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Sway
In Kat Spears’s hilarious and often poignant debut, high school senior Jesse Alderman, or "Sway," as he’s known, could sell hell to a bishop. He also specializes in getting things people want---term papers, a date with the prom queen, fake IDs. He has few close friends and he never EVER lets emotions get in the way. For Jesse, life is simply a series of business transactions.
But when Ken Foster, captain of the football team, leading candidate for homecoming king, and all-around jerk, hires Jesse to help him win the heart of the angelic Bridget Smalley, Jesse finds himself feeling all sorts of things. While following Bridget and learning the intimate details of her life, he falls helplessly in love for the very first time. He also finds himself in an accidental friendship with Bridget’s belligerent and self-pitying younger brother who has cerebral palsy. Suddenly, Jesse is visiting old folks at a nursing home in order to run into Bridget, and offering his time to help the less fortunate, all the while developing a bond with this young man who idolizes him. Could the tin man really have a heart after all?
A Cyrano de Bergerac story with a modern twist, Sway is told from Jesse’s point of view with unapologetic truth and biting humor, his observations about the world around him untempered by empathy or compassion---until Bridget’s presence in his life forces him to confront his quiet devastation over a life-changing event a year earlier and maybe, just maybe, feel something again.
But when Ken Foster, captain of the football team, leading candidate for homecoming king, and all-around jerk, hires Jesse to help him win the heart of the angelic Bridget Smalley, Jesse finds himself feeling all sorts of things. While following Bridget and learning the intimate details of her life, he falls helplessly in love for the very first time. He also finds himself in an accidental friendship with Bridget’s belligerent and self-pitying younger brother who has cerebral palsy. Suddenly, Jesse is visiting old folks at a nursing home in order to run into Bridget, and offering his time to help the less fortunate, all the while developing a bond with this young man who idolizes him. Could the tin man really have a heart after all?
A Cyrano de Bergerac story with a modern twist, Sway is told from Jesse’s point of view with unapologetic truth and biting humor, his observations about the world around him untempered by empathy or compassion---until Bridget’s presence in his life forces him to confront his quiet devastation over a life-changing event a year earlier and maybe, just maybe, feel something again.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2014
About the author
Kat Spears
7 books218 followersKat Spears grew up moving every few years and is still looking for her hometown. Kat writes realistic, edgy, honest, sometimes heartbreaking, often funny books about and for young people. Being a teenager sucked for Kat, and she’s still trying to write her way out of it. She spends her free time rearing caterpillars, vacuuming up dog hair, and writing letters the old-fashioned way. Her favorite job, ever, is being the mother of three perfect and hilarious humans.
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September 28, 2017
Jesse or more popularly known as “Sway” is your super sleek high school super hero without superpowers except for his innate coolness and unrivaled wit, everybody either wants to be friends with him or wants to be him. He is the man of every hour, the guy you go to when you want the impossible to happen.
- Nerdy guy wants to get laid? Pay Sway.
- Student body president has to raise funds? Pay Sway.
- School Principal needs a problem student kicked out? Pay Sway.
I’m sure you get the idea. Sway is always in his element, always carefree and chill until he takes on a job for Ken, the popular football player- to get this beautiful, elusive, dream girl and Jesse’s entire “sway” attitude suddenly becomes compromised when he gets to meet and know the wonderful Bridget.
Written in a very straightforward but very insightful and hilarious style and told in this raw and unfiltered voice of a troubled teenage boy, I find myself liking a supposedly unlikeable character more and more as the plot progresses. I love the accidental relationships and friendships he’s made especially with Mr. Dunkelman and Pete and I appreciate the development of his character as the narrative slowly divulges that deep within, Jesse really is just a nice guy who actually wants to do good things for deserving people out of the goodness of his heart.
I think the plot managed to have not only diverse characters but themes as well. It covertly addresses issues like stereotyping, racialism, physical discrimination and even sexism in a just a little over 300 pages. It’s indeed a wonderful and unique debut novel. It always surprises me how I couldn’t predict books I’ll end up giving five stars. I’m definitely Swayed. ;)
- Nerdy guy wants to get laid? Pay Sway.
- Student body president has to raise funds? Pay Sway.
- School Principal needs a problem student kicked out? Pay Sway.
I’m sure you get the idea. Sway is always in his element, always carefree and chill until he takes on a job for Ken, the popular football player- to get this beautiful, elusive, dream girl and Jesse’s entire “sway” attitude suddenly becomes compromised when he gets to meet and know the wonderful Bridget.
Written in a very straightforward but very insightful and hilarious style and told in this raw and unfiltered voice of a troubled teenage boy, I find myself liking a supposedly unlikeable character more and more as the plot progresses. I love the accidental relationships and friendships he’s made especially with Mr. Dunkelman and Pete and I appreciate the development of his character as the narrative slowly divulges that deep within, Jesse really is just a nice guy who actually wants to do good things for deserving people out of the goodness of his heart.
I think the plot managed to have not only diverse characters but themes as well. It covertly addresses issues like stereotyping, racialism, physical discrimination and even sexism in a just a little over 300 pages. It’s indeed a wonderful and unique debut novel. It always surprises me how I couldn’t predict books I’ll end up giving five stars. I’m definitely Swayed. ;)
July 18, 2022
as part of my Reviewing Books I Read A Long Time Ago series, i give you: my first ever rant review.
this is my villain origin story.
THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH WORSE THAN I EVER IMAGINED.
normally i give books i strongly dislike a 2/5 because there's some kind of redeeming quality. and i don't want to waste the shock power of a one or lower on this heap of offensiveness. but OH MY GOD I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING I LIKED.
this book weaves a tale of woe: that of Jesse, asshole at large.
he suffers, this jesse. his life is so damn hard. he's a privileged, attractive, white male adolescent. he goes to the best school in the area. all attendees love him and he is universally respected. the following are his problems: his mom committed suicide ~6 years before, his dad sucks (during the extremely brief and infrequent scenes in which his existence is referenced) and he deals drugs/sells girls/generally gets things done for huge amounts of cash??? (one of my lesser concerns with this book: how can a high school student afford to cough up $200 willy nilly? there have GOT to be some scholarship kids in this monument to the wealthy.)
enter bridget. bridget is pretty and nice and...oh wait that's it. some football player really gets off on her "angelic" "Renaissance" "beauty" (all descriptors used upwards of one hundred times on pretty bridget and her rosy cheeks) and hires jesse (known as "sway" because he's so unbearably cool (although of course he doesn't like that name BECAUSE he is so cool (yes i used double parentheses. now triple, what of it?))) to get info on her so he can date her. whatever.
jesse falls in love with perfect bridget (whatever) and perfect bridget falls in love with jesse, for some reason. whatever.
the thing that was really HORRIBLE about this book was jesse. stupid, sexist, pretentious, racist, asshole jesse.
eventually, it got to a point where i couldn't even summon up the energy to get pissed off and vengeful. i was just confused. is this character genuinely what the author thinks is realistic? does this person exist? is there anyone like jesse in this godforsaken world? because if there is, i want names and i want reasons.
if one of the following characteristics applies to you, Cool Kid Jesse hates you and probably brought up his hatred of you multiple times: a fan of one direction, a fan of any song that has ever played on the radio, a cheerleader, a football player, anyone on a team sport, anyone involved in any school activity, a girl who wears makeup, a girl who "dresses suggestively," a girl who doesn't dress suggestively, someone who cares about school, practically any teenager.
if one of the following characteristics applies to you, Cool Kid Jesse doesn't hate you, exactly, but he says things about you that are completely unacceptable and would make the average joe uncomfortable: African-American, Latino, Asian, an attractive girl, intelligent, a female lacrosse player (i am permanently scarred from jesse's view of female lacrosse), dis- or differently abled, a supporter of someone or several people who is/are dis- or differently abled, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a teenage girl, a teenage boy, pretty much a person of any age.
anyway. long story short, this was one of the most offensive things i've read in a while. do not recommend.
this is my villain origin story.
THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH WORSE THAN I EVER IMAGINED.
normally i give books i strongly dislike a 2/5 because there's some kind of redeeming quality. and i don't want to waste the shock power of a one or lower on this heap of offensiveness. but OH MY GOD I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING I LIKED.
this book weaves a tale of woe: that of Jesse, asshole at large.
he suffers, this jesse. his life is so damn hard. he's a privileged, attractive, white male adolescent. he goes to the best school in the area. all attendees love him and he is universally respected. the following are his problems: his mom committed suicide ~6 years before, his dad sucks (during the extremely brief and infrequent scenes in which his existence is referenced) and he deals drugs/sells girls/generally gets things done for huge amounts of cash??? (one of my lesser concerns with this book: how can a high school student afford to cough up $200 willy nilly? there have GOT to be some scholarship kids in this monument to the wealthy.)
enter bridget. bridget is pretty and nice and...oh wait that's it. some football player really gets off on her "angelic" "Renaissance" "beauty" (all descriptors used upwards of one hundred times on pretty bridget and her rosy cheeks) and hires jesse (known as "sway" because he's so unbearably cool (although of course he doesn't like that name BECAUSE he is so cool (yes i used double parentheses. now triple, what of it?))) to get info on her so he can date her. whatever.
jesse falls in love with perfect bridget (whatever) and perfect bridget falls in love with jesse, for some reason. whatever.
the thing that was really HORRIBLE about this book was jesse. stupid, sexist, pretentious, racist, asshole jesse.
eventually, it got to a point where i couldn't even summon up the energy to get pissed off and vengeful. i was just confused. is this character genuinely what the author thinks is realistic? does this person exist? is there anyone like jesse in this godforsaken world? because if there is, i want names and i want reasons.
if one of the following characteristics applies to you, Cool Kid Jesse hates you and probably brought up his hatred of you multiple times: a fan of one direction, a fan of any song that has ever played on the radio, a cheerleader, a football player, anyone on a team sport, anyone involved in any school activity, a girl who wears makeup, a girl who "dresses suggestively," a girl who doesn't dress suggestively, someone who cares about school, practically any teenager.
if one of the following characteristics applies to you, Cool Kid Jesse doesn't hate you, exactly, but he says things about you that are completely unacceptable and would make the average joe uncomfortable: African-American, Latino, Asian, an attractive girl, intelligent, a female lacrosse player (i am permanently scarred from jesse's view of female lacrosse), dis- or differently abled, a supporter of someone or several people who is/are dis- or differently abled, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a teenage girl, a teenage boy, pretty much a person of any age.
anyway. long story short, this was one of the most offensive things i've read in a while. do not recommend.
