Elizabeth CraftReseñas

Per me è stata una delusione. La vicenda era partita molto bene e la storia seppur non originalissima mi sembrava interessante, il protagonista maschile era diverso dai soliti da Young adult/New adult e la sua delicatezza nel corteggiare Charlotte, il suo non essere ossessivo come uno stalker psicopatico mi avevano fatto ben sperare di ritrovarmi di fronte a qualcosa di nuovo e non la solita storiella da due soldi, peccato che queste mie belle aspettative siano miseramente crollate... già a metà libro tutto si è rovinato. Tate dapprima carino e dolcissimo si è trasformato in uno psicopatico, mezzo bipolare, oscillando tra il "Devo allontanarti da me" e il "Non lasciarmi ti prego ti ammmooo" ok, non proprio così ma che un protagonista cinque secondi prima molli la tizia e due secondi dopo la stalkeri pentendosi del suo gesto non è normalissimo almeno nel mio standard di normalità (che non è già molto alto)
La storia in poco tempo va alla deriva, tolto il protagonista maschile che si riscopre traumatizzato dalla vita e dal passato ovviamente e banalmente drammatico (perché a noi lettrici il tizio con genitori amorevoli e una vita nella media non piace a quanto pare) rimane lei... Charlotte che in un primo momento con i suoi pensieri convinti e sicuri "Non mi innamorerò e seguirò le mie passioni" mi aveva impressionata e fatto incrociare le dita peccato che si trasformi da monaca di Monza in una... rincoglionita, ossessionata dal sesso e dal farsi il figone di turno tanto da arrivare a pensare di abbandonare gli studi e le sue passioni pur di stare con lui passando sopra tutti i suoi buoni propositi e rischiando di rovinare quello che duramente ha costruito negli anni e con molta fatica. Capisco l'importanza di mettere l'amore al primo posto ma leggere di queste protagoniste che appena hanno di fronte un bel ragazzo non ragionano e buttano quasi all'aria la loro vita mi fa sempre un certo effetto e non positivo purtroppo. Se ai due pessimi soggetti aggiungiamo la storiella tira e molla senza troppi colpi di scena potete immaginare, l'unico colpo di scena nel libro lo abbiamo di fatto nel finale, uno banalissimo e scontato e usato come escamotage per creare un po' di ansia e anche lì... ci sta ma non puoi ridurre il tutto in 2 paginette scarse! Vuoi creare un dramma? Almeno dedicagli una decina di pagine con il prima e dopo, qualcosa, non una botta e via così... tanto per avere la scusa di riavvicinare i due polli! A fare crollare il tutto, il poco salvabile ci pensa il finale vero e proprio. Avete presente quei momenti in cui nonostante amate gli happy ending con tutta l'anima vi rendete conto che quella storia non può avere un finale positivo perché perderebbe di significato? Ecco è il caso di Flower, si arriva nelle ultime pagine a quello che dovrebbe essere il giusto finale, due persone che si conoscono, amano e poi si lasciano dopo essere cresciute, maturate, aver fatto esperienze di vita, è così, è la vita, succede e invece no... facciamoli rimettere insieme togliendo anche l'unico sprazzo di dignità alla storia tanto l'amore deve vincere sempre!!
Insomma... che delusione... a un certo punto mi pareva di leggere una fan fiction, scritta bene e scorrevole certo ma pur sempre una fan fiction, probabilmente se l'avessi letta su Wattpad non ci sarei rimasta troppo male ma dopo aver preso un romanzo, averlo messo in lista e ricevuto come regalo (fortunatamente), dopo che sono stati spesi soldi dietro che potevano essere spesi per altro, mi ha disturbato. Non mi sento di consigliarvelo, il voto finale sarebbe 2 stelline e mezza... arrotondo a 3 per colpa della mancanza di mezze stelle ma, seriamente, non credo valga la pena, ci sono romanzi scritti meglio, con personaggi migliori e intrecci più intriganti di questo, per quanto mi riguarda non vale spenderci tempo e soldi

In 280 pagine i protagonisti si mettono insieme, si lasciano e si riprendono 5 VOLTE!
Prossimamente la recensione completa su The Ink Spell.

