ways Willow tried to break the spell.
Willow was a fun character and I enjoyed her quirky personality. Max was terrific and it was interesting to see his conflicting emotions when it came to Willow and his girlfriend. A lot of those interactions reminded me of typical high-school drama.
Crush Control is a really adorable, light read that will have people cracking up. It's funny to see how mind control may not be the right answer when it comes to finding true love.
But things aren't exactly turning out great when she finds out Max is dating someone else. Willow doesn't know what to do to get his undivided attention so she comes up with an idea to hypnotize hotty Quinton into falling in love with her. But hypnotism is nothing to mess with and Willow gets a little more attention than she bargained for.
Crush Control has a ton of hilarious moments as poor Quinton turns into the world's most perfect boyfriend. But maybe he's a little too perfect. Every girl likes a little romance but it was so funny to see Quinton pull out all the stops in order to make Willow happy. And even better to see all the insane ways Willow tried to break the spell.
Willow was a fun character and I enjoyed her quirky personality. Max was terrific and it was interesting to see his conflicting emotions when it came to Willow and his girlfriend. A lot of those interactions reminded me of typical high-school drama.
Crush Control is a really adorable, light read that will have people cracking up. It's funny to see how mind control may not be the right answer when it comes to finding true love.
June 6, 2011
THE FAERYS VIEW
Ms. Jabaley wrote an entertaining and fun YA read for all ages!
Willow Grey was ripped away from her best pal, Max when they were 9 years old but not before she 'made' him promise to always be her best friend forever!
She returns at seventeen to find that Max has filled out and is completely "CRUSH" worthy! They've kept in touch almost daily since she left but seeing him in person has reinforced the feelings that have been growing in Willow's heart, a more than best friends feeling-the dry-mouth, weak knee'd and I want to kiss your whole face feeling.
Needless to say, things don't work out quite the way Willow planned but since she watched her gorgeous and engaging mother hypnotize people for years, she figures the best way to get Max is---Get him jealous! She performs a hilarious hypnotist routine at a party and finds the perfect subject to make Max jealous only things don't exactly turn out the way Willow planned.
Willow learns the hard way that love shouldn't be forced and when something is meant to be, it will be.
I really liked the concept of this book, the storyline moves along at a nice pace and I whipped through it pretty quickly, never getting bored. There's much more to the book, Willow's relationship with her mother and grandparents along with other issues that I felt sent a great message. I'd recommend this book to friends and family.
Ages 12+
Ms. Jabaley wrote an entertaining and fun YA read for all ages!
Willow Grey was ripped away from her best pal, Max when they were 9 years old but not before she 'made' him promise to always be her best friend forever!
She returns at seventeen to find that Max has filled out and is completely "CRUSH" worthy! They've kept in touch almost daily since she left but seeing him in person has reinforced the feelings that have been growing in Willow's heart, a more than best friends feeling-the dry-mouth, weak knee'd and I want to kiss your whole face feeling.
Needless to say, things don't work out quite the way Willow planned but since she watched her gorgeous and engaging mother hypnotize people for years, she figures the best way to get Max is---Get him jealous! She performs a hilarious hypnotist routine at a party and finds the perfect subject to make Max jealous only things don't exactly turn out the way Willow planned.
Willow learns the hard way that love shouldn't be forced and when something is meant to be, it will be.
I really liked the concept of this book, the storyline moves along at a nice pace and I whipped through it pretty quickly, never getting bored. There's much more to the book, Willow's relationship with her mother and grandparents along with other issues that I felt sent a great message. I'd recommend this book to friends and family.
Ages 12+
August 19, 2011
A girl with unusual eyes hypnotizes some guy to make her best friend, whom she is secretly doting on, jealous and everything comes crushing down eventually.
What this book taught me: If I want to make my best friend, whom I secretly like, jealous, I should hypnotize a (random) dude andmake him force him to fall in love with me so I can treat him like a sappy, romantic douche-doormat. Yuck.
I hate romance, btw. That hard-core sappy cheesy romance *skin crawls*. Have I ever mentioned that? Well I do. Yuckity.
Blah! 2** (Max and Oompa saved it.)
What this book taught me: If I want to make my best friend, whom I secretly like, jealous, I should hypnotize a (random) dude and
I hate romance, btw. That hard-core sappy cheesy romance *skin crawls*. Have I ever mentioned that? Well I do. Yuckity.
Blah! 2** (Max and Oompa saved it.)
August 8, 2015
Good quick read.
October 2, 2023
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My Rating: 2.5/5
Let me start by saying I was planning on writing this review earlier. This book took me way longer to read than planned. It started off good, with a cliche plot with a new twist. Boy and girl are best friends, one of them moves away and comes back when they are teenagers. The twist being Willow (our MC), hypnotized Max into being her best friend forever before she left. When she moves back to her hometown, she meets a hottie named Quinton in the park. They meet when her Cher loving dog humps his leg. Not even kidding, it was actually pretty funny.
The conflict starts when she hypnotizes some people for entertainment at Quinton's party. Now people are coming to her, asking her to hypnotize their problems away. Guess what Willow does? If you guessed "help" them, you're right. Of course she manages to screw EVERYTHING up. And instead of going to the one person who can help her, she does everything else. Even though it obviously won't work , and she knows that it's screwing with with not only people's futures, but possibly their well being.
The book dragged on a lot, throughout most of the book I was mentally screaming "JUST END ALREADY!" It was pretty repetive, with the MC agreeing to help someone (A.K.A. hypnotise them, and screw everything up), and then regretting it. Don't even get me stareted on when she hypnotizes someone for her own benefit, , as well as screws up their future and spends the rest of the book being being all like "OMG, what do I do?! It's not like my Mom used to hypnotise people and will know how to reverse this!" Yup, she's screwing with other people's minds and she's too self absorbed to ask for help.
Anybody want to listen to me rant about Willow some more? She is the most selfish character ever! She's too afraid of failing her mom to admit she did something she shouldn't have. Even when she knows that what she did . You know how she , at the same time she's also in love with Max! I mean I know she's in love with Max and he already has a girlfriend. But why can't she try to wow him like a normal girl?
Overall, the book has a good concept but as it goes on it starts to drag on and on and on and on.... and on top of that, I hated the MC.
If you're curious about the rating, I decided to rate it every fifty pages and average it. The ratings ranged from 3.5/5 to 2/5 (better ratings at the beginning than at the end). I ended up with a number around 2.28, which got rounded up to 2.5/5. November 4 2012
REREAD: I originally read Crush Control when I was fourteen, so I decided to reread it to compare. Fourteen year old Katlyn rated it 2.28/5, which was rather low for the time, as I gave nearly everything four or five star ratings, but I was curious to see how my tastes had changed now that I am twenty-five. They have. I have higher expectations and I am now not afraid to give books a one-star rating! This book was horrendous. The first half was just inane, silly, and cliched. Honestly, par for the course for YA. I can take some silliness, but it was incredibly cheesy. The second half was dreadful. 200 pages into the book, 14 year-old Katlyn noted "boring, MC is an idiot". Twenty-five year old Katlyn wholeheartedly agrees, but would like to add that Willow is a horrible person as well. She is willing to manipulate people for her own gain, and even though she seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, she still refused to ask her mother for help.
