Beatle Meets Destiny

If I was ever asked if I could fall for a male protag that was a cheater, accidental stalker, and a former pot smoker, I’d respond HELL.TO.THE.NOOO! So leave it to an Aussie writer like Gabrielle Williams to work her literary magic with Beatle Meets Destiny and create a cast of fully flawed characters that had me rooting for them the entire time.

This book is filled with hot mess guys and girls that share their hilarious, slightly cringing story and leave you with an awe-inspiring feeling that you won’t soon forget. Applause to these brilliant Aussie writers for penning books filled with magic, love and laughter. Beautifully done!

The main character in this novel is named John Lennon… aka… Beatle and on an off chance day, he show more stumbles across Destiny and not just any Destiny but Destiny McCartney. What are the changes? Well, did I happen to mention it’s also Friday the 13th? Yeah, well that’s how stars align sometimes, right? So after some great conversation and an unforgettable kiss, Beatle finds himself in a quandary. See he has a girlfriend, and she’s great, and she also stood by him while he recovered from an uncommon stroke for his age that left him with a limp and a slightly bruised ego after a string of bad luck. So what’s a guy to do? I’ll tell you… make a bad situation even worse after it’s all said and done. LOVED.IT.TO.PIECES!!

I recommend this book to absolutely everyone that enjoys YA contemporary. I read it so quickly and enjoyed it completely that it’s definitely moved to my top shelf of faves. Absolutely awesome!

Finally, the last scene where Beatle walks out of the theater holding hands with that certain someone, this song played in my head:
Song Choice: Best of Me - Sum 41

Favorite Quote I won’t soon forget.
Life throws up lots of stuff at you. You’ve already had more than your fair share for an eighteen-year-old, but as life goes on, you’re going to have other hard times. And the hard times are good in their own way, too. Because the only way you can achieve true happiness is if you experience true sadness as well. It’s all light and shade. Balance. show less

Beatle Meets Destiny is Gabrielle Williams’ first foray into young adult literature. Let’s hope she makes a second and third foray. John Lennon, not the John Lennon, but an Australian John Lennon is coming home early on Friday, February 13 and meets an odd girl at the bus stop. She’s wearing sun glasses in the black of night. Of course, this prompts him to say something to her, while trying not to seem like a stalker or a pervert, which is hard to do at that time of night at a bus stop. Btu it seems to work because the girl starts responding and soon they find they like each other. So, instead of them both going home, they go out for a drink.

It turns out that John Lennon (aka Beatle) just met Destiny McCartney. And they get along show more famously…not as famously as the original Lennon and McCartney but close. So, what can possibly go wrong?

Well, for starters, Beatle already has a girlfriend, Cilla, who he’s happy with…maybe. Cilla also happens to be his twin sister’s (who’s 45 days, yes, days, younger than Beatle) best friend. Breaking up with your sister’s best friend would be awkward at best, and at worst, well you probably don’t want to know. So, Beatle does what most teen boys do in that situation…acts like a jerk.

There’s a bunch of fun in Beatle Meets Destiny. Yes, Winsome is 45 days younger than her twin. Obviously, you have to read the book to find out why. Both Beatle’s friends and Destiny’s friends are funny and Destiny’s friends sure know how to attract trouble, which they do quite nicely. Beatle nicely misconstrues certain events leading up to some embarrassing moments and you’ll be groaning along with him as he suffers the consequences.

So, if you’re looking for a fun book with love and romance, stalkers and stalkees, stolen cats and stolen underwear, ruined tapestries and a whole bunch more, then let me introduce you to John Lennon and Destiny McCartney via Beatle Meets Destiny. Only you can decide whether indeed, Beatle has met his destiny. show less

18-year old John Lennon is nicknamed “Beatle”. He has a twin who was born a couple of months after he was (this is explained). When he meets Destiny, he falls for her instantly (and she for him), but he already has a girlfriend, Cilla. Cilla is also Beatle's twin sister's best friend, which makes it all even more complicated.

