Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Review: The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill

Release date: December 8th 2015
Publisher: Delacorte
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:
It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey... 

With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize. 

Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.

But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.



The Trouble with Destiny was a cute story with funny moments as well as parts that made me sympathize. However, while it was interesting, in the sense that it surrounded a high school band and took place on a cruise ship, I wasn't thoroughly in love with the story or even connected with the characters. 

I had a love-hate relationship with Liza for the most part. At the start of the story, I understood her intentions and commended her for going to whatever lengths to make sure the band stayed in tact. But then a certain boy ended up on the cruise and it brought forth a side of Liza that seemed so silly and immature. I get that these characters were teenagers, but some of the things Liza said in her mind made me roll my eyes and I often wanted to shake the hell out of her, especially when this boy would act a certain way around Liza's former best friend. I wanted so badly for her to open her damn eyes and see what he was really about. 

I also didn't like how she acted with Russ. He was trying to help the band and prove to Liza that he was a good guy, but she'd often shun him and dismissed his efforts. All because she was caught up on this stupid crush with the other boy. Like there were so many signs to show her why she needed to stop that nonsense but she overlooked them, being the headstrong and naive girl that she was. 
Anyway, I liked Russ. He was funny and nice. And I liked that he wasn't the jock people thought he was. He definitely showed how you should always get to know someone and not judge them based on what you see or what others say. 

Other characters I liked were Liza's best friends and the random people she came across on the cruise that in some way offered an insight that made her change her perspective about certain things. And it was good how Liza realized that she pressured the band members at times, and that she was able to step back and allow them to breathe and do what they did best without her dictating, giving her best friend the opportunity to take over. 

There wasn't a lot going on, aside from Liza's crush, a silly misunderstanding, a snotty popular chick, and the big issue with keeping the band going. So if you're into dramatic teen stories set at sea and high school bands, then do give this one a read. Even if you're looking for something quick and light, The Trouble with Destiny might be the story for you. Not bad.





About the Author
Lauren Morrill
Lauren Elizabeth Morrill is many things, including, but not limited to, a writer, an educator, a badass roller derby skater, a former band nerd, an aggressive driver, and a die-hard Mac person. She also watches a lot of TV, eats a lot of junk food, and drinks a lot of Coke. It's a wonder her brain and teeth haven't rotted out of her head.
Lauren is the author of Meant to Be, Being Sloane Jacobs, The Trouble With Destiny, and the forthcoming My Unscripted Life (October 2016), all from Random House.



8 comments:

  1. Liza sounds frustrating for sure Shane! I'm getting the feeling from the couple reviews I've read of this one that it reads a little young, and I always struggle with YA stories where the characters are just a touch more immature than I can relate to being an older reader:) I think I'll pass on this one, but I so enjoyed reading your thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah their voices came forth like 12/13 year olds rather than 16 and older. It just seemed a bit annoying, but like I said the story was cute.

      Delete
  2. Hmm I haven't heard of this one but it sounds cute. Sorry you didn't love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was okay. Hope you give it a try and end up loving it more :)

      Delete
  3. Aw. That's too bad. I'm not gonna lie, this sounds a bit campy. Lol.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Most of the reviews I've seen for this book seem to feel the same. I'm not sure I'm going to bother but thanks for this review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But who knows, you might like it :)

      Thanks for stopping by, Jazmen!

      Delete

Share your thoughts. I respect them. Leave a link to your blog and I'll stop by.

Related Posts