Worse than that though, the characters are completely one dimensional! Ooh, I'm Willow and I'm super unique with keyhole-shaped eyes! I think I'm responsible because I can pay bills, but I also Seriously, that is one of the few things we were TOLD about Willow, but her actions spoke otherwise. Her female best friend's only traits were enthusiasm, idiocy, and having watched every movie or TV series ever. She was basically an object used to support Willow's whims. The only thing Willow ever helped her with was untangling necklaces, for some reason?
Willow is also obsessed with boys. Half the book is her droning on about Max and Quinton ad infinitum. She's in love with her childhood best friend, but oh no, he has a girlfriend! Instead of respecting that, she Not only does she not respect that Max may actually love his girlfriend, but she The only descriptions we ever get for Quinton, the aforementioned boy she uses, are that he is hot and likes sports. That's it. Max has a teensy bit more development, but still feels like a cardboard cutout.
The pacing is also terrible. The book feels long and drawn out at times, with Willow making dumb decisions repeatedly after being warned by multiple people, and then trying to fix those mistakes using literal magic spells she purchases off the Internet. We suffer through that for like two hundred and fifty pages, only for each issue to be resolved in a short chapter. Gah! What was even the point in reading this ridiculous novel if the heroine did not learn a single thing!? I do not recommend this book to anyone. I despised it. 1/5 October 2 2023
My Rating: 2.5/5
Let me start by saying I was planning on writing this review earlier. This book took me way longer to read than planned. It started off good, with a cliche plot with a new twist. Boy and girl are best friends, one of them moves away and comes back when they are teenagers. The twist being Willow (our MC), hypnotized Max into being her best friend forever before she left. When she moves back to her hometown, she meets a hottie named Quinton in the park. They meet when her Cher loving dog humps his leg. Not even kidding, it was actually pretty funny.
The conflict starts when she hypnotizes some people for entertainment at Quinton's party. Now people are coming to her, asking her to hypnotize their problems away. Guess what Willow does? If you guessed "help" them, you're right. Of course she manages to screw EVERYTHING up. And instead of going to the one person who can help her, she does everything else. Even though it obviously won't work , and she knows that it's screwing with with not only people's futures, but possibly their well being.
The book dragged on a lot, throughout most of the book I was mentally screaming "JUST END ALREADY!" It was pretty repetive, with the MC agreeing to help someone (A.K.A. hypnotise them, and screw everything up), and then regretting it. Don't even get me stareted on when she hypnotizes someone for her own benefit, , as well as screws up their future and spends the rest of the book being being all like "OMG, what do I do?! It's not like my Mom used to hypnotise people and will know how to reverse this!" Yup, she's screwing with other people's minds and she's too self absorbed to ask for help.
Anybody want to listen to me rant about Willow some more? She is the most selfish character ever! She's too afraid of failing her mom to admit she did something she shouldn't have. Even when she knows that what she did . You know how she , at the same time she's also in love with Max! I mean I know she's in love with Max and he already has a girlfriend. But why can't she try to wow him like a normal girl?
Overall, the book has a good concept but as it goes on it starts to drag on and on and on and on.... and on top of that, I hated the MC.
If you're curious about the rating, I decided to rate it every fifty pages and average it. The ratings ranged from 3.5/5 to 2/5 (better ratings at the beginning than at the end). I ended up with a number around 2.28, which got rounded up to 2.5/5. November 4 2012
REREAD: I originally read Crush Control when I was fourteen, so I decided to reread it to compare. Fourteen year old Katlyn rated it 2.28/5, which was rather low for the time, as I gave nearly everything four or five star ratings, but I was curious to see how my tastes had changed now that I am twenty-five. They have. I have higher expectations and I am now not afraid to give books a one-star rating! This book was horrendous. The first half was just inane, silly, and cliched. Honestly, par for the course for YA. I can take some silliness, but it was incredibly cheesy. The second half was dreadful. 200 pages into the book, 14 year-old Katlyn noted "boring, MC is an idiot". Twenty-five year old Katlyn wholeheartedly agrees, but would like to add that Willow is a horrible person as well. She is willing to manipulate people for her own gain, and even though she seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, she still refused to ask her mother for help.
Worse than that though, the characters are completely one dimensional! Ooh, I'm Willow and I'm super unique with keyhole-shaped eyes! I think I'm responsible because I can pay bills, but I also Seriously, that is one of the few things we were TOLD about Willow, but her actions spoke otherwise. Her female best friend's only traits were enthusiasm, idiocy, and having watched every movie or TV series ever. She was basically an object used to support Willow's whims. The only thing Willow ever helped her with was untangling necklaces, for some reason?
Willow is also obsessed with boys. Half the book is her droning on about Max and Quinton ad infinitum. She's in love with her childhood best friend, but oh no, he has a girlfriend! Instead of respecting that, she Not only does she not respect that Max may actually love his girlfriend, but she The only descriptions we ever get for Quinton, the aforementioned boy she uses, are that he is hot and likes sports. That's it. Max has a teensy bit more development, but still feels like a cardboard cutout.
The pacing is also terrible. The book feels long and drawn out at times, with Willow making dumb decisions repeatedly after being warned by multiple people, and then trying to fix those mistakes using literal magic spells she purchases off the Internet. We suffer through that for like two hundred and fifty pages, only for each issue to be resolved in a short chapter. Gah! What was even the point in reading this ridiculous novel if the heroine did not learn a single thing!? I do not recommend this book to anyone. I despised it. 1/5 October 2 2023
June 25, 2021
I got this book as a gift and let it sit on my shelf for the longest time. I wish I had read this book sooner. I thought that it was really good. I couldn't put it down. Everything that the girl felt I felt. I thought that the plot moved quick and it was an easy read. A perfect summer read.
May 2, 2021
Using hypnotism as a fun twist to traditional chick lit, the author created a quick read and likable protagonist.
August 30, 2022
this is probably my favorite trope. it was honestly kind of predictable but in a cute way. if it wasn’t so predictable i’d be going for 5 stars tbh
September 1, 2022
Rating: 3/5
Solid 3 out of 5 stars. Book didn’t wow me but it was cute.
Solid 3 out of 5 stars. Book didn’t wow me but it was cute.
August 31, 2011
Crush Control was a sweet, funny, dream-like and totally lovable book.
Seventeen years old Willow Grey returns to her hometown Georgia, Worthington, after living in Vegas for nine years with her beautiful mother. There her mother’s work included hypnotizing people and was known as the “Hip Hypnotist”. So naturally, after being with it for nine years Willow knew how to do it too. When she returned to Georgia, she also returned to her best friend Max, who she had fallen in love with during one of their long distance phone calls.
On her first day back home, she meets a gorgeous boy Quinton, thanks to her crazy dog, Oompa’s equally crazy act. That part was so funny, my sides still hurt from all the laughing. Then after she finally meets Max, she feels all round sparks flying. Until she finds out that Max has a girlfriend, Minnie. Then all she feels are the tears running down her cheeks. There she meets her crazy new friend Georgia, who helps her through all the heartbroken mess and the new school system.
