Title: The Straight Road to Kylie
Author(s): Nico Medina
Edition: Paperback, 320 pages
Source: Bought from Borders
The Summary
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Life is fabulous for Jonathan Parish.He's seventeen, out and proud, and ready to party through senior year with his posse of best girlfriends. But the year starts off with the wrong kind of bang when Jonathan -- in an inebriated lapse of judgment -- sleeps with a friend of his... A girlfriend!
When word gets around that hot-but-previously-unavailable Jonathan might be on the market, the school's 'it' girl approaches him with a proposal: pretend to be her boyfriend, and achieve popularity like he's never known. But popularity isn't what Jonathan wants. And suddenly, going back into the closet becomes Jonathan's only way to get what he's after -- a trip to see Kylie Minogue.
My Opinion
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I picked this book up way back last year when all the Boarders were closing. It looked funny and cute, so I figured, why not? It wasn't funny and cut;, it was hilarious, adorable, and thought-provoking! Totally exceeding my expectations, The Straight Road to Kylie by Nico Medina is a needed addition to your collection!This sparkly story follows the journey of Jonathan Parish as he works to win tickets to see Kylie Minogue in concert. There's just one catch: he has to go back in the closet, and come out a straight boy! This is a hard task for an out and proud guy like Jonathan, but when the chance of a life time hangs in the balance he'll do anything!
While characters usually capture my attention first in books, this time it was the setting that hooked me in. The story takes place in Orlando, FL, a city only an hour away from where I grew up. I love books that take place in FL, as there aren't many, and especially ones where I know the city personally! Every time a restaurant or street got mentioned I knew exactly where it was. For me, it gave the book so much more life, and I kind of want to do a book road trip to see all the sites!
But characters were still a strong part of the story. I adored Jonathan. He was really funny and really dramatic, so much so that I laughed through the whole book. He reminded me so much of my friend Jayson it was uncanny! His obsession with Kylie Minogue, the hung-over work days at Target, even the crazy cliques of high school, everything about his life Jonathan navigates with pizzazz. My other favorite character was Carrie, one of Jonathan's best friends. She is sassy, smart, and one of the few bisexual characters I've seen in YA fiction. While Jonathan goes through some hard times, Carrie is always there for him. Great friendships like this always make books better for me!
Reading some reviews I saw the terms vapid and shallow, along with unrealistic thrown around. I'm not trying to negate anyone's opinion, but it seems to me that these reviewers never experienced high school the way I did, which was very close to Jonathan's and his friends' experience. Teenagers can be vapid and shallow, but they can also be fiercely loyal and caring, two traits also in the book. Other reviews had issue with the underage drinking, but whether you agree with it or not, that is often a reality of teen life. The fact is they were safe about it, and let's face it, when the parents are away the kids will play. If Medina had tempered his portrayal of this aspect of teen life, or even wrote a huge anti-drinking part, I think the story would have felt less authentic.
I really enjoyed the book! There were a couple of issues with dialogue tags that would throw me, but nothing that ruined the story. Ultimately, The Straight Road to Kylie by Nico Medina is a fun, fast read with great GLBT characters! Orlando gave a great background to the story, and each character added flavor. I recommend you add this to your summer TBR list!
Extras
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Listen to some of Kylie Minogue's amazing songs!
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Listen to some of Kylie Minogue's amazing songs!
Final Rating
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Book Cover: 4/5Book Title: 5/5
Plot: 8.5/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 8.5/10
Ending: 8.5/10
Overall: 43.5/50: B+
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