January 14, 2015
What sounded like it was going to be a sweet, heartwearming contemporary YA retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac turned out to be a massive, massive disappointment.
There was absolutely nothing redeeming about this story, unless you like reading plots that barely exist and go absolutely nowhere, populated by characters that are as unlikeable as they are uninteresting and forgettable. Oh, and if you love reading seemingly endless slurs toward everyone from the mentally and physically disabled, to gay individuals, overweight people and more, not to mention a misogynistic diatribe that made light of school shootings, bullying, rape and physical abuse in multiple instances, and painted every single woman as some combination of naive, whoreish or gold digging non-entities who were either oversexualized and/or concerned with nothing but money and personal favors. Many were also so spineless that they served as little more than a doormat on which all the male characters wiped their disgusting, sexist bullshit at the end of the day.
Add in a Nazi identifying drug dealer and you've got the most convoluted, unrealistic and offensive hunk of ridiculousness that has ever wrongly passed itself off as a book that would in any way be entertaining or appropriate or thought-provoking to its readers.
I didn't buy the "love" story here at all, either. Jesse was an asshole, a heartless automaton who cared for nothing and no one, building himself up as this all-powerful puppet master who still got his ass beat multiple times by the people he claimed to be able to outsmart. He treated everyone around him like shit, his friends, the girl he was supposedly in love with, his father, his lackies... and the fact that ANY girl (let alone multiple girls, as we are lead to believe, let alone a girl like Bridget, who is supposed to be open-minded and sweet and concerned with people other than herself) would even think about speaking to this kid, never mind actually falling in love with him, is frankly laughable. Not only that, but Jesse and Bridget barely knew each other, hardly had a chance to make any sort of real connection what with his endless idiocy. There was no warmth between them, and what little Spears made a halfhearted attempt at writing in at the end was so out of place and disingenuous, it hardly mattered.
There were so many opportunities to create a poignant story, one of a teenager who uses his influence to garner favor from everyone in his life, to hide from the fact that he doesn't get any of that affection at home; his mother committed suicide, his father is a drunk, and he hasn't been able to pick up his guitar (the one thing he is good at, his natural talent) since his mother died. He meets this girl, a girl who is willing to look past his bullshit veneer at the truth beneath, and he actually finds himself willing to slowly let her in, but he has already promised to help another boy win her favor. That sounds like the start of a promising story. The problem here is that there is NOTHING underneath the surface here. The story and its characters are one-dimensional, and that dimension isn't interesting, poignant, witty or worth anything much at all.
*I received a galley from NetGalley*
There was absolutely nothing redeeming about this story, unless you like reading plots that barely exist and go absolutely nowhere, populated by characters that are as unlikeable as they are uninteresting and forgettable. Oh, and if you love reading seemingly endless slurs toward everyone from the mentally and physically disabled, to gay individuals, overweight people and more, not to mention a misogynistic diatribe that made light of school shootings, bullying, rape and physical abuse in multiple instances, and painted every single woman as some combination of naive, whoreish or gold digging non-entities who were either oversexualized and/or concerned with nothing but money and personal favors. Many were also so spineless that they served as little more than a doormat on which all the male characters wiped their disgusting, sexist bullshit at the end of the day.
Add in a Nazi identifying drug dealer and you've got the most convoluted, unrealistic and offensive hunk of ridiculousness that has ever wrongly passed itself off as a book that would in any way be entertaining or appropriate or thought-provoking to its readers.
I didn't buy the "love" story here at all, either. Jesse was an asshole, a heartless automaton who cared for nothing and no one, building himself up as this all-powerful puppet master who still got his ass beat multiple times by the people he claimed to be able to outsmart. He treated everyone around him like shit, his friends, the girl he was supposedly in love with, his father, his lackies... and the fact that ANY girl (let alone multiple girls, as we are lead to believe, let alone a girl like Bridget, who is supposed to be open-minded and sweet and concerned with people other than herself) would even think about speaking to this kid, never mind actually falling in love with him, is frankly laughable. Not only that, but Jesse and Bridget barely knew each other, hardly had a chance to make any sort of real connection what with his endless idiocy. There was no warmth between them, and what little Spears made a halfhearted attempt at writing in at the end was so out of place and disingenuous, it hardly mattered.
There were so many opportunities to create a poignant story, one of a teenager who uses his influence to garner favor from everyone in his life, to hide from the fact that he doesn't get any of that affection at home; his mother committed suicide, his father is a drunk, and he hasn't been able to pick up his guitar (the one thing he is good at, his natural talent) since his mother died. He meets this girl, a girl who is willing to look past his bullshit veneer at the truth beneath, and he actually finds himself willing to slowly let her in, but he has already promised to help another boy win her favor. That sounds like the start of a promising story. The problem here is that there is NOTHING underneath the surface here. The story and its characters are one-dimensional, and that dimension isn't interesting, poignant, witty or worth anything much at all.
*I received a galley from NetGalley*
November 2, 2017
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“Sway isn’t something you can define. A dude who’s got sway is the man—doesn’t have to try to be cool, just … is. Jesse’s as cool as the underside of my pillow. He’s so slick, he could convince you that I’m white, have you believing it like it’s gospel.”
I read this a month ago and never wrote a review. Now I’m terrified I’m becoming Ron 2.0 *shudder*. Right about a month ago I also wrote a review where I said I love it when I’m the first person to read something. The only thing I love more is when I can remember whose review made me request something I’d never probably had heard of it hadn’t popped up on my feed. All the credit for Sway goes to AJ who I have followed forever. I’m not going to waste much time here because her review says everything you need to know much better than I ever could.
Meet Sway. He’s the guy who can get whatever you need . . . .
“Commodities pass through my hands like water—term papers, drugs, fake IDs—but they don’t hold value the way information does. Real wealth is measured in secrets, the secrets of other people, and my own. Secrets are power. Every time someone paid me cash for something, they also unwittingly paid me with their secret. I owned them.”
His latest request is to be the guy who gets the girl for another guy. All he needs is two weeks. Little does he know after those two weeks are over he’ll have started developing “friendships” (Sway isn’t so great when it comes to the friend department) with not only Bridget (the girl), but also her brother Pete and Mr. Dunkleman – a geezer who resides in “Hell’s Waiting Room” (a/k/a the local old folks home). By the time the story ends he’ll realize . . . .
“The only two things in this world that really matter are the people who love you—and I don’t mean your family. Sometimes the people who love you best have no blood relation to you. But in the end, all that will matter to you are the people who really love you…,” he said . . . “The people who love you, and how often you shit. That’s all there is.”
Please note that Sway is not for everyone. He’s offensive and definitely not politically correct. He’s emotionally detached (because of reasons) and is “like an android or something - no emotional programming.” He uses words that will send snowflakes into a tailspin and offers zero apology for doing so. Because of all of that, he seemed very genuine. I’m raising teenage boys – trust me when I say they aren’t all cut from the John Green cloth. I adored this young man and am so glad I got a chance to know him. Even if it made me get all feely . . . .
All the Stars.
“Sway isn’t something you can define. A dude who’s got sway is the man—doesn’t have to try to be cool, just … is. Jesse’s as cool as the underside of my pillow. He’s so slick, he could convince you that I’m white, have you believing it like it’s gospel.”
I read this a month ago and never wrote a review. Now I’m terrified I’m becoming Ron 2.0 *shudder*. Right about a month ago I also wrote a review where I said I love it when I’m the first person to read something. The only thing I love more is when I can remember whose review made me request something I’d never probably had heard of it hadn’t popped up on my feed. All the credit for Sway goes to AJ who I have followed forever. I’m not going to waste much time here because her review says everything you need to know much better than I ever could.
Meet Sway. He’s the guy who can get whatever you need . . . .
“Commodities pass through my hands like water—term papers, drugs, fake IDs—but they don’t hold value the way information does. Real wealth is measured in secrets, the secrets of other people, and my own. Secrets are power. Every time someone paid me cash for something, they also unwittingly paid me with their secret. I owned them.”