When the news about her knowing how to hypnotize people got out, she was invited to a party by none other than the gorgeous Quinton, who later was found out to be the star football player. Who can decline an invitation like that? So Willow goes and on the request from others, also performs a show of hypnotizing people (also I must add, totally against her mother’s rule). Soon she finds herself being asked by the queen bee of the school for help over her fears and then lovely boy Quinton joins the line later on. That is when she gets a crazy idea which would make Max jealous and realize his feeling for her (according to Willow). From there things just spiral out of control.
One of the best books, ever. I LOVED IT! It was such a beautiful story with all the right amount seriousness, romance, funny parts and confusion. Especially the funny parts. As I mentioned earlier that all the Oompa scenes were so hilarious, my sides still hurt from laughing. Even now, as I think about it I just feel like cracking up and howling with laughter. Crazy, crazy dog. Just read the part where Oompa meets Quinton and you will know what I am talking about.
Willow’s character was good, but the best I liked was Georgia. She was cool, supporting and funny. I think that in between the book just stretched on little more than necessary but that flaw was quickly overshadowed by everything else, (good) in the book. I never once thought that maybe I am wasting my time reading this book. It didn’t even give me a chance to form those words in my head. The story was beautifully crafted and well written.
The ending of the book was really sweet. Crush Control is totally worth all the five stars, which is what I’ve rated this book with. I kind of wish that there was a whole series of this book because I want this story to go on further and for its character's to stay with me a little longer. But on the other hand I think that it is better that it is a single book otherwise it would have lost its charm and the satisfaction it gave to the reader (me) that –Ah! Now they are going to have a happily ever after without any more complications. Yay!
All in all, one of the best books I have ever read. I am going to try out Jennifer Jabaley’s debut novel Lipstick Apologies to find out whether it is as good as Crush Control. I really hope it is.
Seventeen years old Willow Grey returns to her hometown Georgia, Worthington, after living in Vegas for nine years with her beautiful mother. There her mother’s work included hypnotizing people and was known as the “Hip Hypnotist”. So naturally, after being with it for nine years Willow knew how to do it too. When she returned to Georgia, she also returned to her best friend Max, who she had fallen in love with during one of their long distance phone calls.
On her first day back home, she meets a gorgeous boy Quinton, thanks to her crazy dog, Oompa’s equally crazy act. That part was so funny, my sides still hurt from all the laughing. Then after she finally meets Max, she feels all round sparks flying. Until she finds out that Max has a girlfriend, Minnie. Then all she feels are the tears running down her cheeks. There she meets her crazy new friend Georgia, who helps her through all the heartbroken mess and the new school system.
When the news about her knowing how to hypnotize people got out, she was invited to a party by none other than the gorgeous Quinton, who later was found out to be the star football player. Who can decline an invitation like that? So Willow goes and on the request from others, also performs a show of hypnotizing people (also I must add, totally against her mother’s rule). Soon she finds herself being asked by the queen bee of the school for help over her fears and then lovely boy Quinton joins the line later on. That is when she gets a crazy idea which would make Max jealous and realize his feeling for her (according to Willow). From there things just spiral out of control.
One of the best books, ever. I LOVED IT! It was such a beautiful story with all the right amount seriousness, romance, funny parts and confusion. Especially the funny parts. As I mentioned earlier that all the Oompa scenes were so hilarious, my sides still hurt from laughing. Even now, as I think about it I just feel like cracking up and howling with laughter. Crazy, crazy dog. Just read the part where Oompa meets Quinton and you will know what I am talking about.
Willow’s character was good, but the best I liked was Georgia. She was cool, supporting and funny. I think that in between the book just stretched on little more than necessary but that flaw was quickly overshadowed by everything else, (good) in the book. I never once thought that maybe I am wasting my time reading this book. It didn’t even give me a chance to form those words in my head. The story was beautifully crafted and well written.
The ending of the book was really sweet. Crush Control is totally worth all the five stars, which is what I’ve rated this book with. I kind of wish that there was a whole series of this book because I want this story to go on further and for its character's to stay with me a little longer. But on the other hand I think that it is better that it is a single book otherwise it would have lost its charm and the satisfaction it gave to the reader (me) that –Ah! Now they are going to have a happily ever after without any more complications. Yay!
All in all, one of the best books I have ever read. I am going to try out Jennifer Jabaley’s debut novel Lipstick Apologies to find out whether it is as good as Crush Control. I really hope it is.
December 19, 2011
» Review can also be found on Orchids & Amethysts.
Title: Crush Control
Author: Jennifer Jabaley
Rating: 4/5
Willow and her mom are moving back from Vegas to Worthington after nine years of taking the audience of Vegas' night life into the magical world of hypnosis. It feels strange to be back, but fortunately Willow got Max, the guy who has always been her best friend. Now back in town, and even since quite a couple while, she has different, bigger, feelings for him. But the guy of her dreams is dating another girl and obviously not thinking about Willow any other way than being her friend. Willow decides to give into all that teenage drama stuff and plans on making Max jealous. It's dangerous but she decides to hypnose Quinton, that super hot guy she also has a little thing for. The hypnose actually starts to work but soon our little magican's got to face that hypnosing people might not be the right way to get what you want.
Such a simple book idea and such a dumb summary and also way too long. Grr.. Anyhow, I loved this book!
It's a tough situation for Willow: Feeling those things for Max and yet not be able to tell if he feels the same and all that. I think every girl can relate to that, or at least most of the girls in the world anyway. Max is basically the only reason why Willow is happy about moving and then she finds out he has a girlfriend. Shock! But, stop! Quinton might be the perfect solution.
He is everything a girl is looking for. He has got awesome looks and practically every girl wants to be with him. So when he doesn't make a move on his own, Willow makes a move with the help of hypnosis. She helped Mia, a cheerleader, to lose her fear of falling because of hyponosis and so when Quinton asks her to hypnose himself aswell, she takes action and tells him a little more than to lose fear of something.
It doesn't take a long time to see if and how it worked. So much be told, it worked. It worked just fine! A little too fine perhaps 'cause though Quinton is really cute and stuff, it isn't really him. Willow sees that some time too and wants to undo the hypnose. The thing is, she doesn't know how. Along with her friend Georgia she tries different options. Who would have ever thought that undo hypnose might be even more trickier than actually doing one?
So, uhm, yeah.. I loved this book! I wanted to read it for a very long time and I finally did, yay! I've never really thought that a book about hypnosis, even though it's still young adult (perfect young adult!), could be so cool. I love how Georgia and Willow try to undo everything. Then I also couldn't decide which guy I'd have prefered for Willow. Probably Quinton because he is content in this book and Max is more in the background during the middle of the story. Both are awesome guys, and it doesn't happen too often that I don't care about which guy a girl choses. I'd have been happy with any couple here, but it's a nice ending. :)
Loved, recommended and thank you Jennifer for creating a book like Crush Control. I couldn't put it down a single second.
