Review: Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Title:  Such a Rush
Author:  Jennifer Echols
Series:  stand-alone
Publisher:  MTV Books
Publication Date:  July 10, 2012
Source:  ARC provided by the author
Purchase:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly.

I was intrigued by this book the moment I read that the main character wanted to be a pilot.  I’ve never actually flown on an airplane (you don’t need to tell me how weird that is…I’m well aware) but I’ve always wanted to be a pilot.  I actually considered going into the Air Force after high school.  You see, I’m not afraid of flying…I just never had the opportunity because my dad is and so any trip we took when I lived at home had to be made by car.  But enough about me.  You’re here to find out how awesome Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols is, and find out you shall…

Okay, so this is actually my first Jennifer Echols book.  I’ve seen her other titles around, but as you may know, until this year, I wasn’t really a big fan of contemporary novels, YA or otherwise.  But the cover and the synopsis had me sold.  And it doesn’t hurt that the author sent me a signed ARC for review.  I wanted to read this book immediately, but I made myself wait until closer to release date.  But that waiting paid off…I LOVED this book!

Leah isn’t your typical, naïve, or even virginal protagonist.  She’s lived a rough life and she’s very familiar with the ins and outs of doing what’s necessary to scrape by.  She should be, though.  Leah’s mother has practically left her to fend for herself her entire life.  Constantly on the move because of her mother’s questionable financial dealings and rocky relationships, Leah finds it difficult to make friends.  She’s a guys’ girl, the girl who finds it easier to be friends with boys than to deal with the drama that comes from female companionship.  And yet, she finds herself best friends with Molly, one of the most popular girls in school.

Leah keeps Molly at a distance, though.  Because of the way that they met and became friends, Leah feels the need to keep up a tough façade for Molly, and so Molly never really gets to know the true Leah.  But Leah is this way with everyone she encounters, except maybe Mr. Hall.  Once he agrees to give her flying lessons, he becomes somewhat of a father-figure to Leah.  And it’s through her time spent at Hall Aviation that she develops a crush on Grayson Hall.

Oh, those Hall brothers!  It’s so funny yet so honest how all of the relationships in this book develop.  That’s not to say that the relationships are easy and uncomplicated…far from it.  But it’s interesting to watch them unfold.  The characters themselves are engaging, but it’s the way they interact with each other that makes this book so awesome.  If you’re leery of reading this novel because of the promise of one of those dreaded love triangles, let me put your doubts to rest.  Although the intent is a love triangle, it’s not nearly as bad as it sounds.  If that isn’t enough to assuage your doubts, let me just say that the ending will put an end to all of your skepticism.  So, if you’re already forming a team in your head, take it elsewhere.  This is not one of those books.

Leah finds herself in a lot of less-than-ideal situations, and the way that she handles herself in them makes me like her even more.  At 18, she’s more of an adult than her mother has proven to be, and with every predicament she finds herself in, Leah grows a little more.  This novel deals with so many issues, good and bad, and it does so without being judgmental or getting preachy about it:  grief and loss, sexual encounters, betrayal, hopes and dreams, and just the general transition from teenager to adult.  Yep…there’s sex in this book.  And it’s not that fade-to-black crap that’s pretty standard in YA novels, either. 

When I say this book is honest and deals with some gritty stuff aside from all the romantical stuff, I’m being completely serious.  I think it’s a great book for young adults and not-so-young adults, alike.  This book really is such a rush, and anytime I had to step away from it, I was counting the minutes until I could get back to it.  Such a Rush is witty and engaging and real, and it is one of my favorite reads this year.  I am now a huge fan of Jennifer Echols and have already snatched up several of her other works*.  Now I just have to find the time to read them!

Rating:  1/2

Book-A-Likes:  Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

If you think this book sounds like your kind of read, enter to win a copy on my stop of the Summer Reads Giveaway Hop!

Ends 7/11!!!




*Going Too Far and Forget You by Jennifer Echols are both only $3.99 for Nook and Kindle right now!  Links are beneath the images:

Nook | Kindle

Nook | Kindle