His latest request is to be the guy who gets the girl for another guy. All he needs is two weeks. Little does he know after those two weeks are over he’ll have started developing “friendships” (Sway isn’t so great when it comes to the friend department) with not only Bridget (the girl), but also her brother Pete and Mr. Dunkleman – a geezer who resides in “Hell’s Waiting Room” (a/k/a the local old folks home). By the time the story ends he’ll realize . . . .
“The only two things in this world that really matter are the people who love you—and I don’t mean your family. Sometimes the people who love you best have no blood relation to you. But in the end, all that will matter to you are the people who really love you…,” he said . . . “The people who love you, and how often you shit. That’s all there is.”
Please note that Sway is not for everyone. He’s offensive and definitely not politically correct. He’s emotionally detached (because of reasons) and is “like an android or something - no emotional programming.” He uses words that will send snowflakes into a tailspin and offers zero apology for doing so. Because of all of that, he seemed very genuine. I’m raising teenage boys – trust me when I say they aren’t all cut from the John Green cloth. I adored this young man and am so glad I got a chance to know him. Even if it made me get all feely . . . .
All the Stars.
October 15, 2014
2.5 STARS
So yeah, I’ve been slacking off the reading and reviewing the past few weeks and yeah, I’ve mostly been MIA, missing out on the long-awaited releases and being horribly late on my galleys… but let me tell you, goodreads allowing plain ratings to get votes will do WONDERS to my productivity.
Also, the politics around here can get a little stifling for the opinionated, unbiased voice, to be honest.
I was thoroughly heart-broken when I got denied the galley for this one because the Cyrano de Bergerac trope is just a favourite (I have a lot of favourites, yes). So much so that despite being the kind of bitter reader who refuses to buy the books she got denied the galley for (I have a lot of issues, yes) I couldn’t help but give in. The blurb is just so promising, filled to the brim with the prospect of humour, charm and that young adult panache that when not toeing the annoying-adorable border is acrowd me pleaser.
Or maybe it was just the “hilarious” and “poignant” that just amped up the expectations from my side of the pages.
Weeellll… it was funny I suppose. You know how Ricky Gervais is sometimes funny, sometimes irreverent and sometimes just plain outright awkward? This had those moments. The commentary on pop culture, racism, slut-shaming, ageism, fattism, drug use and a whole bunch of topics just made the story feel thin yet crowded with a lot of point of views that would surely grate on some people’s nerves.
Well that’s one way of offending certain readers.
I never really got the sense of the direction and voice this was aiming for. One moment its all fluff and humor of Jesse being the cool, fun guy who rules high school, next it swings to the gritty and seedy underbelly of the drug trade and domestic abuse. Which provides such a great variety from one standpoint but the contrast just felt a little ill-fit and awkward. Much like when you’re not entirely sure if you should take offense or laugh (though I’m pretty sure Meryl Streep, JLaw and Sandra Bullock will take offense and beg to differ on that cheerleading quote.
My other issue was Jesse himself. I couldn’t get a clear grasp of his character. Which Jewish high school stereotype is he? Is he a Michael Cera or a Jesse Eisenberg? (because there’s a CLEAR discrepancy between the two archetypes which deserves a thesis on its own, I assure you) I had a hard time buying the kind of clout and power he exercised around school and the sad backstory just felt a little too schmaltzy. His whole interaction with Bridget reminded me of Shallow Hal and maybe its my fault for watching one too many movies in succession but there you go.
The plot was pretty predictable and all throughout you get the sense that you’ve seen this scene played out before elsewhere… which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The romance could use some work, particularly Bridget because let’s be honest, it’s tough to root for the HEA of the gorgeous, saintly girl.
That was a killer line. what kills the sentiment is who’s at the receiving end.
Digression: Yes I’ve been watching too much Entertainment Tonight no, I did NOT finish that bag of Cheetos in one sitting. Cast the judgy eyes elsewhere.
”The people who love you, and how often you shit. That’s all there is.”
So yeah, I’ve been slacking off the reading and reviewing the past few weeks and yeah, I’ve mostly been MIA, missing out on the long-awaited releases and being horribly late on my galleys… but let me tell you, goodreads allowing plain ratings to get votes will do WONDERS to my productivity.
Also, the politics around here can get a little stifling for the opinionated, unbiased voice, to be honest.
I was thoroughly heart-broken when I got denied the galley for this one because the Cyrano de Bergerac trope is just a favourite (I have a lot of favourites, yes). So much so that despite being the kind of bitter reader who refuses to buy the books she got denied the galley for (I have a lot of issues, yes) I couldn’t help but give in. The blurb is just so promising, filled to the brim with the prospect of humour, charm and that young adult panache that when not toeing the annoying-adorable border is a
Or maybe it was just the “hilarious” and “poignant” that just amped up the expectations from my side of the pages.
Weeellll… it was funny I suppose. You know how Ricky Gervais is sometimes funny, sometimes irreverent and sometimes just plain outright awkward? This had those moments. The commentary on pop culture, racism, slut-shaming, ageism, fattism, drug use and a whole bunch of topics just made the story feel thin yet crowded with a lot of point of views that would surely grate on some people’s nerves.
Cheerleading leads down a dark path toward a future of working at Hooters, girls being conditioned to believe it was okay for their only social value to come from their looks.
Well that’s one way of offending certain readers.
I never really got the sense of the direction and voice this was aiming for. One moment its all fluff and humor of Jesse being the cool, fun guy who rules high school, next it swings to the gritty and seedy underbelly of the drug trade and domestic abuse. Which provides such a great variety from one standpoint but the contrast just felt a little ill-fit and awkward. Much like when you’re not entirely sure if you should take offense or laugh (though I’m pretty sure Meryl Streep, JLaw and Sandra Bullock will take offense and beg to differ on that cheerleading quote.
My other issue was Jesse himself. I couldn’t get a clear grasp of his character. Which Jewish high school stereotype is he? Is he a Michael Cera or a Jesse Eisenberg? (because there’s a CLEAR discrepancy between the two archetypes which deserves a thesis on its own, I assure you) I had a hard time buying the kind of clout and power he exercised around school and the sad backstory just felt a little too schmaltzy. His whole interaction with Bridget reminded me of Shallow Hal and maybe its my fault for watching one too many movies in succession but there you go.
The plot was pretty predictable and all throughout you get the sense that you’ve seen this scene played out before elsewhere… which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The romance could use some work, particularly Bridget because let’s be honest, it’s tough to root for the HEA of the gorgeous, saintly girl.
”If you don’t ask me for much, I could spend the rest of my life trying to deserve you,”
That was a killer line. what kills the sentiment is who’s at the receiving end.
Digression: Yes I’ve been watching too much Entertainment Tonight no, I did NOT finish that bag of Cheetos in one sitting. Cast the judgy eyes elsewhere.
Shelved as 'set-aside'
December 24, 2014I have a fairly high tolerance for realistically gritty YA. I can put up with a lot of talk about sex and drugs, and I have no fear of strong language even if I myself choose not to use those words (regularly). However, one thing I can not tolerate is lol-isn't-rape-funny. I wasn't particularly loving this book's style in the first place, but then I got to this part:
"Skinhead Rob freaks me out. I hate going to his place. And that pimply guy Grim always looks at me as if he wants to rape me."
"Well, you're not bad looking, " I said, "which almost makes up for your piss-poor attitude. I'm surprised you aren't flattered by the attention."
Ummmm....NO. NO NO no no no no no. I get that the MC is all angsty and torn up about something to do with his mom that has only been hinted at but not disclosed despite the first person narrative, but that is unacceptable. Apparently he wants to not care, he is actively choosing to not care because caring hurts or whatever. Well, I'm choosing to not care about him or his story. I'm sure some will say I'm being overly sensitive. I'm okay with that label. I would rather be overly sensitive when it comes to this subject than completely insensitive to it. There is a way to be realistic and edgy without being obnoxious. Those lines didn't even need to be there to prove the MC is the world's biggest ass. He was already making that perfectly clear without them.
I had high hopes for this as I would really love a YA Cyrano de Begerac retelling, but this is not the one for me.
"Skinhead Rob freaks me out. I hate going to his place. And that pimply guy Grim always looks at me as if he wants to rape me."
"Well, you're not bad looking, " I said, "which almost makes up for your piss-poor attitude. I'm surprised you aren't flattered by the attention."
Ummmm....NO. NO NO no no no no no. I get that the MC is all angsty and torn up about something to do with his mom that has only been hinted at but not disclosed despite the first person narrative, but that is unacceptable. Apparently he wants to not care, he is actively choosing to not care because caring hurts or whatever. Well, I'm choosing to not care about him or his story. I'm sure some will say I'm being overly sensitive. I'm okay with that label. I would rather be overly sensitive when it comes to this subject than completely insensitive to it. There is a way to be realistic and edgy without being obnoxious. Those lines didn't even need to be there to prove the MC is the world's biggest ass. He was already making that perfectly clear without them.
I had high hopes for this as I would really love a YA Cyrano de Begerac retelling, but this is not the one for me.
December 25, 2015
This review also appears on my blog, Reading with Jenna.
I picked up Sway at the book store because the adorable cover and the synopsis suggested that it was going to be a cute, fluffy contemporary romance, which was just what I needed when I picked this book up. Sadly, it didn’t inspire anything but rage in me. (To be honest, the first line of the synopsis itself should have been ringing alarm bells in my head. “Often poignant”? I don’t understand. It either is or it isn’t.) But let me elaborate.