I literally do not remember anything from reading this book other than the fact that I was probably too young for it at the time and my mother got upset at me for reading a book with a title like that. I used to go to the library and check out 20 different books, all because I couldn't choose just one. Of course I couldn't read them all in the two weeks, and the majority of them went back without being read - but I did read this one.

A total ripoff of Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, but it was an alright book.
Ending sucked, but the characters were fun.

I grabbed this book as something quick and mindless to read before I got back into the other series I am reading and it was suprisingly enjoyable. I didn't think I would like it as much as I did. It is compared a lot to the sisterhood of the traveling pants series, which I had no interest in reading so I didn't expect much out of this, but it draws you in. It is inspiring and kind of depressing. Everyone had dreams but not everyone has the means to be able to make these dreams come true. I feel as though the girls in the book were able to try to achieve their dreams too easily. It makes me kinda of wish I had done something like that when I graduated high school. But its never too late and I look forward to reading the sequal.½

The story is focused on Jake and Christy. They have known each other since they were kids. Their mothers were best friends. They used to share everything untill one day Jake asked Chrhisty out on a date. The first few minutes were fine. But the "disaster "came and ruined all things. After that night, for Christy, Jake was a public enemy number one. Every time they met, there was only an argue and it happened for four years. So standing on their own way was the only solution. Then new chapter for Jake and Christy began when the prom was up.

A light reading.
What I like from this book is the words choice, since I do not read lots of English books. The description of anything is just right. I can get it in first place.

This book is written with Christy and Jake's point of view. So the book let me know what their thoughts about each others. Christy's chapter is my favorite. I like all part when she talked to herself. It looks like she has name for every things. She is a tough and deep girl who would do anything for her family. Some parts which told about her family situation was touching enough. Actually she is sweet but suddenly changed when it is dealing with Jake.
Jake himself is a nice guy, the one who is reliable. He is good at reading situation and know which step to take. But he become so annoying when Christy is around. Seems the honesty word is disappear from their dictionary.

I read lots of YA books but not for this genre. I picked it up spontaneously from the pile of my borrowed-books. Although the ending is so predictable, I enjoyed reading every chapter. I think when I feel tired of any fantasy literature, I would love to read this kind of book.

Cover
I wish I could see the other editions. But none of them were found

I thought the sequel was just as awesome as the first. It picks up where the other book left off and it finishes off the four friends' life-changing year. By the end, the girls have learned a lot and have either achieved, were on their way to achieving, or have finally discovered their dreams. Much growth and self-discovery takes place along the way. Things change in their lives, but what never changes is their unconditional bond of friendship no matter what happens. Funny and real, just like the first book, the second one makes a perfect ending to this story.

I thought this book was quite awesome - it was like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but more mature. I liked the differences this one had from the Sisterhood books - that it was a few months long and not during the summer, that it was post-high school, that the girls all had to go their separate ways into the real world, for good, and that it was about going after their dreams, no matter how difficult it may have appeared to be, which is something that I and many other people can relate to. The story was funny and real and inspiring.

This book follows four best friends after they graduate high school. Initially, these girls all planned on going to college, but this changed when one of the girls, Harper, gets rejected from NYU. Instead of admitting to her friends that she got rejected from the only school she applied to, she tells them she is purposefully taking the year off to pursue her dream of writing the next great American novel. This sparks a revolution among her friends, and soon Kate and Sophie don't want to go to college either. Kate, the perfectionist, doesn't have a dream yet, but she plans on finding it as she spendss the year backpacking around Europe. Sophie, ever the dramatic one, goes off to LA to pursue her dreams of being a famous actress. Becca, the only one still going to college, is given a dream of her own to accomplish: she must fall in love. So what if they turn their lives completely upside down? They always have each others backs.

