Details
Title: The Promise of AmazingAuthor: Robin Constantine
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Year: 2013
Language: English
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 6/10
Continuation: No continuation yet.
Pages: 371
Review
The Promise of Amazing is the story of Wren Caswell, an average girl with average grades and an average social standing. She's always been the good, 'quiet' girl, but she's ready to break out of that stereotype.
Grayson Barrett - king of St. Gabes, lacrosse champion and top student. The golden boy with a dark past is ready to change but not quite sure how.
The two cross paths when Wren saves Grayson from choking, their romance bringing a whole new meaning to opposites attract.
Due to its popularity and rave reviews, I met this book with great expectations. Sad to say, I was severely disappointed. All in all, it wasn't an awful book but it certainly didn't seem like bestseller material.
To begin with, the instant romance between the two protagonists was irritating and cheesy. Wren saves Grayson from choking on a cocktail sausage in the first chapter and disappears before he can thank her. Even though the two have never spoken to each other, Grayson is already infatuated and feels the need to find the 'most beautiful girl he's ever seen'. To this point we are lead to believe that Wren is an average, nothing special girl while Grayson, as we later find out, is an ex-player with more than his fair share of gorgeous girls to choose from. It is hard to believe that his instant magnetic attraction to her is even plausible, much less love at first sight.
Determined not to give up on the book that early, I forged on. As the book progressed, Wren was developed further as a spineless character who kept giving Grayson endless chances, even though he was never completely honest with her. That brings me to Gray's character development as a manipulative 'bad boy' trying to change. I really didn't like or empathise with either character making me completely disinterested in how their love story progressed.
About three quarters through the book Wren and Luke Dobson, Gray's best friend from his dark past, begin to have a few secretive romantic moments and I won't lie, I was rooting more for them in the last few chapters than I was for Wren and Gray throughout the entire novel because at least they were exciting. They were interesting as a couple and I wouldn't have minded them being the protags. But fantasies never come true and this romance never becomes a reality.
Another aspect of the book I actually liked was the mystery created throughout the book about Gray's past and the people he was involved with. Gray's friend and he used to have a con job where they would seduce rich girls to steal from their houses. We start to notice that Luke is particularly concerned with a stolen necklace Gray gives to Wren and the reason is an interesting revelation. My only complaint is that the most action in the novel happens in the last quarter instead of being spread out through the novel.
Overall, The Promise of Amazing wasn't too bad but I felt it lacked character development and structure. Wren and Gray's romance would have much more engaging if we had developed a connection with the characters first and had mentally begun rooting for them like I personally did for Luke and Wren. I wouldn't personally recommend this book, but if you're into the idea of insta-love, go for it!
Grayson Barrett - king of St. Gabes, lacrosse champion and top student. The golden boy with a dark past is ready to change but not quite sure how.
The two cross paths when Wren saves Grayson from choking, their romance bringing a whole new meaning to opposites attract.
Due to its popularity and rave reviews, I met this book with great expectations. Sad to say, I was severely disappointed. All in all, it wasn't an awful book but it certainly didn't seem like bestseller material.
To begin with, the instant romance between the two protagonists was irritating and cheesy. Wren saves Grayson from choking on a cocktail sausage in the first chapter and disappears before he can thank her. Even though the two have never spoken to each other, Grayson is already infatuated and feels the need to find the 'most beautiful girl he's ever seen'. To this point we are lead to believe that Wren is an average, nothing special girl while Grayson, as we later find out, is an ex-player with more than his fair share of gorgeous girls to choose from. It is hard to believe that his instant magnetic attraction to her is even plausible, much less love at first sight.
Determined not to give up on the book that early, I forged on. As the book progressed, Wren was developed further as a spineless character who kept giving Grayson endless chances, even though he was never completely honest with her. That brings me to Gray's character development as a manipulative 'bad boy' trying to change. I really didn't like or empathise with either character making me completely disinterested in how their love story progressed.
About three quarters through the book Wren and Luke Dobson, Gray's best friend from his dark past, begin to have a few secretive romantic moments and I won't lie, I was rooting more for them in the last few chapters than I was for Wren and Gray throughout the entire novel because at least they were exciting. They were interesting as a couple and I wouldn't have minded them being the protags. But fantasies never come true and this romance never becomes a reality.
Another aspect of the book I actually liked was the mystery created throughout the book about Gray's past and the people he was involved with. Gray's friend and he used to have a con job where they would seduce rich girls to steal from their houses. We start to notice that Luke is particularly concerned with a stolen necklace Gray gives to Wren and the reason is an interesting revelation. My only complaint is that the most action in the novel happens in the last quarter instead of being spread out through the novel.
Overall, The Promise of Amazing wasn't too bad but I felt it lacked character development and structure. Wren and Gray's romance would have much more engaging if we had developed a connection with the characters first and had mentally begun rooting for them like I personally did for Luke and Wren. I wouldn't personally recommend this book, but if you're into the idea of insta-love, go for it!
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