First, there is almost nothing going on in this book. If you like non-existent plots, this might be the book for you because absolutely nothing happens in this book. But of course, you can’t have a 300 page book with no content, so the author filled this book with slurs. There are highly offensive comments made by multiple characters about anything and everything, from disabled people, to women, to the mentally ill, to the overweight, and to gay individuals. I didn’t find any of it to be “unapologetically truthful” like the blurb of the book claims. It wasn’t funny or truthful. It was rude and offensive, and I didn’t think it was okay. The book makes it seem like we should tolerate rape, sexism, racism and discrimination because it’s what people deserve, and I don’t think this is a message that young audiences should be reading about or embracing.
There is a character in this book with cerebral palsy and this issue was not explored at all. I learnt nothing about cerebral palsy or the burden felt by those suffering from such a condition. Instead, the character existed to be made fun of and to appear as an annoying teenager who constantly felt sorry for himself and couldn’t consider anybody else’s feelings. All we got was a kid complaining about how he can’t get laid and nobody finds him attractive because his appearance is different.
Which brings me to how every single female character in this book was portrayed (except Bridget, because Bridget is a perfect angel. But I’ll get to that in a second). This book labels all females as stupid, worthless and only good for sex. The way that this novel objectifies and oversexualises women is disrespectful and completely ridiculous, considering a woman wrote this book. There isn’t a single female character in this book that was introduced without reference to her body or her cleavage. Boys would never be interested in a girl with a boyish figure. There isn’t a single man in this book who is able to look at a female character without “running their eyes up and down her body” and thinking about sex. Every single older man, including teachers and happily married fathers, can’t help but want to look at and touch a high school girl. Basically every female character in this book is unable to think for themselves and exist only for men to stomp all over them (and fantasise about them). There is a chapter at the beginning of the book dedicated to the sexualisation of a school counsellor and portraying her as vapid and easily suggestible. It was so misogynistic that it was a little bit tough to get through the book. But I wanted to believe that these were the thoughts and views of a teenage boy who needed to grow to believe differently. So I persisted with the book, only to be rewarded with nothing.
There is absolutely no character development in Jesse at all. He’s a jerk at the beginning of the book and he remains one at the end. He is very manipulative and unlikable. There’s nothing redeeming about his character at all. The author tried to make him interesting by giving him a confident and successful personality but he just comes across as a total jerk who uses violence and threats to get what he wants. His terrible attitude and behaviour was attributed to the death of his mother a year ago, something that he doesn’t want to acknowledge or deal with. But this was handled terribly and was barely resolved. The author also tried to make him interesting and unique by making him a musical genius. It was mentioned multiple times, without any subtlety, that he plays the guitar and is able to play back anything he hears once without any sheet music. I thought it was a completely unnecessary aspect and you can’t make a misogynistic and boring character more interesting with something like that.
Bridget was not much better for me. Her character fell flat and Jesse put her up on such a high pedestal that I couldn’t even see her. She’s described as beautiful, smart, kind-hearted, good-natured and she has no flaws. Her character was one dimensional and there was nothing remarkable about her, despite us being told what a perfect human being she is. I also wasn’t sold on the romance at all. There was insta-love and these characters are pretty much in love with each other after spending an hour together.
I think I should stop talking about this book now because I don’t think it’s worth the time. The whole book felt like some sort of commentary about high school life from Kat Spears but it came across as very vindictive and negative. There wasn’t a positive message for me to take away at all. For me, this book endorses chauvinism, racism, discrimination, sexual objectification of women, violence, drug use, recreational sex and a whole host of other things that I don’t think is appropriate or okay, especially for young readers.
I picked up Sway at the book store because the adorable cover and the synopsis suggested that it was going to be a cute, fluffy contemporary romance, which was just what I needed when I picked this book up. Sadly, it didn’t inspire anything but rage in me. (To be honest, the first line of the synopsis itself should have been ringing alarm bells in my head. “Often poignant”? I don’t understand. It either is or it isn’t.) But let me elaborate.
First, there is almost nothing going on in this book. If you like non-existent plots, this might be the book for you because absolutely nothing happens in this book. But of course, you can’t have a 300 page book with no content, so the author filled this book with slurs. There are highly offensive comments made by multiple characters about anything and everything, from disabled people, to women, to the mentally ill, to the overweight, and to gay individuals. I didn’t find any of it to be “unapologetically truthful” like the blurb of the book claims. It wasn’t funny or truthful. It was rude and offensive, and I didn’t think it was okay. The book makes it seem like we should tolerate rape, sexism, racism and discrimination because it’s what people deserve, and I don’t think this is a message that young audiences should be reading about or embracing.
“I’m feeling a lot of judgment coming from a kid who drools and has a bum leg.”
There is a character in this book with cerebral palsy and this issue was not explored at all. I learnt nothing about cerebral palsy or the burden felt by those suffering from such a condition. Instead, the character existed to be made fun of and to appear as an annoying teenager who constantly felt sorry for himself and couldn’t consider anybody else’s feelings. All we got was a kid complaining about how he can’t get laid and nobody finds him attractive because his appearance is different.
Which brings me to how every single female character in this book was portrayed (except Bridget, because Bridget is a perfect angel. But I’ll get to that in a second). This book labels all females as stupid, worthless and only good for sex. The way that this novel objectifies and oversexualises women is disrespectful and completely ridiculous, considering a woman wrote this book. There isn’t a single female character in this book that was introduced without reference to her body or her cleavage. Boys would never be interested in a girl with a boyish figure. There isn’t a single man in this book who is able to look at a female character without “running their eyes up and down her body” and thinking about sex. Every single older man, including teachers and happily married fathers, can’t help but want to look at and touch a high school girl. Basically every female character in this book is unable to think for themselves and exist only for men to stomp all over them (and fantasise about them). There is a chapter at the beginning of the book dedicated to the sexualisation of a school counsellor and portraying her as vapid and easily suggestible. It was so misogynistic that it was a little bit tough to get through the book. But I wanted to believe that these were the thoughts and views of a teenage boy who needed to grow to believe differently. So I persisted with the book, only to be rewarded with nothing.
There is absolutely no character development in Jesse at all. He’s a jerk at the beginning of the book and he remains one at the end. He is very manipulative and unlikable. There’s nothing redeeming about his character at all. The author tried to make him interesting by giving him a confident and successful personality but he just comes across as a total jerk who uses violence and threats to get what he wants. His terrible attitude and behaviour was attributed to the death of his mother a year ago, something that he doesn’t want to acknowledge or deal with. But this was handled terribly and was barely resolved. The author also tried to make him interesting and unique by making him a musical genius. It was mentioned multiple times, without any subtlety, that he plays the guitar and is able to play back anything he hears once without any sheet music. I thought it was a completely unnecessary aspect and you can’t make a misogynistic and boring character more interesting with something like that.
Bridget was not much better for me. Her character fell flat and Jesse put her up on such a high pedestal that I couldn’t even see her. She’s described as beautiful, smart, kind-hearted, good-natured and she has no flaws. Her character was one dimensional and there was nothing remarkable about her, despite us being told what a perfect human being she is. I also wasn’t sold on the romance at all. There was insta-love and these characters are pretty much in love with each other after spending an hour together.
I think I should stop talking about this book now because I don’t think it’s worth the time. The whole book felt like some sort of commentary about high school life from Kat Spears but it came across as very vindictive and negative. There wasn’t a positive message for me to take away at all. For me, this book endorses chauvinism, racism, discrimination, sexual objectification of women, violence, drug use, recreational sex and a whole host of other things that I don’t think is appropriate or okay, especially for young readers.
March 19, 2015
This book is definitely not a typical contemporary romance, but I freaking loved it. The premise intrigued me when I first read it because it sounded like your average contemporary love story, and there is a love story, but this book is so much more than that.
I was apprehensive about a male narrator at first, but I really loved Jesse. I thought he was hilarious in a tragic sort of way. Also, he reminded me a bit of a boy version of Veronica Mars because he is really resourceful and sarcastic, and I love Veronica Mars. One of the things that I really loved about Jesse was that he was unapologetic and just didn't give a damn about what anyone else thought. I loved reading his observations on things and his cynical outlook on the world. There is a lot of dark humor in this book; it is definitely not a cutesy, light read, but it is worth every second.
I really loved the side characters in this book (Joey, Mr. D, Carter, etc.) because they brought a lot to the story. Also, I thought Jesse's relationship with Pete was very interesting. I liked how Jesse didn't sugar coat things even when he was around someone who was very used to never being told the truth.
Jesse's relationship with Bridget is not as big a part of the story as the synopsis would suggest but it was a very interesting part of the story. I loved Bridget because even though she seemed to have very few fault she still felt like a real character. She was a very good influence on Jesse, too. She made him a better person, but she still loved him for who he was and didn't try to change him.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Although Jesse can be hard to love sometime he is a very interesting character, and the story was interesting.
Thank you to Kat Spears for the arc. I really appreciate it.
I was apprehensive about a male narrator at first, but I really loved Jesse. I thought he was hilarious in a tragic sort of way. Also, he reminded me a bit of a boy version of Veronica Mars because he is really resourceful and sarcastic, and I love Veronica Mars. One of the things that I really loved about Jesse was that he was unapologetic and just didn't give a damn about what anyone else thought. I loved reading his observations on things and his cynical outlook on the world. There is a lot of dark humor in this book; it is definitely not a cutesy, light read, but it is worth every second.
