Book Review: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Title:  Stealing Parker
Author:  MIranda Kenneally
File type:  paperback
Release date:  October 1st, 2012
Genre:  YA, contemporary romance, sports

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

Spoilers ahead! 

There are authors who's have great ideas and you just can't wait to get your hands on a copy and when you do, you just die because the book is everything you've dreamed of. Well, something similar does happen here. Whenever I read a Kenneally book, I yell and shake my head because the characters do the most moronic things they could think of in order to 'learn their lesson'. I swear, I yelled so much while Jordan was picking that other guy instead of seeing Sam and I wanted to slap some sense in Parker for even thinking of baseball coach/gym teacher... oh my, I forgot his name. Oops. Lemme check. Brian! (Yuck!) Why choose him over Corn Fritter, pardon Corndog or just simply Will. He is the perfect match but no, she has to go for the older guy. Why take the car when you can walk, right? So much drama, especially near the end. 

I had so many mixed feelings while reading this book. On one note I liked Parker, then I didn't, I liked the use of religion in this book but I didn't like the religious people and I absolutely hated the teacher-student relationship. And this is what I'm gonna do. I'm going to talk about myself. Haha bet you didn't expect that. Well, I do love to share way too much personal info with strangers. 

Let's just start

1. Parker's rebellion - Since Parker's mum ran away with her girlfriend, people from their church have kept their distance. Her friends talked behind her back, saying she is just like her mum, so the only thing Parker could think of is start loosing weight and kiss a lot of boys.  I understand why she did those things, because a couple of years ago I was a 17 too and people were talking all sort of nonsense about me, that I was a freak, devil worshiper and whatnot. I dealt with all of my anger pretty well. I went and cut my hair, wore a lot of insane outfits and every time I saw someone giving me the stink eye it set me of to do something more crazy. So, the only difference between me and Parker is that she chose to take it out on guys while I sort of gave the finger to the rest of the world. 

2. Religion vs. Religious people - Religion is very important in this novel. Every couple of pages Parker writes a letter to God saying how her life sucks and then burns it. Her is a quote from the book that caught my eye. Most people probably just read it and moved on when they should just stop and think about it. 

“I can talk to God while I’m walking the dog or running in the woods just the same as if I’m at church.”  

 YES! I agree with this all the way! My uncle died a couple of months ago and I was really upset so when a really religious neighbour sat next to me and started to talk some bull about going the the mosque (my parents are Muslim) I told her I forgot all Arabic prayers a long time ago and she said it's easy to learn it again  so I told her I'm just going to pray to God with my own words, not something someone else wrote (because when you say something from the heart, rather than what you memorized it's more sincere) she was watching me like I've grown another head. I also know a lot of 'religious people' who are all sweet but when you dig under the surface you see they cheat, lie, steal it just makes me sick and I can't stand those phonies. I would rather be myself with no one around me than being something I'm not and having all the friends in the world. 

3. Teacher- student relationship- *sigh* What to say about this that I haven't yelled while reading? I yelled I  Stay away from him! He is your teacher! When that didn't work out I tried with Stop cyber stalking the man! Stop chatting with him and sending texts! Even that didn't work so I because afraid Don't kiss him! Nooo! Don't! You moron! I hate you! And finally I got desperate Please, don't have sex with him! He is too old for you! Ahhhh!  I'm usually all for student-teacher relationships in books but this one just wasn't working. 

I guess I should finally give up on Miranda Kenneally books even though every time I read the blurb for her latest book I get excited. Kenneally and Kody Keplinger just don't work for me even though they write about topics which seem very interesting.