Amplified by Tara Kelly

Published: October 25, 2011 by Henry Holt & Co.
Received: Gifted by Jamie - thank you!

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it. . .

In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified. {taken from goodreads.com}

I first saw this book way back in February and quickly added it to my "to be read" list on goodreads.  Patiently waiting for it's release, and even more stoked when I saw the cover reveal - I thought, this book oozes Ginger like no other.  A YA contemp focused around music & cute boys, with a bit of teen angst thrown in?  Sign me up!

The story takes no time placing the reader in the middle of Jasmine's turmoil.  She's a seventeen year old girl who's just graduated high school and escaped the confines of her controlling father, in hopes of following her passion for music, and not his path he's chosen for her.  Jasmine has grown up without a mother, and doesn't rely on anyone but herself.  She thinks she's capable of creating a new life for herself with just her amp and her guitar, but fate has other plans for her.  With a broke down car and hardly any money in her pocket, she's found herself stranded in a California seaside town, and one very moody mechanic.

Jasmine lands herself an audition, along with a room to rent in an industrial rock band.  Immediately I was drawn to the characters in this band.  From the outspoken, kick-ass female singer, to the pompous, yet gorgeous & determined drummer... and then there's the bassist.  I will admit, I have a thing for a dude who plays bass.  There's just something about the rhythm, the intrigue, the talent that embodies a bass player.  Sean does not let me down, in any of those categories.  The friction between Jasmine and Sean sizzles from page to page.  Their relationship starts off rocky, both guarding themselves.  But little by little their walls start to break down.  Sean saw through Jasmine's tough exterior, and Jasmine noticed a broken heart that needed mending. 

As the story continues, the band plays on.  They're on the verge of making their break, but Jasmine could be the key to their success... or their failure.  She's harboring lies that could ultimately end their career before it even starts.  My heart really went out to her in these moments.  She's had to carry around so much, on her own, for such a long time.  Always having to live up to her father's expectations, and never feeling like she's good enough.  Eventually she can't keep up the facade, and her true colors start to show.  Some times it's better to let your guard down, ask for help.. than to hold it all in and attempt everything on your own.

Tara Kelly's writing kept me engaged from start to finish.  Her attention to detail with music was so interesting to me.  I'm a lover of all things music-related, so her description of instruments, sounds, melodies, and the overall package of a performance really grabbed my attention.  It was nicely incorporated with a story that was believable and characters that felt real to me.  I love a book that builds on tension and then delivers with passion and angst.  Amplified has all the elements of what I call a musically inspired coming of age story.