I've heard that people say this is the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" for older readers, and I agree with that statement to a certain extent. The premise is certainly similar, but this book seemed to lack the spark that made the "Sisterhood" books so wildly popular.

I enjoyed this book. It was a good way to spend time. But I still never felt anything for the characters. They were nicely developed, with faults and strengths, but I lacked an emotional connection.

I would have to say this book is forgettable. While reading it, you don't notice anything lacking, but when you finish and reflect, you realize it wasn't that great. I might read the sequel though, if I'd happen to come across it.½

Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com

This sequel to BASS ACKWARDS AND BELLY UP takes the second half of the year of dreams with these four best friends.

Becca is still at Middlebury living the life of a ski bum and in love. She's found her guy and she's sharing every moment with him. But her family life comes crashing down again and she just might say something she'll regret.

Sophie needs to find an apartment pronto as she's being kicked out of her great digs - and an acting job wouldn't be too bad, either. It's hard to say you're an actress if no one is hiring you.

Kate is "taking the water." She's gone to Africa to build wells for towns in desperate need of close water. Will being half a world away bring her closer to her family and also help her find her way home?

Harper found her voice and spends her free time writing in the bathroom where she can escape the world. In between writing, she must deal with her love life and her family issues.

The friendship of these four girls reaches beyond space and time and helps each one through both rough times and triumphs. It's a great sisterhood novel, showing the ups and downs of friendship and how one moment can change your whole life.

Bass Ackwards and Belly Up seemed like a rip-off of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. As glad as I was to read another book featuring characters in their older teens, it wasn't as great as I had hoped. It dives right into the middle of a hugely dramatic time in these four teens' lives, and while a bit confusing, eventually everything makes sense. The storylines are interesting enough, but they were pretty simple and very predictable stories for the most part. The characters were made lovable through the writing early on, but since they were all separated, the story wasn't as interesting as it could have been if they were together, much like Sisterhood again. At least with the Sisterhood series, when the girls were apart, they were in regular correspondence and we as readers were witness to that, but here, they were all on their separate adventures, and it was harder to imagine how crazyawesome the story would have been with them all together. Midway, the stories just lose all their push. Something happens, and it all becomes dull. The girls' characterization seems to fall by the wayside, and while they had their moments, the second half of the book was not nearly as enjoyable a read as the first. The one pairing I was interested in had no resolution, and I was very disappointed about that. Many of the stories are left ambiguous, which makes some of them seem utterly pointless and a waste of time to have read. I would just stick with reading the Sisterhood series instead of picking this one up.

Rating: 3/5

Reviewed by Emylee for TeensReadToo.com

Harper Waddle, Sophie Bush, Kate Foster, and Becca Winsberg, four best friends who bonded in middle school during a fateful trip to the bathroom, have reached a pivotal moment in their lives. The summer after their high school graduation leaves them ready to pursue their much anticipated futures; Becca, a spot on the coveted Middlebury College ski team; Harper, an acceptance into her dream school, NYU; Kate, a future at Harvard with her beloved boyfriend; and poor Sophie, stuck at home attending community college. Unfortunately, none of their plans really coincide with each other.

Harper, however, is living with a big secret. One so big that it causes her to ditch her college plans in pursuit of her "dream." This act of liberation starts a whirlwind of commotion during the last few days of the girls' summer, and by the start of the new school year, only Becca has stayed true to her original plans. Fueled with ambition, daring Sophie leaves their small town of Boulder in hope of hitting it big in Los Angeles, impeccable Kate forsakes Harvard for Europe, and Harper is determined to write the next "Great American Novel."

Now separated by state lines and oceans, and linked only by letters, lists, and the occasional telephone call, Harper, Sophie, Kate, and Becca are left to discover what growing up is all about, reminiscent of THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS trilogy.

BASS ACKWARDS AND BELLY UP is a humorous tale about the path to maturity, narrated from each girl's own particular journey, and illustrates the sometimes haphazard route one follows in pursuit of a dream.

