Tara Kelly

Rating: 3.75/5

AMPLIFIED was funny, sexy, full of music references, and would make a terrific movie!

Jasmine Kiss has a lot of nicknames: Cornflake Girl, little princess, high school band geek, but she is sick and tired of being labeled, of her father trying to control her life, pushing her over and over, constantly comparing to her mother… she wants her own life, to play on her guitar and make music, be part of a band. So she runs away from her home and lands on Santa Cruz with a broken show more car, her small savings and her guitar and a Diezel amp. She has to face now a whole packet of new problems: finding a nice room to rent, a job to pay for her car repairs and to convince the three guys’ owners of the house and members of the band “C-side” that she’ll make it worth their while. She must accomplish all of this and not count on the cute bassist for support because he seriously doubts she’s as good as she claims she is, and the worst of all he’s partly right because she has a major case of stage fright.

For a guitar-obsessed (such as myself) a book about a chick guitarist is not a chance I can bypass, however it was jam-packed with technical details that would probably confuse some readers who are not familiar with the terms. Even I, as advanced as I like to think I am, was a little sidetracked trying to imagine what it would sound like, how would the melody flow, the lyrics, hearing the beat in my head… and that distracted me from the reading and focusing, instead, on the actual story. One good thing though, I couldn’t resist to try out some notes and I found myself returning to my practices again :D

The chemistry between the band’s members was incredible; they were very different one from another but their fusion created some sparks. Each one had a unique relationship with Jasmine and they all helped her getting out of her shell and evolving into a guitar goddess and overcome her stage-fright. However the most important relationship wasn’t very well explored: her father. Their fight is what started it all and although they had a few calls and she kept thinking about him, it wasn’t satisfying for me.

I felt a little frustrated at the end, it was open and I hate open endings, I, however, changed my mind when I saw that there will be a second book! So Tara Kelly I’m waiting for more of Felix and C-side and… Sean. show less

"Pull the trigger"

Wow, this was a pretty darn good mystery. It's equal parts mystery and murder and equal parts falling for your best friend at the worst time in the world. I really liked Nova - which is hard to say, because I didn't always like who she was or what she was fighting for - but I could at least respect her.

I did like Alex, too. Megan and Jenika were also good additions to the story, even Christian, Branden, Gabi and Matt all played their roles to keep the plot moving and show more interesting. I didn't feel like any of them were cookie cutter kids because they all made mistakes, horrible choices, and were cruel to those they loved and hated at times.

And the mystery, although I had hunches, I hadn't fully fleshed out at the end which is always a nice surprise for me!

I would have given this 5 stars except all the blatant bagging on Oregon. We don't have constant hermits, it's not "you know how they are about their guns", or that 'if you've seen one Oregon beach, you've seen them all.' All those crappy comments were completely beyond wrong and so frustrating. I've never actually met a single person who grew up in Oregon and isn't proud of keeping it Weird. show less

I absolutely loved reading more about C-Side. There's no sugarcoating here, Tara Kelly tells it true. That doesn't mean there's no heart - passion for music bleeds through every page. And there's more Jasmine-Sean goodness to devour too.

Harmonic Feedback is a quick read, with strong, colorful characters, and it addresses some interesting issues such as social disorders, drug use and rehabilitation, and what it’s like to be an outsider who just wants to fit in. I found this book very readable and addictive and just what I was looking for.

The premise is that 16-year-old Drea moves around a lot with her mom, and they have recently settled in with Drea’s grandmother in Bellingham, Washington. Drea loves music and is a show more producer in the making, but has had a hard time striking up friendships. She has ADHD and a mild case of Asperger’s that make her say exactly what she thinks. She’s taking an assortment of prescription drugs to manage her symptoms as best she can. She has been labeled a freak and an outsider in her former schools, and written off by her peers. At her new school, though, she catches the eye of two other students who think she’s pretty cool. Naomi and Justin are also music obsessed and even want to form a band with Drea. They are the first real friends she’s ever had, and the first ones to treat her as normal. So now Drea wants to continue to fit in, and is scared to tell them about her issues, worried that they would interfere with this new blossoming friendship/potential romance.

Drea is such an interesting character that is easy to relate to. Who hasn’t felt like an outsider at some point? She has a checklist in her head of the right, socially acceptable way to behave, and tries her best to keep up even when it doesn’t make sense to her. Her behavior rang very true to me, and I found her such an endearing main character. I felt I could understand her very well and felt her struggles as she strived for acceptance. Her voice was very original and refreshing.

Drea’s friend Naomi has some troubles of her own, and is all over the place with her emotions. She’s up one minute and down the next. I loved that she connected so well with Drea and liked that Drea was real and honest with her. In a way she reminded me of Rayanne Graff of My So-Called Life, just someone looking for love and attention but making some bad decisions along the way.

Justin, like Drea and Naomi, is another person looking for a fresh start. He is so sweet with Drea, and a great guy for her. Nice to see a genuinely nice love interest! Drea’s mom and grandmother are also good characters, and it’s nice to see so many types of family relationships represented in the book.

Music is a thread that runs throughout the story, whether Drea and Justin are arguing about the bands they like, or deciding on a sound for their band, or playing instruments, and it complements the story very well.

I loved reading this book and found it such a fulfilling story, though sad at times. Tara Kelly’s writing made me feel like I was there with Drea, feeling uncomfortable, awkward and embarrassed right along with her at times. The writing, authentic characters, story, and pacing all made the book an original and engaging read. The author’s note mentions that this is not an issues book about AS & ADHD but is about one girl’s story and experience, and I think many will be able to relate to Drea. Tara Kelly is such a talented writer and I can’t wait to read more of her books. show less