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Rival Sara Bennett Wealer Books

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Rival Sara Bennett Wealer Books

No matter which side of the fence you're on, the grass always appears greener on the other side.

For Kathryn Pease, her one-time best friend Brooke Dempsey has everything. She's popular, confident and stylish. She has money. She lived in New York. She's been to the Met. She wouldn't be stuck in Minnesota after high school. For someone like Brooke there are endless possibilities. Brooke isn't hanging all her hopes on winning the Blackmore competition like she is.

For Brooke, Kathryn is the lucky one. She is beautiful and petite. Her voice is flawless. She has a father who loves her and a family who acts like a family should. She doesn't have two brothers who put her down. There is no way Kathryn could want out of Minnesota as badly as she does. And most of all she doesn't have to disguise who she is or justify her passion for music to anyone. Kathryn doesn't need to win the Blackmore competition like she does.

As these two former best-friends get ready for the biggest competition of their lives will they let their personal rivalry get in the way of their success?

***

Rival is a beautifully written, bittersweet story about two girls who are friends-turned-enemies, both with the same appreciation for and love of music, and each who envies something the other has.

Their friendship is doomed from the start as each girl, for very different reasons, cannot be honest with the other, which leads to some rather unfortunate misunderstandings and ultimately to its collapse.

Each chapter alternates between Brooke's and Kathryn's perspective and also between the present and the events that led up to the breakdown of their friendship. Readers get the opportunity to see both sides and may find that assigning blame isn't quite so easy.

Rival is quite a surprise and so much more than just a "mean girls" story. It is far more richly developed than it would seem based on the title and description.

This is not merely a snarky, one-upmanship that escalates into a showdown with one man standing. Author Sara Bennett Wealer has given her characters much more depth and complexity than is typical in this type of story, allowing readers to feel compassion for both the underdog and the bully.

But, it is still in keeping with other stories in this genre and tremendously entertaining. It's got jealousy, diabolical pranks, a complete social freeze-out, a herd of A-Lister followers ready, willing and able to do whatever the Queen B says, and the requisite lovable geeky friend waiting in the wings ready to pick up the pieces.

Even in a month with so many great releases, Rival is a debut that you will not want to miss. Author Sara Bennett Wealer is an exceptional writer and one to keep on your watch list!


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Rival Sara Bennett Wealer Books Reviews

Oh, how I love a good bitter rivalry - and Wealer serves one up with all the right elements.

Narrated in alternating chapters by shy, quiet Kathryn and Brooke the Queen B, the story works its way through senior year along with junior year flashbacks. The transition between past and present worked wonderfully and flawlessly, and gave both girls more depth. They're both gearing up for a big musical competition, and they know it's going to come down to the two of them - the soprano and the alto. The real reason for the rivalry between them is slowly revealed through the junior year chapters, and while the reason may have been blown out of proportion, it does have a bit of substance behind it.

The musical aspect was one of my favorite parts even though I know nothing about the type of music they listen to. But somehow, it was easy to still enjoy that part of Brooke and Kathryn. The fact that these two girls had a hobby they loved so much made them all the more real, because let's face it, we all have one thing we're obsessed with (hello, my book obsession).

Even through the pranks and mean-girl antics, Rival is strangely heartwarming to read and an easy novel to simply love and enjoy. This novel is truly written perfectly to convey two unique girls and the things that keep them battling against each other. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a great contemporary story, especially one revolving around friendship.

HIGHLIGHTS Wealer skillfully manages to make both characters easy to like, and manages to stay true to what it's like to be in high school and how complex relationships/friendships can be at that age. I found myself enjoying Brooke's character more than Kathryn's, despite some of the cruel things Brooke has done to her. All of the characters have layers to their personalities, and none of them are perfect. Rival's narrator's both have done and continue do things that aren't right, but that's what makes them human. Even the dialog is wonderfully spot-on.

LOWLIGHTS I disliked some choices the characters made, but those bad choices made them more complex and real, so I can't really call that a "lowlight".

FINAL RATING a solid 4.5 out of 5

*Received a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion
No matter which side of the fence you're on, the grass always appears greener on the other side.

For Kathryn Pease, her one-time best friend Brooke Dempsey has everything. She's popular, confident and stylish. She has money. She lived in New York. She's been to the Met. She wouldn't be stuck in Minnesota after high school. For someone like Brooke there are endless possibilities. Brooke isn't hanging all her hopes on winning the Blackmore competition like she is.

For Brooke, Kathryn is the lucky one. She is beautiful and petite. Her voice is flawless. She has a father who loves her and a family who acts like a family should. She doesn't have two brothers who put her down. There is no way Kathryn could want out of Minnesota as badly as she does. And most of all she doesn't have to disguise who she is or justify her passion for music to anyone. Kathryn doesn't need to win the Blackmore competition like she does.

As these two former best-friends get ready for the biggest competition of their lives will they let their personal rivalry get in the way of their success?

***

Rival is a beautifully written, bittersweet story about two girls who are friends-turned-enemies, both with the same appreciation for and love of music, and each who envies something the other has.

Their friendship is doomed from the start as each girl, for very different reasons, cannot be honest with the other, which leads to some rather unfortunate misunderstandings and ultimately to its collapse.

Each chapter alternates between Brooke's and Kathryn's perspective and also between the present and the events that led up to the breakdown of their friendship. Readers get the opportunity to see both sides and may find that assigning blame isn't quite so easy.

Rival is quite a surprise and so much more than just a "mean girls" story. It is far more richly developed than it would seem based on the title and description.

This is not merely a snarky, one-upmanship that escalates into a showdown with one man standing. Author Sara Bennett Wealer has given her characters much more depth and complexity than is typical in this type of story, allowing readers to feel compassion for both the underdog and the bully.

But, it is still in keeping with other stories in this genre and tremendously entertaining. It's got jealousy, diabolical pranks, a complete social freeze-out, a herd of A-Lister followers ready, willing and able to do whatever the Queen B says, and the requisite lovable geeky friend waiting in the wings ready to pick up the pieces.

Even in a month with so many great releases, Rival is a debut that you will not want to miss. Author Sara Bennett Wealer is an exceptional writer and one to keep on your watch list!