I really loved the side characters in this book (Joey, Mr. D, Carter, etc.) because they brought a lot to the story. Also, I thought Jesse's relationship with Pete was very interesting. I liked how Jesse didn't sugar coat things even when he was around someone who was very used to never being told the truth.
Jesse's relationship with Bridget is not as big a part of the story as the synopsis would suggest but it was a very interesting part of the story. I loved Bridget because even though she seemed to have very few fault she still felt like a real character. She was a very good influence on Jesse, too. She made him a better person, but she still loved him for who he was and didn't try to change him.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Although Jesse can be hard to love sometime he is a very interesting character, and the story was interesting.
Thank you to Kat Spears for the arc. I really appreciate it.
February 13, 2014
This is an exciting debut novel, original, gripping, and always true to itself. From the first pages, you sense you are in the hands of a very talented writer, who knows and understands her characters like the back of her hand but allows them to live and breath on the page and sometimes to do things that make you cringe, because you're invested in their lives and want only the best for them. Spears is clever and wise. She never falters or pulls a false punch as the story sweeps you along to its never-forgone conclusion.
June 9, 2014
so, me and contemp YA have had a tumultuous relationship, of late. i'll read something and adore it, eagerly ask my friends what to read now, and then be let down by the nextbigthing.
as a result, i approach hyped-up contemp with a bit of a side-eye.
that said, it took me a single sitting to finish SWAY. the voice is spectacular, and jesse is one of the best boy protags ever. basically, he's a mess, with swagger for days.
the plot clips along at a great pace, and i found myself completely swallowed by the narrative. as with the best kind of book, i wanted to step inside the pages to hang out with jesse and smack him upside the head when he was being an idiot.
mostly i just wanted to mess with his hair.
SWAY is an amazing debut from an incredibly talented writer. i can't wait to see what she pens next.
as a result, i approach hyped-up contemp with a bit of a side-eye.
that said, it took me a single sitting to finish SWAY. the voice is spectacular, and jesse is one of the best boy protags ever. basically, he's a mess, with swagger for days.
the plot clips along at a great pace, and i found myself completely swallowed by the narrative. as with the best kind of book, i wanted to step inside the pages to hang out with jesse and smack him upside the head when he was being an idiot.
mostly i just wanted to mess with his hair.
SWAY is an amazing debut from an incredibly talented writer. i can't wait to see what she pens next.
January 24, 2015
It would be so easy to give up on this book early on because of its offensive, manipulative, unemotional, jerk of a protagonist.
To do so would be a real shame because it's a great debut contemporary YA novel.
This isn't the story of how Jesse Alderman becomes a good guy. This isn't a story about a troubled teen who turns it all around in a miraculous and admirable 180-degree turn.
This is the story of someone who is flawed and problematic. This is the story of someone who is obsessed with power. This is the story of loss, depression, and means for coping.
This is the story of someone who is learning what it means to be capable of love, and to be capable of being loved, in all of love's many forms.
To do so would be a real shame because it's a great debut contemporary YA novel.
This isn't the story of how Jesse Alderman becomes a good guy. This isn't a story about a troubled teen who turns it all around in a miraculous and admirable 180-degree turn.
This is the story of someone who is flawed and problematic. This is the story of someone who is obsessed with power. This is the story of loss, depression, and means for coping.
This is the story of someone who is learning what it means to be capable of love, and to be capable of being loved, in all of love's many forms.
February 12, 2014
I’m a grown adult and I flipping loved this book.
The story is told through the jaded eyes of Jesse, a senior in high school who can get you anything you need...or want, but for a price. Jesse is that weird combination of cynical yet friendly so he stays busy with jobs for everyone in his small town. Unexpectedly distracted by an angelic girl and her needy brother, Jesse finds friendship, love, and trouble. Not too gushy, but not too dry, Jesse’s story is a breath of fresh air in this young adult coming of age romance.
Spears has a wonderful sense of humor and a true talent in dialogue. The novel plays out in your head like a great movie and you grow to love the many characters and their part in Jesse’s edgy life. I was laughing out loud and had butterflies in my stomach like a pre-teen.
Sadly, this is a quick read and will have you waiting in suspense for what’s next from Spears.
The story is told through the jaded eyes of Jesse, a senior in high school who can get you anything you need...or want, but for a price. Jesse is that weird combination of cynical yet friendly so he stays busy with jobs for everyone in his small town. Unexpectedly distracted by an angelic girl and her needy brother, Jesse finds friendship, love, and trouble. Not too gushy, but not too dry, Jesse’s story is a breath of fresh air in this young adult coming of age romance.
Spears has a wonderful sense of humor and a true talent in dialogue. The novel plays out in your head like a great movie and you grow to love the many characters and their part in Jesse’s edgy life. I was laughing out loud and had butterflies in my stomach like a pre-teen.
Sadly, this is a quick read and will have you waiting in suspense for what’s next from Spears.
September 11, 2017
wow! this books really blows me away. jesse is such jerk type of guy who is also a fixer.
the story is told from jesse point of view.
the author done a fantastic job delivering POV from male character. the only thing i do not like is bridget. she is too real to believe. she is a charac5er without a flaw. the more i read the more i dislike bridget.
i wish the ending could be different. i wish joey gets more fair share in this book.
anyway it is a great reading.
the story is told from jesse point of view.
the author done a fantastic job delivering POV from male character. the only thing i do not like is bridget. she is too real to believe. she is a charac5er without a flaw. the more i read the more i dislike bridget.
i wish the ending could be different. i wish joey gets more fair share in this book.
anyway it is a great reading.
August 30, 2014
Looking for a book about highs and lows of high school from an unconventional angle? Look no further than Kat Spears young adult debut novel "Sway", an original, fresh and edgy look at high school life and romance. Spears captures the essence of high school in these pages. Her characters, especially her bad boy Jesse Alderman, whose Grinch-like heart unfreezes and grows two sizes, during the pages of this off beat romance, are vividly portrayed. If there is a downside to this book, it is that Spears throws in one two many cliches about bad homelife. But for that minor flaw, this book is a home run.
Jesse Alderman is a fixer. He is the guy in school you go to with a problem. Need a term paper. He can get it. Need a date with a popular girl, he'll find away. He deals, and not playing cards, and gets invited to all the popular parties. His clients are diverse. Both jocks and the school principal know he has sway. He is heartless, but is it all business or is Jesse's unaffected mien a defense mechanism to escape something?
Now Ken Foster, captain of the football team, who typically makes the girls swoon, wants to hire Jesse to fix him up with Bridget Smalley, who said no, a stunning girl, with heart. Jesse promises action in two weeks, and starts a guerrilla campaign to get to know Bridget. He follows her to an old age home and bargains with an old man to pretend to be his grandfather just to get close to her. But Hiram does not want money, he wants companionship. He befriends Bridget's younger brother Pete, who has cerebral palsy.
But while Jesse can and does set Ken up with Bridget, he cannot escape Hiram, Bridget and her Pete influence on his life and slowly, his life is turned upside down, as he starts to care again and uses his influence to help out people rather than pad his bankroll.
This is not Grease with a pretend bad boy, or a retelling of a story from the past. Spears captures every nuance of Jesse awakening from the hell that he has been in and his growing feelings for Bridget.
Spears nails this one. Its a very good story.
Jesse Alderman is a fixer. He is the guy in school you go to with a problem. Need a term paper. He can get it. Need a date with a popular girl, he'll find away. He deals, and not playing cards, and gets invited to all the popular parties. His clients are diverse. Both jocks and the school principal know he has sway. He is heartless, but is it all business or is Jesse's unaffected mien a defense mechanism to escape something?
Now Ken Foster, captain of the football team, who typically makes the girls swoon, wants to hire Jesse to fix him up with Bridget Smalley, who said no, a stunning girl, with heart. Jesse promises action in two weeks, and starts a guerrilla campaign to get to know Bridget. He follows her to an old age home and bargains with an old man to pretend to be his grandfather just to get close to her. But Hiram does not want money, he wants companionship. He befriends Bridget's younger brother Pete, who has cerebral palsy.
But while Jesse can and does set Ken up with Bridget, he cannot escape Hiram, Bridget and her Pete influence on his life and slowly, his life is turned upside down, as he starts to care again and uses his influence to help out people rather than pad his bankroll.
This is not Grease with a pretend bad boy, or a retelling of a story from the past. Spears captures every nuance of Jesse awakening from the hell that he has been in and his growing feelings for Bridget.
Spears nails this one. Its a very good story.
June 13, 2014
Okay, this book was not what I thought it was going to be. I guess I expected a YA romantic comedy or errors... but it has a lot more bite and edge to it. Which probably made me like it more. Like Bridget, I liked Jesse despite the fact that he doesn't really want anyone to like him. He's a bit like Shrek, with some Ferris Bueller and every role played by James Spader in any 1980's high school/college movie. Warning, Jesse will offend just about every reader ever with his insensitivity and vocabularly... but keep digging, because he's more parfait than onion. ;)
August 11, 2014
Jesse Alderman, his business name Sway, has connections. He makes his living off of people paying him for favors. They can be anything from getting the most popular girl in school to go out with the nerdiest boy, or getting university cheerleaders to take part in a school car wash to raise money for the student council. Or, now, to get Ken, renowned bully and dickhead, on a date with Bridget Smalley, a real-life angel.
