Review: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
Release Date: October 1, 2012
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Companion to: Catching Jordan
Source: Won in a Twitter giveaway from Miranda! Thank you!

Description from Goodreads:
Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

After her family's scandal rocks their conservative small town, 17-year-old Parker Shelton goes overboard trying to prove that she won't turn out like her mother: a lesbian. The all-star third-baseman quits the softball team, drops 20 pounds and starts making out with guys--a lot. But hitting on the hot new assistant baseball coach might be taking it a step too far...especially when he starts flirting back.

I have been excited about Stealing Parker for a while. I positively adored Catching Jordan and was looking forward to more amazing stories like it from Miranda Kenneally. So I was pretty much doing a happy dance throughout this whole thing, because Miranda certainly did not disappoint.

This story is about Parker, just like the last one was about Jordan, if not more so. Not only is it about Parker's relationships, but it's about Parker growing and becaoming comfortable with herself and what she wants. I loved and fully support that lesson throughout this book--that everyone should be comfortable with who they are because it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, so long as you yourself are happy.

Character Rundown:
Parker: Parker is a good girl. She does some not-great things, but she's just a little confused. She grew a lot in this book. It was wonderful to see her shift from someone who lacks REAL self confidence to someone who accepts herself, fully, and her family, too. She started off lost, but by the end she was on the right track, and that's what counts.

Brian Hoffman: I cannot call this guy simply "Brian." It's always going to be "Brian Hoffman." That's just how it is. I don't feel very many good things for this man. He pretty much used Parker, and she was too lost to see it. Yes, he had some sweet moments that made me smile, but when everything is considered all together, I just think he's kind of a creep. I'm not really a fan of the whole teacher/student relationship thing. Even if it's a really young teacher, like Mr. Brian Hoffman over here. There is only one guy who can get away with this for me, and his name is Dimitri. He's Russian, a fighting god, and never fails to make me smile. So there ya go.

Drew: Drew's a sweetheart! He actually reminded me of someone I know, so that was great. Friends like him are hard to come by and I was glad Parker had him. Such a great boy!

Corndog: Or Will, if you prefer. I was in love with him since the moment we met him. He's a nice, solid guy. He knows what he wants and can be serious about it, but he has fun, too. And he's a TEENAGER. Perfect. As far as Stealing Parker goes, Will is the boy that officially has MY heart.

The sweetness. I've already mentioned this, but there are countless sweet moments, coming from all directions. I honestly didn't know what Parker would decide to do concerning this, and that was fun. I know who I was rooting for, but...I didn't ever get a guarantee who she'd choose until the end. Still--this book is incredibly sweet. I smiled so much.

The plot. As I said, this book was not all predictable. Some particular events I honestly did not expect AT ALL. And by this, I am pointing a finger at Ryan (Parker's brother). But I liked him, so all is well now. There is great growth, and a fantastic message within this story, and I wouldn't change any of it for the world.

The ending. If you've read Catching Jordan, you'll understand me when I say that the ending was kind of like that, just a different scenerio and characters. The ending was nice, though I am curious what happened next. Then again, it's like that for all the books I read, so that's not much of a complaint. The important thing here is that I didn't want to slap anybody over this ending.

Overall, I strongly suggest you go read a book by Miranda Kenneally--whether it be Catching Jordan or Stealing Parker, it does not matter. You will not regret it!

♥Jessica(: