Book Review: Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot

• Review: Unmaking Hunter Kennedy
• Series: —
• Author: Anne Eliot
• No of Pages: 422
• Release Date: Published October 17th 2012 by Butterfly Books, LLC
• Rating: 5/5!!!

Synopsis:

“After a car accident–an event he considers a prank gone bad–pop star, Hunter Kennedy is forced to hide out with his aunt in small-town Colorado. He’s supposed to rest, heal his scars and attend high school in disguise until the press dies down. But he only wants to get back to work.

Worse, the girl who’s been assigned to make him over into a geek is a major geek herself. Vere Roth is a chattering pixie, a blushing tornado and a complete social disaster. He’s never met a girl who’s never-been-kissed, believes in romance and thinks Hunter’s a ‘nice’ guy.

Funny thing is…Hunter is nice around Vere because she’s his first real friend. He also can’t seem to stop sharing his secrets or keep her out of his heart. Knowing he’d never deserve a girl as sweet as Vere, he resigns himself to the friend zone, and helps his new bestie with her own makeover.

She tortures him daily for ridiculous guy advice on how to snag her life-long crush. A guy Hunter thinks is totally wrong for Vere, and sadly, one who has taken note of Vere’s transformation.

When Vere asks her best friend for some kissing advice, Hunter can’t resist…

And that’s when things get out of control…

High School Romance, first love, sweet romance.”

Anne Eliot’s Top 10 tips to writers for 2013!

1. Keep hold of your writer friends. GET writer friends. Stalk serious writer friends. (I’ve done this, it works. They are usually looking for serious writer friends too).It’s been said before, it will be said again. This is a job where you often feel alone and are always somewhat vulnerable and confused. You must have friends that you trust who will be with you. People who will not judge you when you call and ask them insane questions. Writer friends who will read page 1 for you again as you read thiers.

2. Join or renew your commitment to a professional writing organization and GO to the local meetings and the national conferences if you can.

People ask, “How do I get these writer friends, how do I find a critique group? Where can I find new inspiration?” These are the only places you will find other, serious, like-minded writing people. My favorites? Romance Writer’s of America, SCBWI and Digital Book World.

3. Write as much as you can. Set goals and walk one step at a time toward that goal. If you are afraid…if you think you are doing it wrong…if you feel uncomfortable…then you are on track. Remember, you can always edit later. Keep on typing…don’t look back.

4. Do some sort of social networking, but do it from the heart. Find people who inspire you, make you smile or who love what you love. Try to support their efforts online. So many writers find social networking a chore. If you feel that, re-focus on something you love like…cookies, or cats, or music…everyone has some passion. Find others who love that same thing and have fun with them. That’s all you have to do…love what you love, and the fun and very cool people follow. SWEAR.

5. Read. Read. Read. All writers are readers. I’m so surprised when I talk to people who are trying to publish and they tell me they have no idea who is on the top of the bestseller lists, nor have they read anything in thier genre!! We all became writers because we loved to read. Don’t forget to take that time out to be a reader so you can write better for the person who is turning the pages.

6. Write MORE, edit like a warrior, and get feedback. This might mean you’ve got to weed through feedback and re-write. You might have to be strong and tell the beta readers what they did not like must stay. It might mean you chuck 50 pages and start over. It will 100% mean the dishes don’t get done, the fridge gets empty and your family might question your sanity as you cry it out, but (see number three) just write, edit, revise and write. Nothing comes from nothing and you need words on the page to make something.

7. Do a BLOG TOUR! Truth: I thought blog tours were for people who had publishing contracts from huge publishing companies only. This is my first blog tour, but my second book. (slaps head) Bloggers are amazing people, intimidatingly intelligent people who read five times more than the average person. They know more about books and life and love and romance than anyone you could ever HOPE to meet. When you say things like, “You know in that one book? Don’t you think that guy from Supernatural should be that ONE GUY?”  They totally get IT and not only that, they have hundreds of stock photos that they then send you with even better suggestions as to who should be that ONE GUY. And they are usually DEAD ON. And who doesn’t want to meet cool people who can do that?

8. Support other authors. Period. All writers I know work hard. These are anguished people who are just like you–trying to create something beautiful that will someday make someone sigh. They want to be storytellers against all odds just like you. It’s a strange dream to have and so, I think, dreams are better dreamed together and with kindness.

9. Seek out poets and poetry. Study song lyrics. Again and again. Poets and songwriters–in just a few lines–and in three minutes or less (as this is the average song run-time) are able to tell an entire story. All poetry challenges you to write clearer and if you want to show not tell how things smell, taste, feel, ache and look…poetry is where to start.

10. Choose LOVE in all that you do even in the face of hate, sadness, exhaustion, fear or darkness. Tweet #love. Be love. Simply, try to love. NOTE: If you do only this very last suggestion, all will be amazing. Period. I swear. 

 

Thanks Nova and EJ,  for having me on your beautiful blog. 

If you are visiting this blog for the first time CLICK AND READ THE POETRY. You won’t be sorry. xo Annie

My thoughts:

This has to be the cutest YA romance out there! The entire book was amazing but the first kiss scene was off the charts. It was total PG but whew… I even needed a breather after it. It was THAT good.

Anne Eliot just has a way of making you LOVE her characters. Each one is built so fantastically that you feel as if you’re inside their lives. It’s absolutely brilliant.Vere is this great geek that had an issue that you find out about and you may think, that’s not so bad, but I had to think back to my teenage years and how one little incident seemed devastating!! The psychology behind the characters was spot on! Vere was devastated and actually wound up having severe anxiety because of what we may think of a small hiccup, but to her was her entire life! Fighting her way through this with the help of Hunter is an amazing plot in itself, but ohhh no! There’s so, so, SO much more!

The making of the relationship between the two main characters was awesome. Vere unmaking Hunter was ridiculously funny. Each time he did something goofy on purpose to get the opposite kind of attention he’s used to, I just cracked up. I couldn’t help but fall in love with him. And this isn’t exactly a love at first site kind of thing. Actually these two are pushing and pulling at each other.

The speed of the plot was dead on. There’s so much drama, both good and bad that it just makes the book such a fast read. I actually wanted to slow down so I could catch every word. I really did NOT want this to end!!  I just can not say anything else because I don’t want to add in any spoilers. Just know that this was the best, cutest, most fabulously written YA that I’ve read in awhile! Other books now have a bar they must reach for 2013!!

Absolutely amazing Anne!

About the author:

I write young adult fiction full time. I love to hear from readers, and hope you find me on Facebook and Twitter.

When not listening to any and ALL love songs or pining for Tim Horton’s to open in Colorado, I ponder Joseph Campbell. His work has inspired me to study story structure and how emotion within a story can move people through time–across language barriers and cultures. Emotion and love, I believe, are everything. First kisses, and romance are everything else. ❤

I’m married to a saint, have a family that keeps me sane, the world’s cutest dog and an Italian-Canadian mom plus an Irish-American dad. This means we travel tons, love food, hugs, and huge, noisy family gatherings.

I’m also a proud member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), Romance Writers of America (RWA), Pikes Peak Writers, and Digital Book World.

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Tags: Anne Eliot, Unmaking Hunter Kennedy