Title: Crush Control
Author: Jennifer Jabaley
Rating: 4/5
Willow and her mom are moving back from Vegas to Worthington after nine years of taking the audience of Vegas' night life into the magical world of hypnosis. It feels strange to be back, but fortunately Willow got Max, the guy who has always been her best friend. Now back in town, and even since quite a couple while, she has different, bigger, feelings for him. But the guy of her dreams is dating another girl and obviously not thinking about Willow any other way than being her friend. Willow decides to give into all that teenage drama stuff and plans on making Max jealous. It's dangerous but she decides to hypnose Quinton, that super hot guy she also has a little thing for. The hypnose actually starts to work but soon our little magican's got to face that hypnosing people might not be the right way to get what you want.
Such a simple book idea and such a dumb summary and also way too long. Grr.. Anyhow, I loved this book!
It's a tough situation for Willow: Feeling those things for Max and yet not be able to tell if he feels the same and all that. I think every girl can relate to that, or at least most of the girls in the world anyway. Max is basically the only reason why Willow is happy about moving and then she finds out he has a girlfriend. Shock! But, stop! Quinton might be the perfect solution.
He is everything a girl is looking for. He has got awesome looks and practically every girl wants to be with him. So when he doesn't make a move on his own, Willow makes a move with the help of hypnosis. She helped Mia, a cheerleader, to lose her fear of falling because of hyponosis and so when Quinton asks her to hypnose himself aswell, she takes action and tells him a little more than to lose fear of something.
It doesn't take a long time to see if and how it worked. So much be told, it worked. It worked just fine! A little too fine perhaps 'cause though Quinton is really cute and stuff, it isn't really him. Willow sees that some time too and wants to undo the hypnose. The thing is, she doesn't know how. Along with her friend Georgia she tries different options. Who would have ever thought that undo hypnose might be even more trickier than actually doing one?
So, uhm, yeah.. I loved this book! I wanted to read it for a very long time and I finally did, yay! I've never really thought that a book about hypnosis, even though it's still young adult (perfect young adult!), could be so cool. I love how Georgia and Willow try to undo everything. Then I also couldn't decide which guy I'd have prefered for Willow. Probably Quinton because he is content in this book and Max is more in the background during the middle of the story. Both are awesome guys, and it doesn't happen too often that I don't care about which guy a girl choses. I'd have been happy with any couple here, but it's a nice ending. :)
Loved, recommended and thank you Jennifer for creating a book like Crush Control. I couldn't put it down a single second.
July 6, 2011
What do you do when you’ve hypnotized your friend into being your best friend forever, but years later realize you want more than just friendship? Why, more hypnosis, of course!
But CRUSH CONTROL is more than just a light-hearted romance with a hypnotism twist. It’s is a story about friendship, family, finding yourself and free will. It’s a story about the pressures of high expectations, and responsibilities. And, it’s a story about love.
Willow and her mom move to Las Vegas when Willow is nine to start up a hypnotist show, and before they leave Willow hypnotizes her friend Max into always being her friend. Years later, Willow and her mom return to her hometown. Willow is excited to start over in the small town, and to see Max again – hopefully, as more than just friends now. But things don’t go as planned. Max has a girlfriend, Willow meets handsome classmate Quinton and begins a risky plan to make Max jealous, and top of the social later Mia needs her help. Suddenly Willow is doing hypnosis on a regular basis, but her good intentions backfire when both Quinton and Mia begin to suffer and get hurt because of Willow’s hypnotic suggestions.
Willow is one of those characters that is so endearing, and genuinely tries to be the best person she can be, but ultimately gets herself into some trouble. I felt that when it came to Willow helping Mia, it just went a little too far – in the beginning, Willow was actually helping. With Quinton, however, Willow made bad decisions from the start, all for selfish reasons when she could have just talked to Max. But that wouldn’t have given us a book to read! I really liked Max, as a best friend and potential boyfriend for Willow. However, he should have sucked it up and talked to Willow himself when it became obvious she wasn’t going to talk to him about what was going on.
Willow’s mom and her friend Georgia were probably my favourites. Willow’s mom has made the decision to be a “responsible” parent and leave her Las Vegas show to become a hypnotherapist in a doctor’s office, give Willow a house rather than an apartment and to reconcile with her own parents. But she’s still herself. She may be changing her life, but she isn’t changing her personality, and I loved that. And Georgia! She’s hilarious. I enjoyed all the references to current books, movies and tv shows, and her desire to help but ultimately not helping at all.
While I felt that some of the decisions Willow made were a little farfetched, I enjoyed how they were written into the overall story to help drive it to it’s happy (yay!) ending. So in the end, with good writing, imagery and pop culture mixed with Shakespeare, CRUSH CONTROL is a fun romance, with deeper messages that will keep you invested in the story and its characters. I devoured this book in only a few hours, and definitely recommend it.
But CRUSH CONTROL is more than just a light-hearted romance with a hypnotism twist. It’s is a story about friendship, family, finding yourself and free will. It’s a story about the pressures of high expectations, and responsibilities. And, it’s a story about love.
Willow and her mom move to Las Vegas when Willow is nine to start up a hypnotist show, and before they leave Willow hypnotizes her friend Max into always being her friend. Years later, Willow and her mom return to her hometown. Willow is excited to start over in the small town, and to see Max again – hopefully, as more than just friends now. But things don’t go as planned. Max has a girlfriend, Willow meets handsome classmate Quinton and begins a risky plan to make Max jealous, and top of the social later Mia needs her help. Suddenly Willow is doing hypnosis on a regular basis, but her good intentions backfire when both Quinton and Mia begin to suffer and get hurt because of Willow’s hypnotic suggestions.
Willow is one of those characters that is so endearing, and genuinely tries to be the best person she can be, but ultimately gets herself into some trouble. I felt that when it came to Willow helping Mia, it just went a little too far – in the beginning, Willow was actually helping. With Quinton, however, Willow made bad decisions from the start, all for selfish reasons when she could have just talked to Max. But that wouldn’t have given us a book to read! I really liked Max, as a best friend and potential boyfriend for Willow. However, he should have sucked it up and talked to Willow himself when it became obvious she wasn’t going to talk to him about what was going on.
Willow’s mom and her friend Georgia were probably my favourites. Willow’s mom has made the decision to be a “responsible” parent and leave her Las Vegas show to become a hypnotherapist in a doctor’s office, give Willow a house rather than an apartment and to reconcile with her own parents. But she’s still herself. She may be changing her life, but she isn’t changing her personality, and I loved that. And Georgia! She’s hilarious. I enjoyed all the references to current books, movies and tv shows, and her desire to help but ultimately not helping at all.
While I felt that some of the decisions Willow made were a little farfetched, I enjoyed how they were written into the overall story to help drive it to it’s happy (yay!) ending. So in the end, with good writing, imagery and pop culture mixed with Shakespeare, CRUSH CONTROL is a fun romance, with deeper messages that will keep you invested in the story and its characters. I devoured this book in only a few hours, and definitely recommend it.
