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Title: Stir Me Up
Author: Sabrina Elkins
Pub Date: October 1st, 2013
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Page Count: Insert
Cami Broussard has her future all figured out. She'll finish her senior year of high school, then go to work full-time as an apprentice chef in her father's French restaurant, alongside her boyfriend, Luke. But then twenty-year-old ex-Marine Julian Wyatt comes to live with Cami's family while recovering from serious injuries. And suddenly Cami finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted.
Julian's all attitude, challenges and intense green-brown eyes. But beneath that abrasive exterior is a man who just might be as lost as Cami's starting to feel. And Cami can't stop thinking about him. Talking to him. Wanting to kiss him. He's got her seriously stirred up. Her senior year has just gotten a lot more complicated….
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My Thoughts
I had my problems with reading this, but at the same time, I ended up liking it all the same.
This is the story of Cami and Julian. What I liked about these two are their unique qualities. Cami wants to be a chef. Unlike some YA Protagonists, she knows where she's going and it isn't something typical; she wants to be a chef. And Julian is an ex-Marine who's lost his leg. And he'd never tell you, but he's very insecure about it; especially with Cami.
The overall story was sweet and fluffy. It was all about teenagers who are trying to find their way in life and what they want to do as adults. I could really connect to it, despite being only 13. There were a lot of roadblocks in the way, but ultimately it was Cami who had to get her butt into action to fix it all. And that difference is something that I admire considering it isn't seen very often in YA.
My problem is with Julian. I know the trend with YA bad boys who are ultimately sweet. What authors need to get is that you can't create a character with a bad attitude for no reason. And yes, having him say that he was "pissed off the word and pissed that Cami was hot and unattainable" as a reason for his hot-headed attitude is so not okay. I just couldn't get over hot stupid that was. No, he was not hot; he was a jerk. And yes, I think that Cami is a complete idiot for liking him and not questioning him at all about his sudden 180 in attitude!
In addition, I found the banter obnoxious and tiring instead of "sweet and fun" like I think it was supposed to be. It was annoying more than it was cute. As well, I found Luke tiresome and completely irrelevant to the story. We all knew that Cami was going to dump him and go for Julian, so why was he even involved. He was better in scenery.
What made me happy ultimately was genuine moments where Cami and Julian had fun and the liftoff point from where Julian stopped being a ____ and started actually being true to himself about his feelings for Cami. I hated him a little less, though I didn't... for a second, forget about what he was like.
So, to conclude, Stir Me Up was a cute and fun read that I probably needed. Like a break from all the gritty, contemp books I had read before. It was a little like a vacation. Would I read this book again? I don't know. I don't have that much time (hence, Out of Time) but it would be something I wouldn't complain about reading.
This is the story of Cami and Julian. What I liked about these two are their unique qualities. Cami wants to be a chef. Unlike some YA Protagonists, she knows where she's going and it isn't something typical; she wants to be a chef. And Julian is an ex-Marine who's lost his leg. And he'd never tell you, but he's very insecure about it; especially with Cami.
The overall story was sweet and fluffy. It was all about teenagers who are trying to find their way in life and what they want to do as adults. I could really connect to it, despite being only 13. There were a lot of roadblocks in the way, but ultimately it was Cami who had to get her butt into action to fix it all. And that difference is something that I admire considering it isn't seen very often in YA.
My problem is with Julian. I know the trend with YA bad boys who are ultimately sweet. What authors need to get is that you can't create a character with a bad attitude for no reason. And yes, having him say that he was "pissed off the word and pissed that Cami was hot and unattainable" as a reason for his hot-headed attitude is so not okay. I just couldn't get over hot stupid that was. No, he was not hot; he was a jerk. And yes, I think that Cami is a complete idiot for liking him and not questioning him at all about his sudden 180 in attitude!
In addition, I found the banter obnoxious and tiring instead of "sweet and fun" like I think it was supposed to be. It was annoying more than it was cute. As well, I found Luke tiresome and completely irrelevant to the story. We all knew that Cami was going to dump him and go for Julian, so why was he even involved. He was better in scenery.
What made me happy ultimately was genuine moments where Cami and Julian had fun and the liftoff point from where Julian stopped being a ____ and started actually being true to himself about his feelings for Cami. I hated him a little less, though I didn't... for a second, forget about what he was like.
So, to conclude, Stir Me Up was a cute and fun read that I probably needed. Like a break from all the gritty, contemp books I had read before. It was a little like a vacation. Would I read this book again? I don't know. I don't have that much time (hence, Out of Time) but it would be something I wouldn't complain about reading.
Author Info
I am a former journalist who worked for the Los Angeles Daily Newsand other newspapers in the greater Los Angeles area. Prior to this I worked in advertising, writing ad copy for corporate travel accounts and major motion pictures. My first job out of college was as an administrative assistant to an executive chef and a food & beverage director at a Four Seasons hotel. I also spent some time working as a prep cook for Spago in Beverly Hills.
I received my Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California. While in graduate school, I had the privilege of studying fiction writing under renowned author Hubert Selby, Jr., and comedy writing under famed comedian Shelley Berman. I am a past participant of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Summer Writing Workshop.
Raised in the woods of Vermont, I now live in the greater Los Angeles area with my husband and three children. STIR ME UP is my first novel.
Giveaway
I've been having a lot of trouble with the bad boys in novels who just seem to be bad because that is the trend too. It annoys the hell out of me. I am happy that despite your issues you were able to enjoy this one overall!
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