Amplified [Hardcover]

Tara Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 25, 2011

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . . .

 

In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Jasmine is a talented guitarist and a hard worker, but her almost crippling stage  fright and defensive attitude create barriers that could end her dream before it starts.  She is realistically imperfect but likable, and, with time, she convinces her bandmates  and herself that she is much more than a spoiled wannabe.” --School Library Journal

 

“…readers will be rooting for her [Jasmine] and her newfound family to make it big.” --BCCB

 

"...inspiring, heartwarming, and engaging." --VOYA

 

“…an engaging story about a girl following her musical dreams, and readers will be drawn to Jasmine’s wit.” --Booklist

 

“Kelly’s (Harmonic Feedback) background in music is evident in her electric descriptions of Jasmine’s evolution as a performer.” --Publishers Weekly

 

“A treat for industrial-rock lovers; a pleasant summer read for others.” --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Tara Kelly adores variety in her life. She's a YA author, one-girl-band, web designer, video editor, digital photographer, and literary agent intern. She lives in Oregon with her ten guitars, supercool bf, and a fluffy cat named Maestro.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (October 25, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080509296X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805092967
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,037,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tara Kelly is a Jill of all trades--a YA author, one-girl band, web/graphic designer, video editor and photographer. She lives with her ten guitars, supercool bf, and a fluffy cat named Maestro.

For more information about the author: http://thetaratracks.com

For more information about Harmonic Feedback: http://harmonicfeedback.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Review From Gypsy Book Reviews February 10, 2012

By Ashelynn Hetland

Format:Hardcover

Amplified is Tara Kelly's sophomore novel, and the first one I've read of hers, and let me tell you: it's brilliant and wonderful and now I'm going to be her fan forever and ever. And I'm already looking for money in the couches to buy her debut novel, Harmonic Feedback!

From what I knew about Amplified, there was a girl with stage fright, but plays a killer guitar, and she's a little bit rich, and she's also kicked out. What I didn't know is said girl is just like me, and by that I mean, same attitudes. Hiiiii, rudeness...

I loved Jasmine. I loved her snarky attitude, her quick remarks, and how she wouldn't put up with Sean and Bryn. (If you've read the book, you know the scene I'm talking about with Bryn. When she defends her position. I was cheering for her the entire time! And with Sean, it's well, every time he's being a jerk and she says something back to him.)

And guys? Said boy Sean? Oh, he's so hot. So, SO hot. And I wants him. For starters, he's the bassist. And when they have a gig, he wears a fedora and a button down shirt.

!!!!!!

Now you understand why I wants him. Mwahaha. All mine. I call dibs.

There is so much more to this book than what the summary says. I mean, obviously, right? But what it doesn't tell you is all the emotions in this book. It's not as intense as VIRTUOSITY by Jessica Martinez, but there is anxiety and I was nervous when Jasmine was. I was angry as she was at her father at times, and ahh, so many emotions.

It is a brilliant, gorgeous, wonderful book with a dash of romance and a whole lot of music and snappiness. If this book sounds like one you'd read, definitely get it. :)

3.0 out of 5 stars Jasmine is one giant cliché March 1, 2013

By RedheadHeroines

Format:Hardcover

While there is certainly a lot to like about Amplified, the book fails to offer something new, interesting, or valuable to the genre.

Despite the personal quirks that make Jasmine a successful protagonist, her personal situation is one giant cliché. Privileged daughter of a rich but distant, critical, and disapproving father decides to throw her amazing opportunities to the wolves in order to pursue a dream that seems frivolous and impossible. While there is a slight twist in the story involving Jasmine's mother, the overused plot device is not appreciated.

Jasmine's naive character and extreme self-consciousness are outweighed only by her determination to not give in to her father's expectations, essentially equating her with a petulant three year old who refuses to eat her vegetables just because someone told her to.

This affects the rest of the novel greatly, as it is difficult to feel compassion for a protagonist who is stubborn simply for the sake of being stubborn. In other words, rather than feeling she is justified for her actions, the reader is forced to view Jasmine's actions as reactions to what is expected of her by others around her.

The plot of Amplified revolves on Jasmine's ability to assimilate into the life she thought she wanted. There is a great pace to this story, with plenty of tension created between Jasmine and the other characters. On the surface, Amplified is a very successful YA contemporary novel: it is entertaining, contains a clear-cut message, and provides memorable characters.

However, where Amplified fails is in its ability to merge all of these elements together in a way that is not plagued by cliché and predictability. Because the premise for the entire novel is a cliché, the book seems to be doomed from the start.

Despite these rather large pitfalls, the book is carefully written, which prevents it from receiving a far lower rating than it does here.

A note on the setting of the novel: Amplified portrays Santa Cruz in a very balanced, but almost caricatured version of itself.

I grew up just a half hour from Santa Cruz and spent a large portion of my time there. I have ridden the unnamed rollercoaster at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk that frightens Jasmine to death in the beginning of the novel, the Giant Dipper, and let me tell you: that rollercoaster is just not scary. Even for a ten year old.

Yes, there are a lot of weirdos in Santa Cruz. A lot of eccentric, tattooed musician-types, surfer hippie dudes, and everything in between. But not everyone there is like that, which is what Amplified seems to portray in descriptions of the locals.

For those looking for a very entertaining and quick surface-read, Amplified is a great choice. But for readers who need less cliché and more meaning, their time will be better spent with another book.

5.0 out of 5 stars My #1 read of 2011 December 29, 2012

By Brent Sallay

Format:Hardcover

This was my favorite read of 2011. I loved every second of this book, and felt every emotion of the main character. Can't say enough good things about this book.