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A big thank you to the author for providing an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.
Auburn: Outcasts and Underdogs is about a girl named Ashley who is not exactly Miss Popularity at her school. The book begins as she is dealing with bullies at school, a mother who works a lot and has a new boyfriend, and starting a band with her friends Charlie and Joey.
My favorite thing about this novel is how well written Ashley is. I found the character to be incredibly realistic and easy to relate to. Okay, for me it's more like relate to for back when I was a teen...many years ago. :P I love that Ashley isn't perfect and by the end of the book she still isn't!
I also really enjoyed the music aspect of the book. I read For The Record not too long ago, (Here's the link if you want to read that review- For the Record Review), and so some of you may know that I am a huge music fan. Books + Music = <3 So of course I really liked the band parts of the book. The lyrics to the songs are great as well. If I had to pick which lyrics are my favorite then it would definitely be "Jaded."
I think the only minor thing that I just didn't care for about the book was Charlie. Charlie just got really annoying, like REALLY annoying, as the book went on. I don't want to give any spoilers away, so I will just say that by the end I couldn't stand him and I hope in the next book that he gets better. Or that the situation with him gets resolved in a really good way. I would love to see some character growth there. I also probably could have done with a little less of the bullying plot, but I do think that plot line is an integral part of the book. I just could have used a little less personally, but it wasn't a big deal or anything.
Overall I think Auburn: Outcasts and Underdogs is worth a read. I am really glad that it did cover an important subject, but that it didn't come off as whiny or preachy. I can't wait to read the next one in this series! I really want to know what will happen with the band, the bullies, the mom and her boyfriend, and with Charlie.
I recommend Auburn: Outcasts and Underdogs for fans of underdogs & anti-bullying, coming of age novels, and books with music themes.