While trying to find out more about her for Ken's sake, Jesse soon becomes compromised in his work. He ends up falling for her, and also befriending her little brother, a boy with cerebral palsy.
Can a deceptive ass like Jesse change enough to keep those he learns to love?
Trigger Warning: This book contains slurs and rape mentions, usually done in a joking manner.
In addition to being extremely boring and you-literally-could-not-care-less-for-these-people characters, this book tries but fails to be 'funny' and 'cute'.
The first huge issues I had with it were the jokes done in horrible taste; the casual uses of 'retards' in reference to special needs children (at one point, 'mutants', according to Jesse).
"Cerebral palsy is a brain disorder."
"And what?" I pressed. "Are you retarded or something?" p. 58
The mention of school shooting in a sarcastic manner when Jesse had to go to the guidance counselor, and then the entire scene basically made so Jesse could sexualize her.
The school kept a special eye on me--wanted to make sure I wasn't one of those ticking time bombs who showed up during lunch one day in a black trench coat with an assault weapon to take out a few of the popular kids. p. 33
She rested her bottom on the front of her desk and crossed her arms over her chest. The result was an impressive bulge of cleavage that I spared a brief glance. As she removed her glasses and twisted to place them on the desk, her skirt hiked up and I caught a glimpse of the dark place.
Every Marvin Gaye song ever written about getting it on was about a woman exactly like Ms. Fuller. I wondered if her husband knew it and appreciated the fact that he had access to her lady bits. The shadow of her cleavage, the shift of her hips when she walked, the long graceful neck, all added to a definite MILF.
"How are things at home?" she asked.
The soundtrack in my head abruptly cut off strains of 'Let's Get It On', and I reminded myself to focus at the task at hand. p. 35
(Note that this woman is old enough to be Jesse's mother)
The subtle rape jokes;
"It's only because Skinhead Rob freaks me out. I hate going to his place. And that pimply guy Grim always looks at me as if he wants to rape me."
"Well, you're not bad looking," I said, "which almost makes up for your piss-poor attitude. I'm surprised you aren't flattered by the attention." p. 30
By about 2 a.m., the party had wound down to the slow dancing, date rape part of the event. p. 157
The character of Jesse, I'm assuming, is supposed to be a dick. He's this 'too cool for school' drug and favor dealer who puts this mask of indifference on every morning and acts like he doesn't care about anything.
As the story goes on (well, it takes quite a while, up until the last 100 pages or so), his character starts to change as he spends more time with Bridget and Pete, her brother. He realizes he's been a dick, and still refuses to do anything about it.
Bridget is a boring character. She's the 'angel' that saves Jesse, who's genuinely kind and trusting, and whose only problems are her parents cliche expectations for her to be 'perfect'. Which she is, impossibly so and impossibly boring because of it.
I liked Pete, despite him being a bit of an asshole. His frustration at being labeled the 'disabled kid' and idolization of Jesse, his first real friend, was interesting.
Joey, Jesse's other friend and self-proclaimed lesbian, was interesting as well, but the story rarely focuses on her at all, which was annoying. I almost wish it had been her book instead of dumb Jesse's. It would have been much better.
There were a few good parts in it, but the tedious plot, horrific main character, and poorly done jokes overwhelmed what could have maybe been a decent story.
August 21, 2017
I really enjoyed this book! Sway was such an arsehole to literally everyone he came in contact with - like this Rasputin / Machiavelli / Vicomte de Valmont hybrid. This was sold to me as a Cyrano de Bergerac story, but I don't remember CdB being such a wanker. Maybe I'm misremembering? Anyway, this book was a whole lot more fun (I quite like an offensive MC - see my review of Monsters by Emerald Fennell ).
The political machinations of high school were probably a bit more over the top than they are in real life - I doubt principals really go around asking pupils to plant drugs in lockers - but it was written convincingly. I loved how Jesse developed over the course of the book and how he tried desperately to convince himself that he wasn't in love with Bridgit. And also how he became friends with Bridgit's brother and the guy at the nursing home.
The only thing I don't get was the original cover - it's a kissy-kissy cover, like a boy-next-door summer romance novel, which it assuredly isnot. If you picked this book up on the basis of the original cover I can see you'd be a bit disappointed.
The political machinations of high school were probably a bit more over the top than they are in real life - I doubt principals really go around asking pupils to plant drugs in lockers - but it was written convincingly. I loved how Jesse developed over the course of the book and how he tried desperately to convince himself that he wasn't in love with Bridgit. And also how he became friends with Bridgit's brother and the guy at the nursing home.
The only thing I don't get was the original cover - it's a kissy-kissy cover, like a boy-next-door summer romance novel, which it assuredly isnot. If you picked this book up on the basis of the original cover I can see you'd be a bit disappointed.
April 20, 2018
You can find more of my reviews at Forever 17 Books.
I’ve had a copy of Sway for quite a long time so I’m happy I finally found the time to pick it up and see what it was all about. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I hoped.
Jesse, or Sway as many call him, is the guy who can get you things. Be it fake IDs, drugs, alcohol, a hot date, or even information. A speciality he is well known for among classmates and adults alike. When a popular football player requests his services to obtain a date with a girl named Bridget, Jesse inserts himself into her life as a way to learn all about her and in doing so he finds that perhaps he is interested in Bridget for himself.
Jesse is a very hard character to like. He’s sort of harsh and indifferent towards others which benefits him in his speciality, especially when he is required to do a lot of unsavory activities to get people what they want, but it really distances him from developing any sort of relationship with others and makes him hard to connect with. I’m all for imperfect characters and how real they can feel and then rooting for them to sort of grow and change and Jesse was exactly that – unapologetically rude and lacking emotion towards others. Normally I can get behind that in a character but he took it to another level and was downright offensive over and over again and it made me super uncomfortable. He did have one friend named Joey that he seemed to genuinely care about deep down, but she was barely in the story and that was unfortunate because I did like the dynamic between them in what we did see. By the end I’m just not sure if I saw much character growth in Jesse. In certain aspects, yes. But in the ways that bothered me most? I don’t know about that.
This book is really not a romance at all and I think it is good to know that heading in. Bridget is a super compassionate and sweet girl, the complete opposite of Jesse. It felt more like intrigue and curiosity between them because they are so different than falling for each other romantically. Instead of focusing on these two falling in love the book sort of followed Jesse hanging out with Bridget’s brother and working his deals with all sorts of strange people. And while his ability to get people what they want was sort of an interesting part of this novel, you have to suspend a little disbelief to get there.
Overall, this was really just an okay read for me. I found as I read I didn’t really care for how it would end but I think I’m okay with how it did. Perhaps this is a case of ‘it’s me not you’.
I’ve had a copy of Sway for quite a long time so I’m happy I finally found the time to pick it up and see what it was all about. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I hoped.
Jesse, or Sway as many call him, is the guy who can get you things. Be it fake IDs, drugs, alcohol, a hot date, or even information. A speciality he is well known for among classmates and adults alike. When a popular football player requests his services to obtain a date with a girl named Bridget, Jesse inserts himself into her life as a way to learn all about her and in doing so he finds that perhaps he is interested in Bridget for himself.
Jesse is a very hard character to like. He’s sort of harsh and indifferent towards others which benefits him in his speciality, especially when he is required to do a lot of unsavory activities to get people what they want, but it really distances him from developing any sort of relationship with others and makes him hard to connect with. I’m all for imperfect characters and how real they can feel and then rooting for them to sort of grow and change and Jesse was exactly that – unapologetically rude and lacking emotion towards others. Normally I can get behind that in a character but he took it to another level and was downright offensive over and over again and it made me super uncomfortable. He did have one friend named Joey that he seemed to genuinely care about deep down, but she was barely in the story and that was unfortunate because I did like the dynamic between them in what we did see. By the end I’m just not sure if I saw much character growth in Jesse. In certain aspects, yes. But in the ways that bothered me most? I don’t know about that.
This book is really not a romance at all and I think it is good to know that heading in. Bridget is a super compassionate and sweet girl, the complete opposite of Jesse. It felt more like intrigue and curiosity between them because they are so different than falling for each other romantically. Instead of focusing on these two falling in love the book sort of followed Jesse hanging out with Bridget’s brother and working his deals with all sorts of strange people. And while his ability to get people what they want was sort of an interesting part of this novel, you have to suspend a little disbelief to get there.
Overall, this was really just an okay read for me. I found as I read I didn’t really care for how it would end but I think I’m okay with how it did. Perhaps this is a case of ‘it’s me not you’.
June 21, 2023
REREAD June 2023:
I've wanted to reread this book for a long time. Thanks to my Audible account, I was able to listen to a narration of this book (besides the female characters, the narrator for this book was really good!).
Now, is Sway still what I would consider a 5 star book? No. But I'm still giving it 4 stars. This story is definitely NOT going to be for everyone and it's definitely NOT politically correct by ANY current standard.... but luckily, I don't care about that tbh. Jesse's character is not meant to be a good guy. He's the complete opposite of the love interest, Bridget, who is goodness personified. But that doesn't mean I didn't internally cringe when I was listening to Jesse's internal monologue about his observations of the world.
However, the bones of this story are good. It makes me wonder what other stories and characters Kat Spears could write now in 2023.