Written for Hip Scouts

Bound to be called ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' for the older set, ‘Bass Ackwards and Belly Up' is wonderful, humorous tale that tells the story of four best friends and their adventures after graduating from high school, as they each make their own decisions about what they want to do in life. As a soon-to-be high school graduate myself, I could completely relate to Harper, Sophie, Kate, and Becca, but you definitely don't need to be eighteen in order to enjoy this book. If you've ever pursued your dreams, or even if you've only dreamed of pursuing them, this book is not to be missed.

The novel by Craft demonstartes teh adolesecence of teenagers going off to college who have yet to encounter major aspects in their lives. It's filled with incessant excitment and lures the reader in with her storyline. Her novel is realistic in the sense that it does not demonstrate a utopia but the exact opposite. The girls come face to face with problems that normal or common people go through and act upon them just like a common person. Elizabeth Craft expresses the fear and excitment of teenage girls taking the next step in her novel.

FOOTFREE AND FANCYLOOSE picks up right where BASS ACKWARDS AND BELLY UP ends, at the end of the Christmas-New Year holiday season. Harper Waddle—college reject, writer-barista, and Dream Train starter—has burned the first fifty pages of her first novel as per her English teacher/dream man Mr. Finelli’s constructive criticism. This time she is starting over and writing from the heart. Harper is determined to let nothing stop her, but mixed feelings about her coworker, Judd, Mr. Finelli, and a family accident make the road a lot bumpier.

All the way across the ocean, Kate has joined a humanitarian project in Ethiopia, digging wells for villages. She feels more in control and strong and herself than she’s ever felt…except her teammate, a pretentious Princetonian named Darby, mislabels her as a ditzy blond and seems to think she is a waste of time and space.

In LA, Sophie is getting used to a new Hollywood sort of life—far, far away from the glamorous poolhouse she used to inhabit. Now she’s rooming with Sam, the Meyers’ ex-poolboy, and still struggling to make it big, still feeling like she’s not LA material. She snags an agent finally, but at what cost? How much of herself is she willing to give up in order to advance up the screwed-up quid pro quo world of Hollywood?

And finally, at Middlebury College, Becca is living out her Dream, bigtime. Not only is she doing phenomenal on the slopes, she’s also head over heels for her boyfriend, Stuart, a smart, understanding, gorgeous guy, despite the fact that he IS a football player. But of course, perfect bliss cannot endure in Becca’s world. She receives a shocking revelation about her family that sends her Stuart ecstasy into a hurtful tailspin.

The lives of four friends who chose the other path—and grew and succeeded as a result. Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain’s books are full of chick-lit adventure and romance, which will be sure to please girls all over.

What’s the ultimate sin a college-bound teenager can commit? How about ditching college to pursue their dreams? Look over your shoulder…yeah, that’s your parent twitching in horror.

In Bass Ackwards and Belly Up, four girls find themselves with some decisions to make right before going off to college. The dilemma begins with Harper, who isn’t going to college because she wasn’t accepted at her dream University (and hadn’t applied anywhere else). But that isn’t what she tells her three best friends or her family – too ashamed to admit she didn’t get in, she instead tells everyone that she’s going to stay home, move into the basement, and work on the next great American novel.

Her “decision” prompts some deep thought in her friends and two of them decide they need to follow their hearts as well. Sophie decides to move to Beverly Hills to try her hand at acting – she’s got the attitude and the looks and the burning desire to be a star. Then there’s Kate, the one you’d think would be least likely to change her plans and do something daring…which is exactly why she decides to travel Europe and find herself instead of going off to Harvard.

Only Becca finds herself sticking to the original plan and leaving home to attend college at Middlebury. But she’s been tasked with a huge life-altering goal as well: fall in love. Coming from a very dysfunctional family, letting herself go and letting someone in is harder than you’d think.

