Torn by Stephanie Guerra

book: Torn

written by: Stephanie Guerra
series? nope
genre: young adult, romance, drama
pages: 263
publication date: April 1st, 2012
publisher: Marshall Cavendish Press


first thoughts: Thanks a lot, Netgalley and Marshall Cavendish! I loved this book, and I think lots of teenage girls should read this, it will help them a lot in their lives!

the book: 
Stella Chavez is your classic good girl: straight As, clean-cut boyfriends, and soccer trophies . You’d never guess that Stella’s dad was a drug addict who walked out when she was a kid. Or that inside, Stella wishes for something more.


New girl Ruby Caroline seems like Stella’s polar opposite: cursing, smoking, and teetering in sky-high heels . But with Ruby, Stella gets a taste of another world—a world in which parents act like roommates, college men are way more interesting than high school boys, and there is nothing that shouldn’t be tried once.


It’s not long before Stella finds herself torn: between the best friend she’s ever had and the friends she’s known forever, between her family and her own independence, between who she was and who she wants to be.


But Ruby has a darker side, a side she doesn’t show anyone—not even Stella. As Stella watches her friend slowly unravel, she will have to search deep inside herself for the strength to be a true friend, even if it means committing the ultimate betrayal.

my review: 

Stepanie Guerra created a book lots of teenage girls will love. Even though it's not the genre I like best, I loved this book, and want to read more by the author, Stephanie Guerra.

The main character in this book, Stella, really is a good girl, but will she turn into a good girl gone bad? She is someone I'dlove to be friends with! She takes care of her brother and sister, and acts as if she is an adult, but never complains to others how much her life sucks. Then there comes the new girl, that is completely different, and she decides to give her a shot, which immediately made me love her. No love at first sight for her, which is another + :D

Then there is the other important character, Ruby. She is the exact opposite of Stella, but I adored her too, or at least in some parts of the book. She is the one that always chooses dare with thruth or dare. She's the one that will never abandon you, and the one that loves you as a sister. She's the one with a hard life you don't know about until it's too late, just because she is such a great actor. 

This book showed me the value of friendship. Also, boyfriends were not the #1 priority for Stella, and that was great. She had a life, even without a boyfriend. Some other YA books make me wonder if the characters would survive a week without their boyfriends. *FYI, that's a bad thing ;)*

The story starts happy, and everything's ok. But of course, it turns around, and drama takes over. And not only whiny-girl drama... Stella has to make some serious decisions, and will she choose the right thing. Will there even be a right thing to choose?

The writing style of Stephanie is great, and the pace of the story was perfect, there was happening enough, and not too much in each chapter. 

A fun read that includes some difficult choices, a lot of drama and everything a teenage girl can ask for.

rating:

4.5 stars, a great debut novel!

about the author:

Stephanie Guerra has an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Notre Dame. She teaches children’s literature and a seminar in writing instruction at Seattle University. She also teaches creative writing at King County Jail, and researches and speaks about literacy instruction for at-risk and incarcerated young adults. She would like to encourage her readers to donate used books to juvenile correctional facilities. Stephanie lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and children. TORN is her first novel. visit her site: http://www.stephanieguerra.com/

xo Mar