I actually really enjoyed this. It was a fun, cute read. There were chapters that were cute snippets of twins discussing their lives that kind of reminded me of the snippets of couples in When Harry Met Sally, so that was kind of fun, as well.

Australian high school senior Beatle (real name: John Lennon. Really.) is superstitious enough that he heads for home early on Friday the 13th--taking the bus, since there's a greater likelihood of an accident on a Friday the 13th. At the bus stop, the day's bad luck turns around: also waiting for the bus is Destiny (last name: McCartney. Really.). The pair decide it's fate and go for ice cream, and from there their relationship blooms. Or would, if not for the detail of Beatle's girlfriend Cilla. Who happens to be best friends with Beatle's twin sister. Destiny has her own problems, related to purloined art materials, a stalker, and Beatle, the guy who seems into her but won’t call.

Gets a little caught up in its side stories, but show more the bulk of the story will appeal to fans of quirky-romantic realistic fiction. show less

I don't read a whole lot of Australian YA. As an American, my access to Australian YA seems limited to books by Melina Marchetta and Markus Zusak. I don't complain, as Zusak is a fabulous author, and I have yet to read Marchetta but I hear she is excellent too.Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams was my first taste of Aussie Contemporary YA and I have to say, I highly enjoyed it.Beatle Meets Destiny is told through the alternating viewpoints of "Beatle" and Destiny. Basically, what happens is Beatle and Destiny meet on the subway, and share certain coincidences connecting them to the Beatles band. Anyways, they share a kiss, then go on with their lives, but don't stop thinking about each other. However, they are prevented from show more getting together, cause Beatle already has a girlfriend. OH THE DRAMZ!Unfortunately, I did sympathize with Beatle's girlfriend for part of the book, even though I wasn't supposed to, but well, as someone's girlfriend, I can't help it, I would not want my boyfriend kissing on some girl just because he thinks it's his destiny. No way. However, Destiny is a rather winning character with a great group of friends. Her family is huge and fun. Plus the scrapes she gets into with her friends are laugh out loud funny, including an adventure in how to be a stalker.Beatle, once you get past the fact that he cheated on his girlfriend, is a rather nice guy. He's a bit different from the average YA love interest/main character, in that he's not quite able-bodied. He can't walk regularly, and well, you'll see why when you read the book. I like this book represents a teen who is not the norm.I notice certain cultural differences within Beatle Meets Destiny. First off, school seems different. It sounds like instead of standardized tests, the students make these awesome portfolios. They also do these things called gap years. I know, I sound like such an American, but the concept of a gap year is so cool. Also, the characters do seem to party/club a lot, maybe there is a more lax attitude about alcohol in Australia than in America? I don't know. I don't presume to judge an entire continent based off of one YA book, that's just silly, but it is interesting to note things which are automatically different for me.Ultimately, I really enjoyed Beatle Meets Destiny and will try to read some more Aussie-based YA as this book was awesome. Plus, I like to read a little contemporary romance every now and then to clense my palate. show less

Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams is a classic "boy meets girl" story full of teen drama, romance, and humor. Set in Australia, this story could have taken place from Toronto to Chicago or London. It would be a dream world to most Americans who don't realize that the drinking age is 18 in many countries and project-based learning rather than testing is the focus of schools.

Someone in my YA reading group identified this as a "popcorn romance". I agree with this description. Lots of teens will be attracted to this type of light romance. However I'm a little concerned the length of the book might scare off the intended "light reading" audience.

While I thought the dialog was witty and the superstitions and coincidences were cute, I show more found myself skimming through the middle. It would be a great book to read on the beach, but it's not particularly special. show less

This was a fun read, perfect for teenager's, about a guy called John Lennon aka Beatle who meets a girl called Destiny McCartney. Set in Melbourne, Australia, it is full of teenage angst combined with quirky humour.