Striking Out

I received this book for free through the First Reads giveaway.

If I could give a 3.5, I would. I enjoyed this book a lot, but I had a few too many problems with it to give it a higher rating. I'll start with the positive. The characters are memorable and the dialogue is great, funny and relatable, it brings life to the story. When the plot was working for me, it was a blast to read. The author has a real talent for characters and dialogue and I can't imagine enjoying this book much at all without them.

But, the plot surrounding it... Is a mixed bag. I liked the music aspect, and the romance was (while disappointingly reliant on a love triangle) sweet and realistic. The plot meanders and almost seems to repeat the same events throughout. It's a standard “girl with big dreams tries to make it in a new city” story, and it's often painfully formulaic. It feels tired.

However, despite all that, I recommend this book. If you want a fun read with a kick-ass heroine and charming dialogue, I think you'll have fun with this one. More than anything, it makes me excited to see what Scarlet Bennett will write next.