Rating: 3.75/5

AMPLIFIED was funny, sexy, full of music references, and would make a terrific movie!

Jasmine Kiss has a lot of nicknames: Cornflake Girl, little princess, high school band geek, but she is sick and tired of being labeled, of her father trying to control her life, pushing her over and over, constantly comparing to her mother… she wants her own life, to play on her guitar and make music, be part of a band. So she runs away from her home and lands on Santa Cruz with a broken car, her small savings and her guitar and a Diezel amp. She has to face now a whole packet of new problems: finding a nice room to rent, a job to pay for her car repairs and to convince the three guys’ owners of the house and members of the band “C-side” that she’ll make it worth their while. She must accomplish all of this and not count on the cute bassist for support because he seriously doubts she’s as good as she claims she is, and the worst of all he’s partly right because she has a major case of stage fright.

For a guitar-obsessed (such as myself) a book about a chick guitarist is not a chance I can bypass, however it was jam-packed with technical details that would probably confuse some readers who are not familiar with the terms. Even I, as advanced as I like to think I am, was a little sidetracked trying to imagine what it would sound like, how would the melody flow, the lyrics, hearing the beat in my head… and that distracted me from the reading and focusing, instead, on the actual story. One good thing though, I couldn’t resist to try out some notes and I found myself returning to my practices again :D

The chemistry between the band’s members was incredible; they were very different one from another but their fusion created some sparks. Each one had a unique relationship with Jasmine and they all helped her getting out of her shell and evolving into a guitar goddess and overcome her stage-fright. However the most important relationship wasn’t very well explored: her father. Their fight is what started it all and although they had a few calls and she kept thinking about him, it wasn’t satisfying for me.

I felt a little frustrated at the end, it was open and I hate open endings, I, however, changed my mind when I saw that there will be a second book! So Tara Kelly I’m waiting for more of Felix and C-side and… Sean.

( )

I have a big ol' crush on rock fiction and can officially say I have a big ol' crush on Amplified too. Main character Jasmine Kiss is an awesome guitarist, one hell of a strong girl and one hell of a mess too. Delicious drama with a hard rock edge.

Music and Contemporary YA are a perfect combination, and Amplified is a great example of how to do it right. This coming of age story, with romance, quirky characters, and an inside look at the life of a musician is very readable and entertaining. I enjoyed getting lost in this book and following Jasmine on her musical journey. I basically read it in a day because I was so invested in the story and had to know how it ends.

Jasmine is an intriguing main character that is easy to root for. She’s a private person and afraid to let anyone in. She is focused and determined to reach her goals, even when detractors and other setbacks get in the way. She has baggage with her controlling father to deal with, and the complex situation makes it so that you sympathize with both characters, though I can’t imagine letting my own daughter fend for herself at that age like Jasmine.

The other members of C-Side were realistic and added authenticity to this musical tale. Bass player Sean comes off strong and sarcastic, but has his reasons for being difficult. His sister Veta is the bold lead singer and amateur psychic who takes Jasmine under her wing. Bryn is the drummer and self-appointed leader of C-Side who is a hard-ass and a ladies man. And Felix the keyboard player is sweet and goes with the flow. Their music sessions gave a behind the scenes look at the dedication and hard work required to make it as a band.

Amplified is a fast paced and absorbing read that got my attention when I was in a reading rut. It’s smartly written, with witty dialogue and a relatable story sure to appeal to fans of music centered YA. I’m eager to seek out the author’s other music themed book Harmonic Feedback. ( )

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: The cover is simple, but fitting. I like the incorporation of the title as part of the amp and the use of the often overlook, puke-green color.

The Gist: Jasmine Kiss has fled the stifling world of academia and an overbearing father for the streets of Santa Cruz and the chance to lose herself in her music. When the perfect opportunity of a place to stay and a spot in an up and coming band lands in her path, Jasmine has to fight her way in and convince both the band, and herself, that she belongs.

Review: Jasmine is the kind of character you want to hug, hand a cup of tea and tell "oh sweetie, you are so young". She comes from a privileged background and, at the beginning, comes off as a 17 year old princess who doesn't realize how good she has it. I will be honest, I sympathized with the father. You have hopes and dreams for your children and then they turn around and make the choices that you think will lead them into pain and trouble. Of course, as the story wore on and I learned more about dear old daddy (particularly him telling Jasmine she was lucky to be plain looking) I began to see where she was coming from. This is not a story of action and suspense, it is a story of friendship and growth. I felt honored to watch Jasmine learn some life lessons and come into her own as a musician.