4 stars!
__________________________________
There are some books that you can read the first couple pages and just know that you’re going to like it. Sway is definitely one of those books for me. But I didn’t just “like” it. I LOVED it!
By the time I finally received this book off my library’s waitlist, I had kind of forgotten what its plot was about. All I remembered was that it was a type of Cyrano retelling… and I love the story of Cyrano.
The story follows Jesse Alderman a.k.a. “Sway”. Jesse is the go-to-guy in his town. He’s connected, well-spoken, and to the point. People go to him when they need something. But he doesn’t do it out of the goodness of his heart. He intends to collect when the time is right.
“Commodities pass through my hands like water –term papers, drugs, fake ID’s –but they don’t hold value the way information does. Real wealth is measured in secrets, the secrets of other people, and my own. Secrets are power. Every time someone paid me in cash for something, they also unwittingly paid me with their secret. I owned them.” ~ Jesse
_________________________________
I really liked Jesse! He’s a bit of a shit and doesn’t always have the most “flowery” of thoughts. He is completely honest with people… and it was refreshing to read. He doesn’t claim to be a nice guy or a bad guy. He’s just human. He’s also jaded, cynical, and dry-witted. I enjoyed that about him.
“Didn’t you used to go out with Heather Black?” Pete asked.
“We went out,” I said noncommittally.
“Heather Black is like the most beautiful girl in school,” he said.
“Yeah, well,” I said, “she makes up for it by having a really shitty personality.”
____________________________________
No one is 100% of what they appear to be on the outside. Jesse knows this better than anyone. So when he begins to form a friendship with Bridget, the girl he’s supposed to be spying on for one of his “clients”, he’s intrigued by her altruistic nature. He also begrudgingly starts forms a bond with her younger brother, Pete. I loved their characters as well. Oh an Mr. Dunkelman gets all the stars... ALL of them!
NOTE: This is a more mature YA book. There’s a lot swearing, drug/sex references…but being closer to my 30’s than my teens, I liked that. I prefer that.
It should also be noted that if you are easily offended, I wouldn’t recommend picking this up. As I mentioned above, Jesse is blunt and not always the most P.C. person when it comes to his narration of the story. I’m the type of reader that can accept it as part of his character and not let it affect my view of the book. Some readers can’t do that... which I think is a big reason why this book doesn’t have a higher rating score on GR.
4.5 – 5 stars! Although there are a few minor things I wish had had a bit more closure, Sway was still awesome overall! It's one of the best YA's I've read this year. I’m definitely going to be buying my own physical copy ASAP.
I've wanted to reread this book for a long time. Thanks to my Audible account, I was able to listen to a narration of this book (besides the female characters, the narrator for this book was really good!).
Now, is Sway still what I would consider a 5 star book? No. But I'm still giving it 4 stars. This story is definitely NOT going to be for everyone and it's definitely NOT politically correct by ANY current standard.... but luckily, I don't care about that tbh. Jesse's character is not meant to be a good guy. He's the complete opposite of the love interest, Bridget, who is goodness personified. But that doesn't mean I didn't internally cringe when I was listening to Jesse's internal monologue about his observations of the world.
However, the bones of this story are good. It makes me wonder what other stories and characters Kat Spears could write now in 2023.
4 stars!
__________________________________
There are some books that you can read the first couple pages and just know that you’re going to like it. Sway is definitely one of those books for me. But I didn’t just “like” it. I LOVED it!
By the time I finally received this book off my library’s waitlist, I had kind of forgotten what its plot was about. All I remembered was that it was a type of Cyrano retelling… and I love the story of Cyrano.
The story follows Jesse Alderman a.k.a. “Sway”. Jesse is the go-to-guy in his town. He’s connected, well-spoken, and to the point. People go to him when they need something. But he doesn’t do it out of the goodness of his heart. He intends to collect when the time is right.
“Commodities pass through my hands like water –term papers, drugs, fake ID’s –but they don’t hold value the way information does. Real wealth is measured in secrets, the secrets of other people, and my own. Secrets are power. Every time someone paid me in cash for something, they also unwittingly paid me with their secret. I owned them.” ~ Jesse
_________________________________
I really liked Jesse! He’s a bit of a shit and doesn’t always have the most “flowery” of thoughts. He is completely honest with people… and it was refreshing to read. He doesn’t claim to be a nice guy or a bad guy. He’s just human. He’s also jaded, cynical, and dry-witted. I enjoyed that about him.
“Didn’t you used to go out with Heather Black?” Pete asked.
“We went out,” I said noncommittally.
“Heather Black is like the most beautiful girl in school,” he said.
“Yeah, well,” I said, “she makes up for it by having a really shitty personality.”
____________________________________
No one is 100% of what they appear to be on the outside. Jesse knows this better than anyone. So when he begins to form a friendship with Bridget, the girl he’s supposed to be spying on for one of his “clients”, he’s intrigued by her altruistic nature. He also begrudgingly starts forms a bond with her younger brother, Pete. I loved their characters as well. Oh an Mr. Dunkelman gets all the stars... ALL of them!
NOTE: This is a more mature YA book. There’s a lot swearing, drug/sex references…but being closer to my 30’s than my teens, I liked that. I prefer that.
It should also be noted that if you are easily offended, I wouldn’t recommend picking this up. As I mentioned above, Jesse is blunt and not always the most P.C. person when it comes to his narration of the story. I’m the type of reader that can accept it as part of his character and not let it affect my view of the book. Some readers can’t do that... which I think is a big reason why this book doesn’t have a higher rating score on GR.
4.5 – 5 stars! Although there are a few minor things I wish had had a bit more closure, Sway was still awesome overall! It's one of the best YA's I've read this year. I’m definitely going to be buying my own physical copy ASAP.
August 16, 2016
Ho qualche difficoltà con questa recensione, perché malgrado il soggetto non sia male, anche se ripercorre strade già battute, il primo 40% del libro risulta pesante e ridondante.
Jesse è un personaggio davvero interessante. E' pungente, sprezzante, ironico. Un faccendiere di un intelligenza non comune e con un carattere tosto e affascinante.
Ma malgrado Jesse sia così affascinante e grintoso la narrazione purtroppo è spenta e noiosa. Che peccato!!!
Jesse Alderman è un traffichino. Hai bisogno di una tesina? Vai da Jesse. Vuoi un appuntamento con la ragazza più popolare della scuola? Ci pensa Jesse a fartelo avere. Vuoi erba o alcool? Sempre Jesse. Gli atleti, gli sfigati e addirittura il preside della scuola se hanno bisogno di qualcosa si rivolgono allo Sgaggio (questo è il suo soprannome).
Che cos'è il tipo sgaggio? "E' il migliore... non ha bisogno di provare a fare il figo... lo è e basta". E Jesse lo è davvero.
Jesse appare senza cuore, ma sarà realmente così o il suo è un meccanismo di difesa?
Ken Foster, capitano della squadra di football, di fronte al quale di solito le ragazze svengono, assume Jesse per conquistare l'unica ragazza che non ne vuole sapere, Bridget Smalley. Lei è un angelo, oltre a essere favolosa fuori lo è anche dentro, veramente la ragazza perfetta. Jesse inizia quindi a intessere un piano di battaglia per poter carpire i gusti della ragazza e passare le dritte a Ken.
Lui la segue nella casa di riposo dove lei è solita andare una volta la settimana a trovare la nonna facendo finta di andare a trovare suo nonno, che in realtà altri non è che un signore compiacente che si presta a questa messinscena al fine di ottenere dei favori da Jesse.
PER CONTINUARE A LEGGERE CLICCA QUI: http://newadultedintorni.blogspot.it/...
Jesse è un personaggio davvero interessante. E' pungente, sprezzante, ironico. Un faccendiere di un intelligenza non comune e con un carattere tosto e affascinante.
Ma malgrado Jesse sia così affascinante e grintoso la narrazione purtroppo è spenta e noiosa. Che peccato!!!
Jesse Alderman è un traffichino. Hai bisogno di una tesina? Vai da Jesse. Vuoi un appuntamento con la ragazza più popolare della scuola? Ci pensa Jesse a fartelo avere. Vuoi erba o alcool? Sempre Jesse. Gli atleti, gli sfigati e addirittura il preside della scuola se hanno bisogno di qualcosa si rivolgono allo Sgaggio (questo è il suo soprannome).
Che cos'è il tipo sgaggio? "E' il migliore... non ha bisogno di provare a fare il figo... lo è e basta". E Jesse lo è davvero.
Jesse appare senza cuore, ma sarà realmente così o il suo è un meccanismo di difesa?
Ken Foster, capitano della squadra di football, di fronte al quale di solito le ragazze svengono, assume Jesse per conquistare l'unica ragazza che non ne vuole sapere, Bridget Smalley. Lei è un angelo, oltre a essere favolosa fuori lo è anche dentro, veramente la ragazza perfetta. Jesse inizia quindi a intessere un piano di battaglia per poter carpire i gusti della ragazza e passare le dritte a Ken.
Lui la segue nella casa di riposo dove lei è solita andare una volta la settimana a trovare la nonna facendo finta di andare a trovare suo nonno, che in realtà altri non è che un signore compiacente che si presta a questa messinscena al fine di ottenere dei favori da Jesse.
PER CONTINUARE A LEGGERE CLICCA QUI: http://newadultedintorni.blogspot.it/...