September 28, 2011
Willow Grey and her mother, a single 33 year old parent, have recently moved from Las Vegas, Nevada back to their home town of Worthington, Georgia. They had lived in Worthington until Willow was 9 years old but then relocated to Vegas. Willow's mom is a professional hypnotist who had her own show in Vegas until she decided that Willow needed a more normal home life. Willow is very excited to be reunited with her grandparents and also her life-long best friend, Max. Willow has discovered that her feelings for Max have changed from that of a friend to feelings of love. Now she is hoping to find out that he is feeling the same about her. Unfortunately, Willow soon discovers that while Max is happy to have her back, he has a steady girlfriend named Minnie. In what started out as a way to make Max jealous, Willow decides to use her knowledge of hypnosis to stand out to her new classmates. She is asked to help a popular cheerleader overcome her fear of tumbling and a very cute football player asks for help to stop his sleepwalking. While Willow has Quinton hypnotized she implants a suggestion that would make him attracted to her romantically. She also implants all the things that she thinks would make him a wonderful boyfriend.....treating her special, pampering and showering her with romance, see her as sexy and alluring but chivalrous and never pressuring her in any way, treating her like a goddess of love. The results are dramatic and as their relationship grows it takes unexpected twists and turns. Willow is left to decide if having the "best boyfriend" is better than having someone who truly cares for you. She also discovers that actions can have dramatic and perhaps tragic results. In the end she must decide who she really is and what she really wants from her life.
My thoughts:
If you are someone who enjoys movies like 27 Dresses, The Proposal, etc where people go to ridiculous lengths to do what they are doing then you will enjoy this book. I found it to be rather silly but I could definitely see it as one of these fluffy romantic comedies. The relationship between Willow, her mom and her grandmother was very reminiscent of the Gilmore Girls. A high society grandmother is disapproving of her daughter's life style after she gives birth at 16 but she tries to influence the granddaughter as she gets older. The things that Willow does to try to get attention are pretty juvenile. I didn't like the way some activities like having a party with parents out of town and drinking going on seemed to be taken for granted. I found it somewhat unbelievable that having grown up with hypnosis, Willow was so willing to use it with no thought to the consequences.
Janeth
My thoughts:
If you are someone who enjoys movies like 27 Dresses, The Proposal, etc where people go to ridiculous lengths to do what they are doing then you will enjoy this book. I found it to be rather silly but I could definitely see it as one of these fluffy romantic comedies. The relationship between Willow, her mom and her grandmother was very reminiscent of the Gilmore Girls. A high society grandmother is disapproving of her daughter's life style after she gives birth at 16 but she tries to influence the granddaughter as she gets older. The things that Willow does to try to get attention are pretty juvenile. I didn't like the way some activities like having a party with parents out of town and drinking going on seemed to be taken for granted. I found it somewhat unbelievable that having grown up with hypnosis, Willow was so willing to use it with no thought to the consequences.
Janeth
August 28, 2011
2.5 /5
Ok, so my streak of luck has just run out. Not that this book is bad. It was ok. But it was very predictable to me. So much, nothing surprises me, not even the ending! I got everything right on track. Like I know exactly the effect of the hypnosis she did to her friend, Max. I know the plan to make Max jealous will backfire. And just like I said, I very know how it will end. In other words, the book has no twist whatsoever, it was too plain. Nevertheless it was nice. Some parts are funny.
***
I really hate myself sometimes (ok, most of the time). When I wanted to write review my brain is somehow blocked, like where are all the ideas roaming inside my head when I was reading the book had gone. Yep, that feeling. I have to do some things first just to remember what I wanted to say. Ugh, what a waste of time! And sadly since this book is a bit average so I’m scarcely looking for the right words to say. Not gonna rant though since while it didn’t impress me, it wasn’t horrible in my watch. Like I said above (which I wrote two hours ago. Yeah, yeah, I know, my brain need some warming up) it was way too predictable to satiate my curiosity, or my hunger for plot twist. I heart those!
Anyhoo, Willow is a nice character, she knows hypnotism because her mom works as a hypnotist in a Vegas show (and don’t ask me, never been to Vegas, actually never been outside the territorial boundaries of my country) but from my measly knowledge, Vegas shows are glamorous, one of hell of entertainment type of shows. When they returned to their hometown, she hopes to develop her relationship status with Max, from bestfriend to girlfriend. Turned out he’s taken and to get his attention, she decided to resort on jealousy tactics by hypnotizing a guy to pose as her boyfriend. Ok, with that, I know it’s going to be a very messy plan.
I have read tons of books like this, the girl falling in love with her guy bestfriend theme. The only clever thing with this one is the hypnotism. But then again it was the hypnotism that kinda made it unsurprising. I kinda blame myself for being a bit keen on details. If I my brain didn’t do a quick analysis when I read the hypnotism Willow did to Max when they were kids, I probably would’ve find it… well, unpredictable. But I figured it out so it kinda messes up the surprise aspect. Oh, well.
But more than that, the book is still good. It was funny and light. It was a quick read and it wasn’t forgettable. I pretty much remember the details of the story. So yeah, if you like a nice, fun story, you’ll probably like this!
Ok, so my streak of luck has just run out. Not that this book is bad. It was ok. But it was very predictable to me. So much, nothing surprises me, not even the ending! I got everything right on track. Like I know exactly the effect of the hypnosis she did to her friend, Max. I know the plan to make Max jealous will backfire. And just like I said, I very know how it will end. In other words, the book has no twist whatsoever, it was too plain. Nevertheless it was nice. Some parts are funny.
***
I really hate myself sometimes (ok, most of the time). When I wanted to write review my brain is somehow blocked, like where are all the ideas roaming inside my head when I was reading the book had gone. Yep, that feeling. I have to do some things first just to remember what I wanted to say. Ugh, what a waste of time! And sadly since this book is a bit average so I’m scarcely looking for the right words to say. Not gonna rant though since while it didn’t impress me, it wasn’t horrible in my watch. Like I said above (which I wrote two hours ago. Yeah, yeah, I know, my brain need some warming up) it was way too predictable to satiate my curiosity, or my hunger for plot twist. I heart those!
Anyhoo, Willow is a nice character, she knows hypnotism because her mom works as a hypnotist in a Vegas show (and don’t ask me, never been to Vegas, actually never been outside the territorial boundaries of my country) but from my measly knowledge, Vegas shows are glamorous, one of hell of entertainment type of shows. When they returned to their hometown, she hopes to develop her relationship status with Max, from bestfriend to girlfriend. Turned out he’s taken and to get his attention, she decided to resort on jealousy tactics by hypnotizing a guy to pose as her boyfriend. Ok, with that, I know it’s going to be a very messy plan.
I have read tons of books like this, the girl falling in love with her guy bestfriend theme. The only clever thing with this one is the hypnotism. But then again it was the hypnotism that kinda made it unsurprising. I kinda blame myself for being a bit keen on details. If I my brain didn’t do a quick analysis when I read the hypnotism Willow did to Max when they were kids, I probably would’ve find it… well, unpredictable. But I figured it out so it kinda messes up the surprise aspect. Oh, well.
But more than that, the book is still good. It was funny and light. It was a quick read and it wasn’t forgettable. I pretty much remember the details of the story. So yeah, if you like a nice, fun story, you’ll probably like this!
