Review: Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

[Info:]

{Title} Ballads of Suburbia
{By} Stephanie Kuehnert
{Publisher} MTV Books
{Release Date} July 21st, 2009
{Pages} 368

[Description:]


Kara hasn't been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad-boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park....
Amid the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

[Angel's Thoughts:]

I fell in love with I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone the first time I read it, placing Stephanie Kuehnert on my list of favorite writers ever. Her right to remain on this list was confirmed with her second novel, Ballads of Suburbia.

I've gotta say, I really think I might love Ballads of Suburbia a little more than I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, mainly because I could really closely relate to Kara, the main character, probably more than any character I've ever read before. She feels real, and that's something I adore about Kuehnert's writing. Both of her books feel like they could be real, either like you're reading a memoir, or you're remembering your past or listening to a friend's story. There were definitely several parts that felt like pieces of my past. I had a few dreams that I was Kara while I was reading it. This book is that powerful. Not to mention, you laugh, cry, and actually get a little depressed once you finish reading it, because you really don't want it to end. Ballads is one of the few books to actually make me cry, and I think it's because of how similar I felt to the main character.

Ballads is right up there with my top favorite books of all time. I've said it a few times, and I'm more than willing to say it again -- Stephanie Kuehnert deserves to be a New York Times Bestseller. She's a talented writer with amazing books, and one of the authors I'll always be looking forward to new work from.

So, head out to your local bookstore or get on Amazon RIGHT NOW and purchase this book. I promise -- you will NOT regret it.



~Angel

{Alesha's Thoughts:}

I will admit that I have never read a book that dives as far into the alternative teenage lifestyle as Stephanie Kuehnert does in Ballads of Suburbia. This is an amazing book that pulls at your heartstrings and leaves you wondering whatever happens to the characters after the book ends. I fell in love with every couple, every single character, every mistake and more. I loved reading and realizing that there are people who experience these things in every day life. It explores topics such as self-harming, substance abuse and recreational drugs. This book is raw and is very straight to the point. It sucks you in and makes you feel as if you are walking right beside every character and living the book. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone!

~Alesha

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