October 25, 2014
If you're searching for an edgy teen novel narrated by a boy, Sway might be the book for you. I kind of loved it. Or, I loved Jesse.
I love bad boys, but bad boys aren't easy to get right. They shouldn't be smarmy, abusive, violent or cruel. Too many young adult authors write bad boys wrong, sending weird messages to young readers who think being afraid of a handsome boy is sexy. It isn't.
Kat Spears knows how to write a bad boy. It's possible she doesn't think Jesse's a bad boy at all, and that's what makes him the right kind of bad boy to me. Jesse Alderman ("Sway" to some) can usually get you what you want if you're willing to pay. We learn early on even adults come to him for help. He carries himself in such a way that makes people know they shouldn't mess with him, but girls (and this is very important) are clearly very safe with him. In more than one instance, Jesse showed that he was a protective person when it comes to girls in danger. He may not have been able to help them in true danger, but he wouldn't let them be hurt if he could help it.
When Ken, a popular football player, enlists Jesse to get a girl for him, Jesse agrees. For a good chunk of cash. That girl is Bridget Smalley and she's perfect. So perfect, Jesse finds himself falling for her.
But Sway doesn't focus on Jesse's love for Bridget. This wonderful novel focuses on Jesse's relationships with people: Bridget, Bridget's brother Peter, his friends and dealers, and to a smaller extent, his father. At times, Jesse's voice is too-adult, sounding more like an author writing a novel about a teenager, but I gave that a pass because I liked him so much.
While I would admit the ending was a bit neat, I was so agitated by the events that take place just before the "neat ending" that I only felt relief when things were set right.
Sway is a such a great book. I hope Kat Spears is very proud of it.
I love bad boys, but bad boys aren't easy to get right. They shouldn't be smarmy, abusive, violent or cruel. Too many young adult authors write bad boys wrong, sending weird messages to young readers who think being afraid of a handsome boy is sexy. It isn't.
Kat Spears knows how to write a bad boy. It's possible she doesn't think Jesse's a bad boy at all, and that's what makes him the right kind of bad boy to me. Jesse Alderman ("Sway" to some) can usually get you what you want if you're willing to pay. We learn early on even adults come to him for help. He carries himself in such a way that makes people know they shouldn't mess with him, but girls (and this is very important) are clearly very safe with him. In more than one instance, Jesse showed that he was a protective person when it comes to girls in danger. He may not have been able to help them in true danger, but he wouldn't let them be hurt if he could help it.
When Ken, a popular football player, enlists Jesse to get a girl for him, Jesse agrees. For a good chunk of cash. That girl is Bridget Smalley and she's perfect. So perfect, Jesse finds himself falling for her.
But Sway doesn't focus on Jesse's love for Bridget. This wonderful novel focuses on Jesse's relationships with people: Bridget, Bridget's brother Peter, his friends and dealers, and to a smaller extent, his father. At times, Jesse's voice is too-adult, sounding more like an author writing a novel about a teenager, but I gave that a pass because I liked him so much.
While I would admit the ending was a bit neat, I was so agitated by the events that take place just before the "neat ending" that I only felt relief when things were set right.
Sway is a such a great book. I hope Kat Spears is very proud of it.
August 14, 2015
I don't know what it is lately with these detached (supposedly), misbehaving male characters in YA books and why I like them so much, why I get sucked into their stories, but I do.
Jesse's a difficult character: he lies,deals drugs and doesn't exhibit much of a conscience or consideration for others. It's hard to see any good in him at first, but his character is still intriguing. His savvy, his "sway," is a little too flawless, the extent of his power unbelievable, but I was still very drawn to his story. It's interesting that Carter and Joey, and a host of other characters in the book, have the same reaction to him that I had as a reader: they like him despite his actions. They see something in him that he doesn't see in himself. And it takes talent to be able to get that across while writing from the point of view of a character who acts like a bad guy and thinks he's a bad guy.
The drug use and casual sex bothered me, and I thought the resolution went a bit too fast.
The book had a nice mix of supporting characters, and I was sad to leave them behind when I finished the book. It would be neat to see some of them featured in their own novels, say Joey or Carter.
Nick Podehl was a great choice for narrator of this on audio. His depiction of Jesse was perfect.
Jesse's a difficult character: he lies,deals drugs and doesn't exhibit much of a conscience or consideration for others. It's hard to see any good in him at first, but his character is still intriguing. His savvy, his "sway," is a little too flawless, the extent of his power unbelievable, but I was still very drawn to his story. It's interesting that Carter and Joey, and a host of other characters in the book, have the same reaction to him that I had as a reader: they like him despite his actions. They see something in him that he doesn't see in himself. And it takes talent to be able to get that across while writing from the point of view of a character who acts like a bad guy and thinks he's a bad guy.
The drug use and casual sex bothered me, and I thought the resolution went a bit too fast.
The book had a nice mix of supporting characters, and I was sad to leave them behind when I finished the book. It would be neat to see some of them featured in their own novels, say Joey or Carter.
Nick Podehl was a great choice for narrator of this on audio. His depiction of Jesse was perfect.
February 15, 2016
Irreverent. Honest. Refreshing. Funny. Cover love.
"Everybody is putting on a show all the time. Nobody's real. Maybe you can't hide things about yourself like the way you walk or talk, but everyone is lying all the time about who they are, how they feel."
I adored Sway. The main character, Jesse, is the irreverent, cynical high school drug dealer, but what made him likable, was discerning his ability to care for others underneath all of his protective snarky armor. Jesse goes through high school without any friends, just business associates. He is an entrepreneur and does it with a natural charisma. When a transaction requires that he uses his skills to get to know Bridget, the nicest girl in school, for another, he finds himself embroiled in an unlikely friendship with an elderly gentleman and Bridget's brother, Pete, who has cerebral palsy.
Jesse takes Pete along for his "transactions" and they start an honest and refreshing friendship. Jesse doesn't hold back the hard truths with Pete. Sway is a story about the nature of friendship and how opening yourself up to the truth allows yourself to be loved.
Highly recommend for mature YA and looking forward to other titles by Kat Spears!
"Everybody is putting on a show all the time. Nobody's real. Maybe you can't hide things about yourself like the way you walk or talk, but everyone is lying all the time about who they are, how they feel."
I adored Sway. The main character, Jesse, is the irreverent, cynical high school drug dealer, but what made him likable, was discerning his ability to care for others underneath all of his protective snarky armor. Jesse goes through high school without any friends, just business associates. He is an entrepreneur and does it with a natural charisma. When a transaction requires that he uses his skills to get to know Bridget, the nicest girl in school, for another, he finds himself embroiled in an unlikely friendship with an elderly gentleman and Bridget's brother, Pete, who has cerebral palsy.
Jesse takes Pete along for his "transactions" and they start an honest and refreshing friendship. Jesse doesn't hold back the hard truths with Pete. Sway is a story about the nature of friendship and how opening yourself up to the truth allows yourself to be loved.
Highly recommend for mature YA and looking forward to other titles by Kat Spears!
September 7, 2017
Okay, I hardly ever give books 1 star, but I just couldn't give Sway 2 stars ...
The book is all over the place. When I read the blurb I expected a light and romantic read. Instead we follow Jesse, douchebag number one, doing stupid and unbelievable things. I should've written down all the one-liners this guy had, most of the time I was like wtf then continued reading. His "love" for Bridget isn't the main thing in this book, which really bothered me. I feel like I've been misled by the blurb.
I thought this would be a nice read after reading The Young Elites trilogy, to forget the awesome characters and the great world-building, but it just made me miss it more.
The book is all over the place. When I read the blurb I expected a light and romantic read. Instead we follow Jesse, douchebag number one, doing stupid and unbelievable things. I should've written down all the one-liners this guy had, most of the time I was like wtf then continued reading. His "love" for Bridget isn't the main thing in this book, which really bothered me. I feel like I've been misled by the blurb.
I thought this would be a nice read after reading The Young Elites trilogy, to forget the awesome characters and the great world-building, but it just made me miss it more.
March 25, 2014
This is the best story and most well crafted novel I have read in quite some time. I've read it three time so far; once fast, because I really wanted to know what would happen next, then slowly so I could enjoy the smart humor and character development and then again, just because it is that good. By Richmond's own amazing Katarina Spears.
Coming in September, published by Macmillan
Coming in September, published by Macmillan
October 31, 2014
Do not let the cover fool you, this is not a fluffy book. Jesse's the definition of an antihero. He's an asshole and gets ahead by taking advantage of people. He's also super smart, snarky and maybe a little bit of a squishy marshmallow deep (deeeeeep) inside. I loved it.
Recommended for readers who aren't going to get hung up on a lack of morally upstanding MC.
Recommended for readers who aren't going to get hung up on a lack of morally upstanding MC.
October 3, 2014
Everyone seemed to really like this book, but for me it was just okay. Maybe it's not a fair rating having just come off a Throne of Glass marathon. I don't think any book would do good following that.
Read
November 3, 2014Complicated, authentic characters and a kick ass plot that kept me turning the pages. Win. Win. I loved this book, and I loved Jesse, aka "Sway." I'm so impressed in Spears's ability to create such a full, flawed, vulnerable, likeable/not likeable/still likeable character. Terrific debut.
January 19, 2016
Actual rating: 3.5
August 3, 2017
3,5 Sterne
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