February 2, 2013
I wasn't too sure what to expect when I signed up for this book tour because I must admit, I didn't remember if I read the summary or not. So when I finally got this in the mail, I was pretty excited to read it. I have not read Lipstick Apology like many others have, so this author was new to me. I was happy to find that Crush Control was a fun and sweet story that I really couldn't get enough of.
Willow and Max have been best friends since before they were born. Willow at nine years old, hypnotizes Max that they will be best friends forever before she and her mom move to Las Vegas to start a new life. Now, eight years later, Willow and her mom return home and Willow is ready to pick up things with Max where they left off and maybe even start something new. What Willow didn't expect was Max to have a new girlfriend and that all she would be was the best friend. Determined to win Max's heart, Willow thinks of a plan that only a teenage girl would be convinced of working: she hypnotizes the hottest guy in school to fall head over heels for her, to make Max jealous. Everything spirals out of control pretty quickly and Willow must figure out how to fix everything she's done.
Willow is a fun and wacky girl that I liked from the start and her different successful attempts at hypnosis had me laughing out loud. I got sucked into the story pretty quickly because of the ease the story was written in and the great relationships Willow has with her loved ones made me adore the characters. Not only does she have an awesome relationship with her mom, but she makes unexpected friends who care about her, and her relationship with Max is really sweet. And although we didn't get a chance to see the "real" Quinton, his part was pretty funny, if not a bit ridiculous.
The story moves along quickly enough and I was engaged the entire time. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next, and everytime Willow tried something new to change her situation, I was enjoying myself. I was pretty satisfied with the conclusion, and there were a few sweet surprises that I really liked. Overall, this is a great beach read that I'm sure many will enjoy. I definitely had a good time watching Willow grow as a character and even found some interest in hypnosis, which I am still not sure I believe actually "works". I will definitely be reading more from Ms. Jabaley and recommed Crush Control to all YA lovers out there looking for a quick, fun read!
Willow and Max have been best friends since before they were born. Willow at nine years old, hypnotizes Max that they will be best friends forever before she and her mom move to Las Vegas to start a new life. Now, eight years later, Willow and her mom return home and Willow is ready to pick up things with Max where they left off and maybe even start something new. What Willow didn't expect was Max to have a new girlfriend and that all she would be was the best friend. Determined to win Max's heart, Willow thinks of a plan that only a teenage girl would be convinced of working: she hypnotizes the hottest guy in school to fall head over heels for her, to make Max jealous. Everything spirals out of control pretty quickly and Willow must figure out how to fix everything she's done.
Willow is a fun and wacky girl that I liked from the start and her different successful attempts at hypnosis had me laughing out loud. I got sucked into the story pretty quickly because of the ease the story was written in and the great relationships Willow has with her loved ones made me adore the characters. Not only does she have an awesome relationship with her mom, but she makes unexpected friends who care about her, and her relationship with Max is really sweet. And although we didn't get a chance to see the "real" Quinton, his part was pretty funny, if not a bit ridiculous.
The story moves along quickly enough and I was engaged the entire time. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next, and everytime Willow tried something new to change her situation, I was enjoying myself. I was pretty satisfied with the conclusion, and there were a few sweet surprises that I really liked. Overall, this is a great beach read that I'm sure many will enjoy. I definitely had a good time watching Willow grow as a character and even found some interest in hypnosis, which I am still not sure I believe actually "works". I will definitely be reading more from Ms. Jabaley and recommed Crush Control to all YA lovers out there looking for a quick, fun read!
August 4, 2011
Originally from www.myteenreads.blogspot.com
Willow's mom forced them to move from Georgia to Las Vegas when she was 9 so she could pursue her career as a hypnotist. Willow was sad that she would have to leave her childhood best friend, Max. So she does what she must, and hypnotizes him so that they will always be best friends. Now, she's a senior and her mom wants a more "normal" life and decides to move back to Georgia. Willow has fallen in love with Max over the years and is excited to come back so that what they have can finally be more than just friends. Except she's faced with an unexpected surprise, Max has a girlfriend. Willow then finds herself using her inexperienced hypnosis techniques again to get what she wants.
I enjoyed the concept of this book, because hypnosis fascinates me. I found it a little hard to relate to Willow, because I would never to hypnotize someone to feel differently about me. I would just want them to like me for me, and not be thinking about what was fake and what was real. Our world is already fake enough, I wouldn't need more of that! haha. Max was just there every once in a while, I never felt a real connection with him. I thought that Mia was well-portrayed. I found Georgia to be a little unrealistic, because she seems too eager and happy to help Willow with whatever she was doing. Like the sidekick, who was fine with just being that. I thought that the author did a perfect job of creating Quinton. I could feel Willow's frustration with him, because I was definitely frustrated with him too!! haha Minnie however, I felt was just thrown in and out of the story. I would have liked to have gotten to know her more, because she was there for a little bit, and then just gone without any explanation. I like full circle endings :P
The story was your typical love triangle, with some typical teenage characters. It was a nice, happy ending story. I liked how the author also wrote about some family problems too, so that Willow had other problems besides Max. It's somewhat predictable, even though there were some parts I didn't see coming. The characters were fun, no backstabbing villain ones, which was nice for a change.
It's nothing special, it was worth reading, but not something I would read again. If the summary interests you, give it a try! It's thought provoking and fun, and will most likely be enjoyed. I liked it, but it wasn't an outstanding story for me.
Willow's mom forced them to move from Georgia to Las Vegas when she was 9 so she could pursue her career as a hypnotist. Willow was sad that she would have to leave her childhood best friend, Max. So she does what she must, and hypnotizes him so that they will always be best friends. Now, she's a senior and her mom wants a more "normal" life and decides to move back to Georgia. Willow has fallen in love with Max over the years and is excited to come back so that what they have can finally be more than just friends. Except she's faced with an unexpected surprise, Max has a girlfriend. Willow then finds herself using her inexperienced hypnosis techniques again to get what she wants.
I enjoyed the concept of this book, because hypnosis fascinates me. I found it a little hard to relate to Willow, because I would never to hypnotize someone to feel differently about me. I would just want them to like me for me, and not be thinking about what was fake and what was real. Our world is already fake enough, I wouldn't need more of that! haha. Max was just there every once in a while, I never felt a real connection with him. I thought that Mia was well-portrayed. I found Georgia to be a little unrealistic, because she seems too eager and happy to help Willow with whatever she was doing. Like the sidekick, who was fine with just being that. I thought that the author did a perfect job of creating Quinton. I could feel Willow's frustration with him, because I was definitely frustrated with him too!! haha Minnie however, I felt was just thrown in and out of the story. I would have liked to have gotten to know her more, because she was there for a little bit, and then just gone without any explanation. I like full circle endings :P
The story was your typical love triangle, with some typical teenage characters. It was a nice, happy ending story. I liked how the author also wrote about some family problems too, so that Willow had other problems besides Max. It's somewhat predictable, even though there were some parts I didn't see coming. The characters were fun, no backstabbing villain ones, which was nice for a change.
