Book Review + Giveaway: Songs For A Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson

Songs For A Teenage Nomad by Kim Culbertson

Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Release Date: Available Now
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 256
Source: Received from publicist for honest review (Blog Tour)

Summary: What is the soundtrack of your life? After living in twelve places in eight years, Calle Smith finds herself in Andreas Bay, California, at the start of ninth grade. Another new home, another new school...Calle knows better than to put down roots. Her song journal keeps her moving to her own soundtrack, bouncing through a world best kept at a distance. Yet before she knows it, friends creep in-as does an unlikely boy with a secret. Calle is torn over what may be her first chance at love. With all that she's hiding and all that she wants, can she find something lasting beyond music? And will she ever discover why she and her mother have been running in the first place?

My Review: Have you ever moved around so many times you never had a chance to make friends? Calle, a down to earth girl, knew firsthand how that felt. Her mother moved them around the country ever since she could remember. Boyfriend after boyfriend, they'd start a new life and once it was over they would find a different, random location. Calle's constant love was her music and writing. I loved the fact that she listened to old school music on a walkman. Every chapter would begin with a quote from her lyrical writing. It helped me as a reader understand Calle's previous experiences. I was engrossed by the story and continually thrived off her believable personality. The greatest traits found in Kim's protagonist was her ability to stay true to herself. Not only did she assimilate well but, she always remained grounded and loyal to her mother. Kim's character development was spot on; each secondary person brought something eccentric to the table.

I enjoyed seeing Calle interact with the drama kids. Eli (one of my favorite characters), Alexa and the rest of the gang were welcoming and quite entertaining. The sense of stability and friendship was good for her. Also, Cass, an outsider who was considered a freak was a unique, tough cookie. Peeling back her layers piqued my interest in her secretive background. Of course there were also two people I disliked - Amber and Sam. Amber was Sam's girlfriend, her stuck up demeanor made me cringe. On the other hand, Sam at first was a jerk to Calle, he liked her one minute and the next he ignored her. I couldn't stand his hot and cold behavior until the reason behind his actions was revealed. Throughout the novel, there was a mystery behind all the moving around especially, when Calle's father was brought up. I was kept in the dark until about the last sixty pages. The build up was thrilling and reeled me into a state of non-stop page turning. In conclusion, this teenage nomad won me over. Everything from the characters to plot was successfully executed with a balance of family issues, friendship and love.

My Rating:

Interested in reading this book? Enter the giveaway below! Thank you Paul for giving my followers the opportunity to win Songs For A Teenage Nomad...

CONTEST IS CLOSED.

::Contest Details::

-Three people will win finished copies of Songs For A Teenage Nomad.
-This contest is for U.S. residents only.
-Deadline will be on September 25, 2010 at midnight EST time.

(Please enter through form and not comments, thanks!)
!! FILL THIS FORM OUT TO ENTER !!

Author's Info:

Kim Culbertson technically writes for teenagers, but there are some grown-ups who also like her work. Her first young adult novel Songs for a Teenage Nomad was published by Hip Pocket Press in June of 2007 and will be reissued in fall of 2010 by Sourcebooks under their new young adult imprint FIRE. Songs for a Teenage Nomad won the 2008 Ben Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Children's/Young Adult Fiction, the silver 2008 IPPY medal for YA fiction, and several other awards. Her second young adult novel will be released by Sourcebooks Fire in Spring 2011. Kim has taught high school English, creative writing and drama for over ten years in both public and private schools and sees her writing as an extension of her teaching. She lives in the Northern California foothills with her husband and daughter, where she loves to drink coffee and look at the clouds.

For more info on Kim, visit her site(s):
-Website
-Twitter
-Facebook
-GoodReads