Solo [Kindle Edition]

Sarah Schofield (Author)

Book Description

As a military brat, Eliana Davis is no stranger to moving from place to place. However, moving in the middle of her sophomore year to the small Oregon town where her parents grew up is something she never expected. Knowing she will only be there for a year, she is torn between making new friends or keeping to herself. Will she listen to her heart or keep flying solo?


Excerpt:

I looked past Gramps and saw my grandmother with her arms firmly crossed. She wasn't your typical grandma. You know, the kind with fresh baked pies sitting on the windowsill. My grandmother was... Well, she was more like a warden.

I slowly approached her.

"Hello, Eliana." She awkwardly gave me a half-pat-on-the-back kind of hug.

"Hi, Grandma; thanks for taking us in." I tried to chisel through the ice.

"You're welcome," she replied stiffly.

My mom walked up beside me. "Hi, Mom."

"Hello, dear. I have your rooms ready. I put Eliana in your old bedroom. You're in the room across from hers, just in case."

I looked away and rolled my eyes. What did "just in case" mean? Was it "just in case" I got scared in the middle of the night like I was seven years old, or "just in case" I tried to sneak out like I was an unruly teenager? This was going to be a long year.

We each grabbed a bag and entered the house. I opened the door to my "so-called" bedroom and sucked in the aroma of rose potpourri and moth balls. My eyes rounded at the princess palace with its frilly pink walls bordered by purple castles and a dozen--that's right--twelve porcelain dolls staring at me from a wooden shelf. If anything could scare me, those beady eyes could. I stood there flabbergasted and Mom walked in.

"Honey, we'll fix it later. Just start unloading your car."

"You're sure lucky I love you," I whispered.

Editorial Reviews

Review

5 Stars from Laura Carter at Readers Favorite Book Reviews:

Eliana Davis is no stranger to moving house a lot as her dad is in the army and she has never lived anywhere for more than a few years. She has grown to love her current home in California however, and is devastated to learn that her dad is being posted overseas so her and her mum are going to live with her grandparents in the small town of Myrtle Creek in Oregon.

Eliana knows that she is only going to be living there for a year, so she doesn't want to get too close to anyone and she most certainly doesn't plan to get herself a boyfriend. However things don't always go as planned and Eliana finds herself making new friends, a possible boyfriend and discovering that Myrtle Creek maybe can become her home.

Solo is a beautiful read, a truly lovely story about discovering the true value of friendship, young love, and the meaning of home. This book perfectly captures what it is like to be a 16 year old girl struggling with friends, high school drama, and falling in love for the first time.

I really liked the character of Eliana, she is strong, refusing to be beaten down by her new high schools popular girl and also refusing to retaliate. I loved the relationship she has with her mother, one open and full of trust and also the fact she spends lots of time with her gramps. Overall a lovely enjoyable read perfect for teenagers or those who wish to remember the drama, angst and also life changing experiences of being a teenager.

About the Author

Solo is Sarah Schofield's debut novel. She enjoys life in Bend, Oregon with her husband and two children. When she is not working on her next novel, she is relaxing in the great outdoors, reading books, and cleaning food off the ceiling. To learn more about Sarah, visit her website at SarahSchofieldBooks.com.

Product Details

• File Size: 386 KB
• Print Length: 272 pages
• Publisher: M.O.I. Publishing (December 17, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006NFB5BY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,138 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hold Me Closer Tiny Dancer February 23, 2012

By Alana Siegel

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

A very fun read! The protagonist, Eliana Davis, epitomizes the melodramatic teenage years that we have all lived through. She worries about what the other students in her new school think of her, she spends hours searching for the perfect dress for prom, and she obsesses over the cute boy on the baseball team.

What sets this book apart from other coming of age stories (and a main reason that I was so enthralled), is the way Sarah Schofield translates Eliana into a relatable role model for young women. She balances responsibility with extracurricular activities, resists sinking to a bully's level, and engages her elderly "gramps."

In many ways she is a new age feminist - she doesn't let guys make decisions for her, but she isn't afraid to be beautiful and delicate when she dances. I particularly related to and enjoyed the open and trusting relationship she shared with her mother. Although Eliana is not ecstatic to be uprooted from her friends, it is refreshing to read about a military brat who is understanding of the life her parents chose.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for all Ages. January 24, 2012

By Felicia Rogers

Format:Kindle Edition

Every once in awhile you stumble across a book that touches your heart. A novel that uses normal life and normal situations to garner your attention. One that takes a simple thing like romance between two people, two young adults, and makes love real. And that is what I found in Solo.

This book was a joy to read. It is a YA romance novel that is simply that, romance. It uses a real life situation to place a young teenage girl where she doesn't want to be. But instead of making the most of what she is offered, she hides away. Why make friends if you will only be around for a year?

Eliana is extremely talented in the area of dance but initially she doesn't tell a soul. She practices away from everyone else keeping this part of her life a secret. Lucas, a baseball player, and popular boy at her new high school, takes an interest in her and things start to change. Suddenly the solo lifestyle is not for her.

I enjoyed reading about how Eliana is confident in herself. How she is respectful to her mother and her grandparents. How even in a tough situation she finds a way to make her life work.

All I can say is I can't wait to read the sequel!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars ORIGINAL ROMANTIC STORY FOR YOUNG ADULTS February 23, 2012

By ReadingInWonderment

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

'Solo' by Sarah Schofield is a wonderful novel for young adults and teens set in a small Oregon town. The writing flows and the characters of Eliana (a talented dancer) and Lucas Andrews(who plays baseball)are memorable as is the page turning story about family, friends and first love. What a lovely read and one that teens and adults are sure to enjoy!

More About the Author

Solo is Sarah Schofield's debut novel. She enjoys life in Bend, Oregon with her husband and two children. When she is not working on her next novel, she is relaxing in the great outdoors, reading books, and cleaning food off the ceiling. To learn more about Sarah, visit her website at www.SarahSchofieldBooks.com.