Each chapter focuses in on a different girl as she tries to fulfill her dream and overcome obstacles that at times seem very intense. Readers will turn the pages eagerly (I know I did) to find out what will happen next. Will Harper get together with Mr. Finelli (her former teacher and longtime crush)? Will she get past her writer’s block and self-imposed writer’s blindness to actually complete her novel? Will Sophie accept second-class treatment from a rising movie star (who, admittedly, is really, really hot) or will she stick up for herself? Will Becca fall for Stuart or languish in unrequited love for Jared (formerly Kate’s boyfriend)? Will Kate find the strength to find herself in Europe or will she give in to her parents and become the “perfect daughter” again?

I feel like I’m reducing this great book down to some silly clichés, but that’s what you get sometimes when trying to reduce a book down to a short review. The book itself is NOT riddled with trite situations or phrases, though it easily could have been. Instead, it is a true pleasure to read with an honest, real-life feel. I really enjoyed this one and I think you will too. Recommended for readers aged 12 and up. Some sexual situations are included, but nothing overly explicit and not at all gratuitous.

Very much like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants this introduces us to a group of tightly-knit girlfriends who are about to go their separate ways. When one of them announces (shortly after their high school graduation) that she's changed her mind about college, the others react by reevaluating their own decisions. They spend the next year having very different experiences and adventures, and find their friendship tested, as they make their ways into adulthood.½

Not quite as good as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books, but still very fun and enjoyable. I look forward to the sequel.½

This book is for anyone who enjoyed reading the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. There are four girls in this book, all of whom are going to embark on life after high school. They all decide to take the path less traveled. This book provides the reader with laughs and tears. Very good book.

Readers who enjoyed the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants will enjoy this book. As in Sisterhood, the book centers around four friends, Harper, Becca, Sophie, and Kate, who are all college-bound. Until Harper shakes things up by declaring that she is taking off the year to write (after being rejected by the one college she applied to) - which sends the Dream Train on its way. The book is formatted like the Sisterhood books, too, shifting perspectives from one friend to the next. Great characterization - when I started I thought I would never remember which character was which, but by the end, they're all old friends. The one thing I found annoying about the book, though, was the product placement. At first I liked the added visualization of specific brand names, but by the end I was fed up with hearing about exactly what jeans Sophie was wearing or what store she was shopping in. It got to be like that friend who is always dropping names in order to impress. Enough already! I would have given it 4 stars, but knocked 1/2 star off for that reason.½

Often described as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants for older readers, Bass Ackwards and Belly Up is a sweet debut novel that tracks an unexpected season in four friends' lives. Sophie, Kate, Becca, and Harper are all supposed to go to college... but at the last minute Harper tells them that she's staying home to go for her dream: writing the next Great American Novel. In actuality she's been rejected from the only school she applied to, but she conveniently doesn't tell her friends that. Harper's announcement starts a rebellion shocking in the girls' comfortable suburban neighborhood: Kate and Sophie decide to not go to college either. Sophie's going to LA to pursue her dream of being an actor, and Kate's decided to travel around Europe in search of something she's passionate about, something different from her life of plans. Becca's the only one of the four still going to college in Middlebury, so her friends give her an assignment in addition to being a skiing star: she has to fall in love.

In LA, Sophie has an up-and-down something going on with Sam, pool boy of the family she's staying with. She also gets together with a famous actor. Kate travels around Europe trying to accomplish the list of 100 things her friends have given her to do. Harper procrastinates on writing her novel and feels an attraction between her and Mr. Finelli, her hot and young former AP English teacher. And Becca deals with an unfair Middlebury coach and her disgust for football star Stuart Pendergrass... who happens to like her. A lot.

How will their romantic relationships turn out? Will their dreams come true? Bass Ackwards and Belly Up starts out slow, but it's well worth the first 50 pages of non-action. A sequel is in the process of publication.

This book is great for what it is- a fluffy chick lit read. It stars four friends, each of whom take a different path after high school. Each story is interesting in its own right- Harper stays at home to write the next Great American Novel, Sophie goes to LA to be an acress, Becca goes to college, and Kate backpacks through Europe. It's a fast read, fun with a little drama thrown in. Definitely for a slightly older crowd than Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but will appeal to fans of those books.½