I'm so excited for this book! Check out what Ali has to say about where the idea to write this book came from, and then check out my review and enter the giveaway!
Title: The Heartbreakers
Author: Ali Novak
Release Date: August 4, 2015
Publishers: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Summary
Stella will do anything for her sick sister, Cara—even stand in line for an autographed Heartbreakers CD…for four hours. She’s totally winning best birthday gift this year. At least she met a cute boy with soft brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes while getting her caffeine fix. Too bad she’ll never see him again.
Except, Stella’s life has suddenly turned into a cheesy love song. Because Starbucks Boy is Oliver Perry – lead singer for the Heartbreakers. And even after she calls his music crap, Oliver still gives Stella his phone number. And whispers quotes from her favorite Disney movie in her ear. OMG, what is her life?
But how can Stella even think about being with Oliver – dating and laughing and pulling pranks with the band – when her sister could be dying of cancer?
Guest Post
Ali had some words she wanted to share with us about how this book came into being. Hi Ali and welcome!
Hello all you lovely readers!
First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for taking an interest in my latest YA novel The Heartbreakers. For those of you who don’t know, this story was originally posted on the online reading and writing platform Wattpad, and to date, the rough draft manuscript has been read more than 40 million times. I began working on this project in February of 2012, back when One Direction was starting to gain popularity in the United States. Fan fiction stories about 1D began popping up all over the website, so I decided to go against the grain and write a book about a fictional band instead of the real one, and that’s how the Heartbreakers were born!
The first band member I created was Oliver Perry, the lead singer. Like most successful, good-looking teen heartthrobs, he can be a bit cocky, but underneath all that confidence, he’s a HUGE softie. Next is JJ Morris, the band’s drummer. I enjoy writing goofball characters, and JJ fits that description to a T—he’s always cracking (oftentimes perverted) jokes. To balance out JJ’s outgoing personality, there’s Alec Williams. He’s the mysterious, reserved bass player for the group, and although he doesn’t talk much, he’s incredibly loyal. And last but not least, we have Xander Jones, who is lead guitarist for the Heartbreakers and everyone’s best friend.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy my boys’ story!
xoxo,
Ali
Review
★★★★★ stars
I'm not surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I really loved Ali's debut novel My Life With the Walter Boys. I was super excited to see how she'd follow up such a block buster debut. This book lived up to all of my expectations and then some.
The story caught my interest quickly. I've always been fascinated by the bond twins have and watching Cara, Drew, and Stella interact was what I'd hoped it'd be. I loved the connection they had with each other. No matter their individual personalities, they were always there for one another. I love how both Drew and Stella were willing to sacrifice their time to do something special for Cara, especially when it was for something they didn't enjoy personally.
I really liked Stella. She's down to earth and has a good head on her shoulders. She thinks rationally even if her temper sometimes gets the better of her. She's struggling to deal with Cara's illness, especially since she feels guilty and responsible for it. She's loving, kind, and talented. I liked Oliver too. He also has his own problems he's dealing with. While it was clear Stella was into him, Oliver's feelings for Stella weren't always so transparent. They had amazing chemistry though. Their meet-cute was just adorable. I really liked how they helped each other with what was bothering them.
Besides the romance between them, I have to say Ali did an amazing job at showcasing all of the band members and their personalities. I really liked Xander, J.J., and Alec. I loved seeing them play pranks on each other and teaser each other. I loved how both their good times and difficult times were given equal measure. I really hope each of them will get their own story. The reality of being a celebrity wasn't glossed over and when you add in the emotional turmoil Stella was feeling about being away from Cara and her illness, and this story was surprisingly deep for a young adult novel.
Ali Novak has written another great story. It's impossible to put down. There were moments when I was chuckling and laughing, and some where my chest was tight and my eyes were full of tears. It was hard for me to guess what was going to happen in the story, especially towards the end. I loved the ending. It really brought Stella and Oliver full circle. If you're like me and you love reading about first loves with a touch of hope and reality, this is one book you really need to check out!
Buy Links
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JwsPYv
Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1CUnxJn
iBooks: http://apple.co/1DtobIH
Author Biography
Ali Novak writes contemporary young adult romance and is a recent graduate of the University of Madison Wisconsin's creative writing program. She wrote her first full length novel, My Life with the Walter Boys, at the age of fifteen. Since posting the story online, it has received more than 33 million reads and is now published by Sourcebooks Fire.
Ali Novak writes contemporary young adult romance and is a recent graduate of the University of Madison Wisconsin's creative writing program. She wrote her first full length novel, My Life with the Walter Boys, at the age of fifteen. Since posting the story online, it has received more than 33 million reads and is now published by Sourcebooks Fire.
Social Networking Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ali.novak.908
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fallzswimmer
Tumblr: http://fallzswimmer.tumblr.com/
Giveaway
*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*
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