April 7, 2015

The Wrong Side of Right - Jenn Marie Thorne

The Wrong Side of Right book cover
The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne
Publisher: Dial Books
Publication Date: March 17, 2015
Source/Format: Publisher (Thanks!) || ARC
[I received this novel from the publisher. This in no way affects my opinions or the contents of my review.]

Kate Quinn’s mom died last year, leaving Kate parentless and reeling. So when the unexpected shows up in her living room, Kate must confront another reality she never thought possible—or thought of at all. Kate does have a father. He’s a powerful politician. And he’s running for U.S. President. Suddenly, Kate’s moving in with a family she never knew she had, joining a campaign in support of a man she hardly knows, and falling for a rebellious boy who may not have the purest motives. This is Kate’s new life. But who is Kate? When what she truly believes flies in the face of the campaign’s talking points, she must decide. Does she turn to the family she barely knows, the boy she knows but doesn’t necessarily trust, or face a third, even scarier option?

If you combine elements of All-American Girl (Meg Cabot) and the film What a Girl Wants (starring Amanda Bynes and Colin Firth), the end result would be this novel. And that's a good thing!

The Wrong Side of Right is the debut novel from author Jenn Marie Thorne. It's about Kate Quinn, a girl who discovers the father she thought lost to her actually exists.. and happens to be running for president. The novel trails Kate as she joins her father and his family on the campaign trail, chronicling what she goes through along the way. 

Let me get this out of the way now, before I go into details, but The Wrong Side of Right is easily one of the best contemporary YA debuts I've read this year. 

The Wrong Side of Right would not have had the same impact on me, were it not for Kate. Kate Quinn is an extraordinary young lady, a typical teenager who is struggling to figure out who she is and what she stands for. She's smart and quietly confident.  While her story might not necessarily contain a lot of action externally, the struggle she faces on the inside is well-done. Readers are invited to experience everything from Kate's perspective, and that really worked for me because I liked her!

I also enjoyed the other characters: Kate's father Mark Cooper, to his wife Meg and the twins, to the people running the Cooper presidential campaign, Kate's best friend Penny and her family, and of course, Andy Lawrence, the president's son. Thorne really took the time to flesh them out and make them memorable. In particular, the Coopers were my favorite characters apart from Kate. They're a great family, in spite of their dysfunctions, and I loved how their dynamic was portrayed.

Thorne delicately balances the various plot threads in The Wrong Side of Right: Kate's relationship with her father and his family, her experience on the presidential campaign trail, and even a subtle romance. None of these aspects felt like they lacked time on the page, and I completely admire Thorne's efforts to ensure we get a well-rounded tale. In fact, any story that immerses me with such intensity in its telling is certainly worth a read!

By the time I finished The Wrong Side of Right, I just had the biggest smile on my face. Sure, things aren't perfect, and there's definitely a lot left for Kate, her father and her family to sort out. But Thorne gives us an ending that fits just right with her story. If you're looking for a charming contemporary YA, The Wrong Side of Right is a pretty damn good choice.

10 Comments:

  1. I'm reading it now, I'm around page 260 and gosh, I'm loving it so so much!!! Katie and Andy are so cute together but I love how the book focuses not on the romance but on the politics and it's so real!

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  2. Katherine @ Neon Yeti ReadsApril 7, 2015 at 10:07 AM

    I'm really excited for this book. It has a great cover and I'm always up for a good contemporary!

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  3. Asheley (BookwormAsheley)April 7, 2015 at 10:09 AM

    I absolutely LOVED this book, Alexa! I love Kate so much because she has this normal life and she gets plopped into this weirdly abnormal situation, and she handles it well sometimes and kind of clunky at other times, and I felt like that was written so well and relatable. I love that she made mistakes and had a ton of internal dialogue and questioned things but at the same time yearned for a simple relationship with family. I agree, one of my favorite contemps so far this year. Seriously, this one just pumped me up for more new releases. Also, super-great cover. I get so happy when I see that people are loving it. (:

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  4. Girl, you had me at "best contemporary debuts this year." I've had this one on my TBR for awhile for the premise, but I wasn't sure whether to pick it up - it sounds very similar to Jen Calonita's Belles series, which I liked a lot, but was a little light on depth. This one sounds like it might hit just the right note, especially on the politics side. Thanks for the review, moving it up the TBR mountain now.

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  5. Wow, I'm excited to see that you liked this one so much. I wanted to read it already, but was a little wary about the mom-died-and-now-my-dad-is-president thing. It's a bit far-fetched. But I'm glad that she manages to keep it real and character-focused midst all that.

    C.J.

    Sarcasm & Lemons

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  6. Lena @ Addicted 2 NovelsApril 7, 2015 at 4:36 PM

    I was looking forward to reading this before, but after your review? Yeah, I need it ASAP.

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  7. Danielle @ Love at First PageApril 7, 2015 at 6:33 PM

    That's certainly high praise, girl! I've heard a lot of good things about this one, especially for the MC's growth. It sounds like she's someone you really grow to admire and root for.
    Thank you for sharing! I hope your next read is just as wonderful. :)

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  8. I was waiting to see a review of this one in the blogosphere. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I reeeeallly like reading internal character development, so thanks for pointing that out.

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  9. You had me at All American Girl! I adored that one way back in high school! One of my fave Meg Cabot books! I've heard really lovely things about this one so I will surely be reading it, since it just really sounds right up my alley what with my addiction to YA Contemporary! It makes me so happy that it comes highly recommended from you! I truly can't wait to read!

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  10. Nicole @ The Quiet ConcertApril 12, 2015 at 6:57 PM

    Whoa, one of the best YA debuts of the year? That praise alone is enough for me to read this one, but the fact that you finished with a smile on your face kind of solidifies it. That is always the best

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