Romantic novels often are told in alternating perspectives so that the reader gets the story from two' points of view. It gives the reader an opportunity to connect with the characters because their personalities show through their voices. Frequently, the technique makes the reader feel omniscient in that it foreshadows what's to come. I am recommending three young adult romances this month, that employ this device. Field Notes on Love by Jennifer Smith (The Statistical Probability of Falling Love) tells the story of Hugh and Mae, strangers who fall in love on a cross country train trip. You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn follows Clay and Annie, two country music singers, who fall in love while on tour.The Me I Meant to Be by Sophie Jordan explores the familiar dilemma of falling in love with your best friend's ex.
Field Notes on Love opens as Hugh Wilkinson, one of the famous Surrey Sextuplets, contemplates heading to University with his siblings and his breakup with his girlfriend Margaret, which has left him with two tickets in her name for a rail trip across the United States . Looking for one last gasp of freedom before he is forced to head off to college (the scholarship he received is dependent on all 6 of the sextuplets attending), Hugh decides to advertise for another Margaret Campbell, so he can take the train trip. Mae Campbell, a distraught New York teen who has just been rejected from USC film school, sends him a video in response to his ad, hoping to gather material for a new film on the trip. They meet at NYC's Penn Station and after an awkward initial encounter, embark on their cross country trip in close quarters. As they travel, she interviews fellow passengers and he struggles with his ambivalence toward his planned future. His British charm and her no-nonsense tough girl persona make for fun feisty dialogue, as they fall in love through their shared experiences. This is an enjoyable contemporary twist on the romantic trope of strangers falling in love on a train.
In You'd Be Mine country music star Clay Coolidge won best new artist at the CMA's, but his bad boy behavior has him in trouble with his label. They insist that he include Annie Mather's band on his summer tour, or they will drop him. Annie comes from country music royalty, but after her mother's overdose and her dad's suicide, she is understandably wary of the lifestyle. Her passion for music wins out and she joins him on the tour, quickly eclipsing him with her standout performances. From the start of the tour fans are rooting for them to become a couple, but Annie has seen the pitfalls of celebrity romances. The story alternates between their views about the tour and each other, highlighting the difficulties in celebrities having normal lives. Annie and Clay bring out the best in each other musically and personally and can't fight their mutual attraction. The story is set in the world of country music, but one doesn't have to be a fan to love this bad boy/good girl romance, which comes out April 2nd.
The Me I Meant to Be introduces best friends Willa and Flor, who just broke up with Zach, Willa's next-door neighbor. Flor insists that her friends develop a "Girl Code," the first rule being that they stay away from a friend's ex. Willa signs it, even though she has secretly been in love with Zach throughout their childhood. After sharing an intense kiss with Zach at a high school party and finding out he has feelings for her, too, Willa is torn as to what's more important, love or friendship. Meanwhile, Flor is struggling with her dad's relationship with a girl half his age and her failing grades, which threaten her spot as captain of the soccer team. She begins falling for her smart sexy math tutor, Grayson, who won't give her the time of day. Each chapter begins with a new Girl Code rule, which is illustrated in the chapter. Although the reader gets two romances for the price of one, the real story is about Willa and Flor's relationship and thus alternates between each girl's first-person narration.
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