Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
She's Got to be Kidding, December 20, 2005
This review is from: She's Got the Beat (Romantic Comedies (Mass Market)) (Mass Market Paperback)
In Pulse's line of teen romantic comedies, there are some really delightful storylines. Too bad there aren't a lot of really delightful authors.
The biggest problem in this book is Miranda, who is unsympathetic and unlikable. She is naive and ignorant beyond all believability, and spends an inordinate amount of time blushing and giggling. Her attempts at forceful decision making are unconvincing, as is her sudden passion for drumming. And she's rather shallow, too, dating a guy who isn't too bright just because he's really cute, laughing at poor, geeky people, and thinking of plus sized girls in tight jeans as people who "apparently didn't own a full-length mirror". So much for being PC.
The people around her have a little more personality, but they're still ridiculously stereotyped. Miranda's friends aren't so bad, but every other girl in the world is an easy, partying groupie who wears only mini skirts and tight tube tops. And the guys are all commitment fearing pigs...except for Mr. Sensitive, otherwise we wouldn't have a love story here, would we?
I'm not sure where Krulik learned about music. Supposedly, the band Miranda joins plays music that's not punk at all (as she assumed) but a sort of R&B/Country kind of thing. Um...with song names like 'Massacre of the Heart' and 'Coldhearted Queen'? Sounds like straight up emo to me. Oh, and the one punk band that is seen during the book is absolutely horrible. Folks, generalizations do not a good book make.
The writing is structurely sound, but otherwise unimpressive. A lot of the dialogue seems forced and contrived, especially the humorous bits...not a good thing for a romantic COMEDY. Krulik's style is heavy-handed and lacks subtlety; she feels the need to tell the reader everything she already implied.
The story meanders far, far too much. Now, this wouldn't have been a problem if that time had been spent on the developing relationship. But we don't even meet Mr. Right until page 70 or so, and she doesn't start spending time with him until the book is about half over. Even then, they're not around each a lot, and there's no chemistry between them whatsoever. So as the book begins to draw to a close, Miranda hatches a half-baked plan to get him, which fails. And then another half-baked plan to get BACK at him, which beyond all reason and believability actually succeeds. Huh.
And what's with the guys randomly sticking their tongues in Miranda's mouth? The sexual content here is silly and exploitive. It's like this is teen chick lit trying to be adult chick lit. Or perhaps adult trying to be teen.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Rock On, Miranda!, May 12, 2005
This review is from: She's Got the Beat (Romantic Comedies (Mass Market)) (Mass Market Paperback)
Eighteen-year-old Miranda Lockheart was never what you would call a wild child. She lived in the same small town all of her life - Barton, Texas - and never ventured out to the city. She had grown up with her friends, and had been with her boyfriend, Denny Callahan, since freshman year. But after graduation, everything changed. Miranda received a scholarship to Lone Star State College in Austin, Texas, and jumped at the chance to get a taste of the city. Oddly enough, it suits her perfectly. Suddenly, Miranda is sharing an apartment with two outrageous girls - one, a punk; the other, a "loose" girl - and taking up the drums. Miranda has no previous experience with the drums, but she picks them up instantly, and suddenly finds herself dragged up into a whirlwind rollercoaster ride, complete with hot guys, gigs, and band practice. The only downfall is that the one guy she's crushing on doesn't seem to know that she exists.
I'm a HUGE fan of Nancy Krulik, and, due to the fact that I've just started playing the guitar, I'm super interested in reading different teen fiction about female musicians, so SHE'S GOT THE BEAT caught my eye, and captured my heart in no time. Miranda is a fabulous character, whose sweet personality, and rocker chick persona are fun to read about. Her adventures - or, rather, misadventures - in the dating world, and guy encounters are hilarious, and add a fun, relatable aspect for readers. Overall, this was a fabulous addition to the SIMON PULSE ROMANTIC COMEDY series.
Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book was great!!!!!!!!, January 23, 2006
A Kid's Review
This review is from: She's Got the Beat (Romantic Comedies (Mass Market)) (Mass Market Paperback)
I read this book in 2 hours. It is an awesome book for teenage girls. Especially female musicians. This book is about a girl named Miranda who has just graduated high school in a small Texas town. She moves to Austin and finds out that she can be whoever she wants to be around all the new people she meets. She sees and add and then decides to take drumming lessons. Drumming then becomes her passion. She lives, breathes and eats the music. A local band then needs a temporary drummer because theirs was not able to play and Miranda accepts the offer. While playing with the band she meets the bass player, Adam, and falls in love with him. But love isn't really what he is looking for.
An amazing plot full of twists and turns, this book is great. You learn to like all of the characters, especially Miranda, even if they make really stupid mistakes. I hope that you will read this book. :)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
