The One That I Want (2012 original; edició 2012)

I really can't continue reading this. Her name literally hurts. I can feel my heart pricks a little every time I read it. Goodness. I'm a mess. ( )

More on the bubble gum end of the scale than some of Echols's recent work, but still thoroughly enjoyable. Max and Gemma are both flawed but wonderful, and I could see myself enjoying this book again and again. ( )

Cute, light teen romance read. ( )

I found my super cute read for the summer! The summary to this book focuses on the heartbreak of a sort of love story, but there is much more to The One That I Want...

Gemma is just like any other teen girl who is filled with insecurities - she wants to fit in, but doesn't want to be a carbon copy of everyone else. She goes out of her own way to upkeep the purple streaks in her hair and wears thrifty clothes to create her own style. She used to be overweight, and having lost over 30lbs, she is trying to not only adjust to her healthy ways, but also to the new attention that she is starting to attract because of it.
Gemma has a best friend named Addison. Their moms were friends, so they became friends at a very young age. And as time went on, Addison was never really a true friend to Gemma. Some of the things that she did and said to Gemma were really questionable and mean. But Gemma felt that because they were friends for so long, that she had to stay friends with her. It also probably goes with the fact that Gemma didn't really have any other true friends, I'm pretty sure she stayed with her so she wouldn't be alone.
But then we meet Max!
And Max turns Gemma's world upside down - and little does she know, she turns Max's world upside down too! So why did Max ask Addison out instead of her???

It was a bit of struggle to see Gemma come into her own. But once things started to unfold for her and she was finally taking steps to surrounding herself with positive and supportive friends, it was definitely worth the read! ( )

You can also read my review here: http://www.turningthepages.ca/2012/03/review-one-that-i-want.html

This was the first book of Jennifer Echol's that I read and WOW, what an amazing introduction to her writing style!

The One That I Want is told from Gemma's perspective. Gemma is an only child of divorced millionaires and has spent much of her childhood hiding behind food. When her so-called best friend persuades her into trying out for the Majorettes, her life seems to turn a corner and the important things in life become that much clearer.

I fell in love with the character of Gemma. Not only is she someone who has had struggles in her life - from weight, to boys, to social standing - she finds herself fighting with her best friend for the affection of one particular boy. In all of this, she handles herself with grace and dignity and in the end becomes the perfect role model for teen girls. I want to applaud Jennifer Echol's for creating such a wonderful character for young girls... someone they can read about and realize that you don't have to be 'Top Dog' in school to survive (and more importantly, have fun).

The supporting cast in The One That I Want were also very well developed. While I could not stand Addison, Gemma's BFF, and found myself wanting to slap her through the pages, I appreciated what she added to the story. The dynamic between Gemma and Addison being mirrored in Max and Carter's relationship brought home the point that there are people in your life that make you a better person and there are people in your life that don't. In the end, my favourite character, aside from Gemma, had to be Max. His humor and his kindness really worked with the storyline and I thoroughly enjoyed all of his scenes.

Jennifer Echol's writing style is perfect for the genre is which she has chosen to write. A fun, free-flowing storyline mixed in with the troubles of teen life adds the perfect balance for everyone.

Overall, a new fan has been created. Before I even finished reading, I was online ordering up more of Jennifer's books. ( )