ARC Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

The Promise of Amazing

Author: Robin Constantine

Series: -

Pages: 320

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Publisher/Source: Balzer & Bray

Release date: 31^st December 2013

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how. 

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

The Promise of Amazing has the sweetest premise and I was curious about it from the very first moment I glimpsed the cover and whilst I found it to be a cute read there were certain aspects I didn’t find myself liking at all.

I really liked our MC Wren Caswell who is a quiet, silent achiever who never seems to step a foot out of place, she’s a good student, daughter and friend who comes across as awkward and shy.

Grayson Barrett is Wren’s complete opposite, popular, sporty and kicked of school for selling term papers. I think he was a little too self-assured for his own good and despite the mistake he had made in his past he didn’t seem to be doing much to redeem himself; I at times felt like I was reading about adults rather than young teens and his character left me a little conflicted unfortunately.

Wren and Grayson meet when he is attending a function at her parent’s catering hall where she is working and ends up being the person to save him from choking; he is intrigued by her and his stalking follows soon after. I liked the sweet moments the characters had in the initial stages but there was nothing there that wowed me or left me gushing; the constant drama I think was overplayed and at times I thought Gray and his ‘side business’ and experiences were over exaggerated so the romance left me a little underwhelmed.

I did like Wren’s close friends and her family dynamics, it was nice to see her parents and siblings also play a role in the overall story which made for a nice change; Grayson’s group of friends and their ethical choices I didn’t find endearing at all and I don’t feel a lot of the topics mentioned were really dealt with in the right way – bribery, cheating, theft.

Robin Constantine's writing style was simplistic and entertaining and I found the humour to be written very well, it was a cute story but one which failed to leave me with the wow feeling.

Thank-you kindly to Balzer & Bray/Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review The Promise of Amazing.

About the author: Robin Constantine is a born and bred Jersey girl who moved down South so she could wear flip-flops year round. She spends her days dreaming up stories where love conquers all, well, eventually but not without a lot of peril, angst and the occasional kissing scene.

Her YA debut, THE PROMISE OF AMAZING, will be released in 2014 by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.