If you saw it, would you read it? Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein #ReadOrNot
About the front:
The light blue of the dress is the element in the cover that caught my attention. And her pose. I thought … ‘that girl is in a pretty dress, sitting in corner with her knees up,’ and then, I asked a better question. “Why?”
That right there is the key to grabbing attention … getting a reader to ask questions about the cover. This one did for me.
With the girl so pretty against a dark wall, I just kinda wanted to know why she was like that. So I stared and stared and moved on to the blurb.
Now let’s look at what the back says:
Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.
Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.
Does it match? Front to Back without the in between?
Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—
At this point, I’m chuckling. 🙂
Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer.
Huh? Rehabilitation techniques? We went from her wanting to be uber-cool and that being the big problem to a solution to a problem we don’t know anything about. Not use I get that. And … how is one prom night equal to an entire summer? It can’t be better if it’s not replacing the whole thing, can it? I’m confused.
Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.
I get the ‘is nothing’ because that’s how this opened, with this girl wanting to be like these ‘friends’. But ‘has nothing’? There is nothing in here even alluding to a problem except her wanting to be ‘cool’ and these little extras have no consistency with the rest of the blurb.
Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy.
Do what? Hello? coworker? I thought she was going to the prom and being handcuffed and losing friends. When did WORK come into this? Where is the transition from one part of the story to the other? And who is the best friend? I thought the other two girls were people she wanted to be but don’t get to be with. And where in the world/how in the world does becoming a public enemy work? I’m really scratching my head here.
Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey,
Says who?? This, to me, sounds like marketing speak hoping to get us over the previous confusion.
Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.
Okay, see THIS fits with the beginning. Girl wants to be like someone else. Girl obviously gets in trouble. One night of prom/jail turns life around … or STARTS the cycle to turn life around. That’s where this blurb is lacking. It’s like throwing too many facets in without keeping to the core of the conflict.
Will I read it?
Blurb kinda kills it for me. So … well … I’m just not sure.
Will you add it to your bookshelf virtual or otherwise? Share in the comments!