It's nothing special, it was worth reading, but not something I would read again. If the summary interests you, give it a try! It's thought provoking and fun, and will most likely be enjoyed. I liked it, but it wasn't an outstanding story for me.
August 6, 2011
My Thoughts: Before I started this novel, I had seen both negative and positive reviews all over the internet. Some people said it was dark, some people said it was fun.
I have to agree with it being fun! It was totally fun. We are introduced to Willow who has just moved back to her hometown after spending years in Las Vegas. She has spent her free time helping her mom out in her hypnotism show. She doesn't know where her father is, and her grandparents live in the town they are originally from so its just Willow and her mom in Las Vegas.
Her mom figures they need a change and now that her grandfather's sick, they will move back and try to mend fences. Willow couldn't be more excited. She finally gets to be near her best friend Max again. They have been best friends since they were babies.
Willow gets back in town and meets a new guy; Quinton. They meet at the park. She think he's hot and sweet. She than bumps into Max and he's even cuter than she remembered. She had seen him just five years ago but dang he has changed. Max and Willow go back to the way things used to be, hanging out, best friends. But there is a catch. There is a new somebody in Max's life and Willow is a tad jealous. She starts school, makes a friend, and even sees Quinton again.
She hatches a plan to make Max jealous. Its a somewhat twisted plan but interesting to say the least.
I'm not going to give away any more plot details. Lets just say this, Crush Control was awesome. I loved reading it. I loved seeing Max and Willow communicate. I loved all the simple things. I loved the Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill reference. Those are my two favorite shows ever! I loved the way Max and Willow looked at one another but neither seemed to really notice. I also loved the other characters throughout the book. I did like Quinton to an extent too but Max was my guy.
Crush Control; two words: Freaking Awesome!
Overall: Loved this one! I needed a light breezy fun read and this definitely did the trick for me.
Cover: I actually really like it. Not only do I like the girl but I also like the color scheme. Very appealing.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
__________________________________
Review Based On Softcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
I have to agree with it being fun! It was totally fun. We are introduced to Willow who has just moved back to her hometown after spending years in Las Vegas. She has spent her free time helping her mom out in her hypnotism show. She doesn't know where her father is, and her grandparents live in the town they are originally from so its just Willow and her mom in Las Vegas.
Her mom figures they need a change and now that her grandfather's sick, they will move back and try to mend fences. Willow couldn't be more excited. She finally gets to be near her best friend Max again. They have been best friends since they were babies.
Willow gets back in town and meets a new guy; Quinton. They meet at the park. She think he's hot and sweet. She than bumps into Max and he's even cuter than she remembered. She had seen him just five years ago but dang he has changed. Max and Willow go back to the way things used to be, hanging out, best friends. But there is a catch. There is a new somebody in Max's life and Willow is a tad jealous. She starts school, makes a friend, and even sees Quinton again.
She hatches a plan to make Max jealous. Its a somewhat twisted plan but interesting to say the least.
I'm not going to give away any more plot details. Lets just say this, Crush Control was awesome. I loved reading it. I loved seeing Max and Willow communicate. I loved all the simple things. I loved the Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill reference. Those are my two favorite shows ever! I loved the way Max and Willow looked at one another but neither seemed to really notice. I also loved the other characters throughout the book. I did like Quinton to an extent too but Max was my guy.
Crush Control; two words: Freaking Awesome!
Overall: Loved this one! I needed a light breezy fun read and this definitely did the trick for me.
Cover: I actually really like it. Not only do I like the girl but I also like the color scheme. Very appealing.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
__________________________________
Review Based On Softcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
February 28, 2016
After how disappointing the last YA book I read was, this book was a welcome change. This is a good book to read if you want some mindless fun. It's not some deep, thought provoking novel, but it sure is entertaining. It's a cute, fluffy read about boys and family problems. The humor in this book didn't fall flat and I ended up laughing so much at all the embarrassing situations Willow got herself into. I liked all the characters and thought Georgia was a good sidekick type of friend. The scenes with Georgia's mom were hilarious! I found myself cracking up whenever she popped in.
I loved Quinton. Maybe even more so than Max. I felt bad that he'd been mind controlled against his will, but he was just so damn adorable!! True, he was getting a bit creepy. However, it was funny to see how clingy and crazy he turned over the course of a week or two. I loved the facebook page thing as well as the paint-by-number picture. Gahh, I wish I had a Quinton haha. I wonder if anything would have happened between Willow and Quinton if she hadn't mind mumo-jumbo'ed him. They seemed like there was some chemistry in the park scene. Either way, poor guy...I feel bad for him. How is he going to regain his reputation after the whole school saw him going love obsessed over Willow. Because, let's face it, dear Quinton was three steps away from turning stalker.
I didn't quite get one part of the story though. Willow and Georgie spend all this time trying to un-hypnotize Quinton. I must say that some of their antics actually made me laugh my face off, like the voodoo doll thing. However, I don't get why Willow couldn't just put him in a trance like she had in the beginning. She asked him if she could hypnotize him again, but he said no because his sleepwalking was better. Willow didn't even try to push him to agree. She asked once and then promptly gave up in favor of ridiculous methods and online potion recipes. You would think that Willow would be able to convince him eventually since he was so super obsessed with her. Willow could've just made up some over-the-top reason and cried a bit.
I loved Quinton. Maybe even more so than Max. I felt bad that he'd been mind controlled against his will, but he was just so damn adorable!! True, he was getting a bit creepy. However, it was funny to see how clingy and crazy he turned over the course of a week or two. I loved the facebook page thing as well as the paint-by-number picture. Gahh, I wish I had a Quinton haha. I wonder if anything would have happened between Willow and Quinton if she hadn't mind mumo-jumbo'ed him. They seemed like there was some chemistry in the park scene. Either way, poor guy...I feel bad for him. How is he going to regain his reputation after the whole school saw him going love obsessed over Willow. Because, let's face it, dear Quinton was three steps away from turning stalker.
I didn't quite get one part of the story though. Willow and Georgie spend all this time trying to un-hypnotize Quinton. I must say that some of their antics actually made me laugh my face off, like the voodoo doll thing. However, I don't get why Willow couldn't just put him in a trance like she had in the beginning. She asked him if she could hypnotize him again, but he said no because his sleepwalking was better. Willow didn't even try to push him to agree. She asked once and then promptly gave up in favor of ridiculous methods and online potion recipes. You would think that Willow would be able to convince him eventually since he was so super obsessed with her. Willow could've just made up some over-the-top reason and cried a bit.
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February 9, 2012Book Title: Crush Control
Author: Jennifer Jabaley
Published By: Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult
Recommended Age: 13+
Reviewed By: Emily Tuley / AngelsCryHavoc
Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud Literary Community
Rating: 4 Ravens
Cute, That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about this book. The author has found a very unique and interesting way to put the turmoil of being the new girl but not really the new girl out in the open the stresses of the character and the desire to be something that she’s not but what others think her to be. The need to be accepted and thought of more than she first might have been. It rushes through turmoil , trouble and a little bit of crazy in the end it ties up adorably and I was pleased with the ending just wish there was a little more story telling. That being said I’ll give a little synopsis of the way I viewed the book.