This is the type of novel that smacks of REAL. The characters have major flaws, they make real, teenage mistakes and (sometimes) own up and learn from them. The love interest made my heart flutter and remember how exciting those exploratory days were, when excitement and nerves melded together and made butterflies dance inside your stomach. There were no real "villains" but even the characters that I disliked could be seen as having bigger issues at play. I was particularly glad that, while Jasmine does learn and grow from her experiences, she does not change into a whole new person and we know that she still has a ways to go.

The one thing about this book that I could not relate to was the music descriptions. I know NOTHING about music, I am a casual listener at best and I found myself skimming some of the sections where the band played and Jasmine's each and every move on the guitar was recorded. This is a personal issue, I know. I can, however, imagine those to be the favorite parts of someone who does "get" music and understands the lingo. I do wish this book could have somehow been bundled with a soundtrack so that I could have connected what I was reading with what I was hearing.

This book should appeal to budding musicians and anyone that enjoys well-drawn characters with a dash of romance. It should be noted (as described below) there are some scenes and language that may not be appropriate for those on the younger end of the Young Adult spectrum.

Teaching/Parental Notes:
Age: 16 and up
Gender: Will probably be more appealing to girls.
Sex: Spoken about, alluded to, but not actually described.
Violence: None
Inappropriate Language: Douches, Jacking Off, Giving Head, Fucking, Pricks, Bitch
Substance Abuse: Smoking, underage drinking ( )

I knew there was a reason why I added Tara Kelly to my favorite authors list back in 2010. Her debut novel Harmonic Feedback was a favorite read of mine that year, and her second novel Amplified became one of my most anticipated novels for 2011. Just like with her debut, once I started reading Amplified I couldn't stop! I stayed up very late and finally went to sleep when I had only about 20 pages left to read. I loved Amplified as much as Harmonic Feedback, and it was another authentic coming-of-age and music novel by Tara Kelly.

I admit, when I first read the summary of Amplified, it sounded like it would be a cute and light read. I don't believe the summary reveals enough of the depth that can be found in this novel. It would have been so easy for the author to make the main character Jasmine's situation and her relationship with the other characters simple and convenient to resolve. But she didn't make it easy for Jasmine or the rest of the characters, and I loved that. It felt true and real. Including the music, which was another aspect I loved about the novel.

What I loved about Jasmine was how deep her passion for music and playing guitar was. She believed in her ability to create music, but she tended to be awkward around people and had some issues when it came to performing in front of crowds. She was pretty stubborn though and determined to prove herself. I found Jasmine to be such an easy character for me to relate to, and it was her awkwardness and determination that made me root for her. She really had to work hard to overcome her fears and prove that she deserved a chance.

My heart also went out to Jasmine because of the difficult situation she was in. Not only did she have to prove herself to the band, but her strict father kicked her out for postponing college. She basically had no money and decided not to say anything to her new band-mates because she doesn't quite trust others nor does she want to burden anyone with her problems. It would have been easier if she had spoken up, but I know the feeling of not wanting to let anyone know if something is wrong. There's shame and embarrassment involved, so I completely understand why she felt the need to keep it to herself.

Her band-mates were all interesting people, but I want to just focus on one of them, the bassist Sean. When Sean first appeared, he really wasn't nice to Jasmine. I assumed he would be one of those bad boys, but once Jasmine got to know him, he's actually a smart and good (and cute!) guy who's not perfect. I really adored his character, and it was great reading how Jasmine's relationship with him gradually changed and developed as the story progressed. I loved their moments together, but like I mentioned, the author didn't take the easy route with these characters. Once Jasmine and Sean's relationship started getting a bit serious, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows from there, which to me made it that much more realistic.

Like Harmonic Feedback, Amplified was such an authentic, relatable, and wonderful read. Tara Kelly is definitely an author to look out for! (Also, I know I'm being biased, but I have to say that out of all the authors I've read books by, Tara Kelly is the one with the best taste in music!) I'm so looking forward to reading her next novel. And I really hope there are sequels to Amplified in the works because these characters all have their own stories that should be told. But whatever novel comes next, I just know I won't be disappointed. ( )