The story is set in Worthington , Georgia it’s Willow’s hometown , but when she was eight she and her mother had moved away to Las Vegas. Over the years she has stayed friends with her best friend Max back in Georgia and they have shared each others ups and downs always the best friends always the boy or girl the other could fall back on when things didn’t seem to go their way. Willow shortly after one of her boyfriends comes to realize that she’s in love with Max and waits for him… Finally the time has come to move back and she thinks things are going to all go her way.
Max is more than excited when his best friend has moved back to town. Things start out fine spending time with each other and enjoy the other. But as he starts to feel more for Willow he sees things going a little more out of control or what he thinks are wrong. Rifts form but not for the reasons Willow expects. Max is in love with her but due to a little hypnosis when they were young Max is struggling when he wants more than friendship all he can think about is friendship. The question is will things work out or will they just get worse.
A wonderful story by Jennifer Jabaley and I’m looking forward for more to come.
Author: Jennifer Jabaley
Published By: Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult
Recommended Age: 13+
Reviewed By: Emily Tuley / AngelsCryHavoc
Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud Literary Community
Rating: 4 Ravens
Cute, That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about this book. The author has found a very unique and interesting way to put the turmoil of being the new girl but not really the new girl out in the open the stresses of the character and the desire to be something that she’s not but what others think her to be. The need to be accepted and thought of more than she first might have been. It rushes through turmoil , trouble and a little bit of crazy in the end it ties up adorably and I was pleased with the ending just wish there was a little more story telling. That being said I’ll give a little synopsis of the way I viewed the book.
The story is set in Worthington , Georgia it’s Willow’s hometown , but when she was eight she and her mother had moved away to Las Vegas. Over the years she has stayed friends with her best friend Max back in Georgia and they have shared each others ups and downs always the best friends always the boy or girl the other could fall back on when things didn’t seem to go their way. Willow shortly after one of her boyfriends comes to realize that she’s in love with Max and waits for him… Finally the time has come to move back and she thinks things are going to all go her way.
Max is more than excited when his best friend has moved back to town. Things start out fine spending time with each other and enjoy the other. But as he starts to feel more for Willow he sees things going a little more out of control or what he thinks are wrong. Rifts form but not for the reasons Willow expects. Max is in love with her but due to a little hypnosis when they were young Max is struggling when he wants more than friendship all he can think about is friendship. The question is will things work out or will they just get worse.
A wonderful story by Jennifer Jabaley and I’m looking forward for more to come.
March 19, 2015
Crush control by Jennifer Jabaley is a wonderful book. This book is about a girl named Willow and one of her best friends Max. They were best friends since kindergarten. Everything was normal until one day Willow's mother said they were moving to Los Vegas. Even though Willow was heartbroken to leave her best friend, she still had to. Willow's mother used to hypnosis people long before Willow was in high school but she stopped. During the summer of her junior year her mother said they would move back to their old town Georgia. Willow and max always had feelings for each other but they never told each other. They get jealous whenever one of them starts dating someone else. At the end of the book, they tell eachother how they really feel. In conclusion, crush control is a good book to read.
Jennifer Jabaley has done a very good job on writing this book. I learned that you should never make the same mistake over and over again and don't always depend on others to fix it. I would recommend this book to everyone because is an incredible book. Many people had been in a situation where they fell in love with their best friend and then end up together at the end. The characters are all high schoolers so they do things like partying so any high schoolers can relate to that. Also this book is a romance book and I personally love romance. In conclusion, this is why I believe everyone should read this book.
On a scale of one to five, this book would have to be a five. The reason why is because this book teaches the readers to never make the same mistake and to always open up and tell what's in your heart. The author of this book also wrote and different book called lipstick apology and is the second book to this one but they are two different stories. This book has different things going on at the same time which makes the readers love it even more. Anyone who loves romance books can read this book. Final, I believe that is the reasons why I gave it a five and that everyone should read this book.
Jennifer Jabaley has done a very good job on writing this book. I learned that you should never make the same mistake over and over again and don't always depend on others to fix it. I would recommend this book to everyone because is an incredible book. Many people had been in a situation where they fell in love with their best friend and then end up together at the end. The characters are all high schoolers so they do things like partying so any high schoolers can relate to that. Also this book is a romance book and I personally love romance. In conclusion, this is why I believe everyone should read this book.
On a scale of one to five, this book would have to be a five. The reason why is because this book teaches the readers to never make the same mistake and to always open up and tell what's in your heart. The author of this book also wrote and different book called lipstick apology and is the second book to this one but they are two different stories. This book has different things going on at the same time which makes the readers love it even more. Anyone who loves romance books can read this book. Final, I believe that is the reasons why I gave it a five and that everyone should read this book.
June 29, 2011
Willow and Max have been best friends since birth, but that about to change when Willow's mother announces they are moving away to Las Vegas where she will take on a show as the hip hypnotist. But Willow has a plan to keep Max her BFF whether he likes it or not. In her nine year old way, and the only way she knows, Willow hypnotizes him to always be her friend forever. Fast forward 8 years, Max and Willow are still in touch and her mom decided to leave he strip to return to her quiet roots in Georgia. The good news is that Max and Willow will be together again and he has grown up to be crush worthy, the bad news it that he doesn't seem to see Willow as more than just a friend. No worries, because she has lots of new tricks up her sleeve from watching mom's shows and things are about to get a little out of control.
Jennifer Jabaley can entertain! Crush Control is a fast paced fun, light summer read with well developed characters. Willow has a lot to learn about trying to control other people's choices and asking for help when things spin out of hand. She sees quickly that her mistakes have a domino effect in the lives of others, but getting the help she needs means asking her mom. There are lessons about perfectionism and keeping up appearances in families that are applicable to all readers. Most of all I liked Max because he was so down to earth and genuine. Hew had the notable quote in the book "The heart wants what the heart wants" -pg. 316 I felt some of the plot with Max got lost a little with Willow trying to undo her other messes with Quinton and cheerleader Mia . I wish Max would have been given more page time and a longer role in the conclusion. Overall, I ended Crush Control with a smile on my face and I enjoyed the unique topic of hypnotism in YA.
Content: sexual references to condoms, several other innuendos including mention of acting out sex on stage, no violence. Recommend for readers 16 and older.
Jennifer Jabaley can entertain! Crush Control is a fast paced fun, light summer read with well developed characters. Willow has a lot to learn about trying to control other people's choices and asking for help when things spin out of hand. She sees quickly that her mistakes have a domino effect in the lives of others, but getting the help she needs means asking her mom. There are lessons about perfectionism and keeping up appearances in families that are applicable to all readers. Most of all I liked Max because he was so down to earth and genuine. Hew had the notable quote in the book "The heart wants what the heart wants" -pg. 316 I felt some of the plot with Max got lost a little with Willow trying to undo her other messes with Quinton and cheerleader Mia . I wish Max would have been given more page time and a longer role in the conclusion. Overall, I ended Crush Control with a smile on my face and I enjoyed the unique topic of hypnotism in YA.
Content: sexual references to condoms, several other innuendos including mention of acting out sex on stage, no violence. Recommend for readers 16 and older.
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