In
Patty Blount's THE WAY IT HURTS, two teens’ quest for fame goes terribly wrong
when a single tweet goes viral and the online backlash follows them into real
life. Fans of Gayle Forman's If I Stay will
like how main characters Elijah and Kristen bond over their music in this edgy,
real world contemporary young adult read that examines the impact social media
has on the lives of today's youth.
Patty
Blount is offering one (1) lucky winner a $50 Amazon Gift Card! To enter,
simply fill out the Rafflecopter below:
Title: The Way It Hurts
Author: Patty Blount
Publisher:
Sourcebooks
Fire
Release
Date: August
1, 2017
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Pages: 352 pages
Format: Paperback and
Digital
Print ISBN:
978-1-492632-788
Digital
ASIN:
B06XR172ZD
Synopsis:
There may be two sides to every story, but sometimes there's
only one way to set things right...
Music
is Elijah's life. His band plays loud and hard, and he'll do anything to get
them a big break. He needs that success to help take care of his sister, who
has special needs. So he'd rather be practicing when his friends drag him to a
musical in the next town...until the lead starts to sing.
Kristen
dreams of a career on stage like her grandmother's. She knows she needs an edge
to get into a competitive theater program--and being the star in her high
school musical isn't going to cut it. The applause and the attention only
encourage her to work harder.
Elijah
can't take his eyes off of Kristen's performance, and snaps a photo of her in
costume that he posts online with a comment that everybody misunderstands. It
goes viral. Suddenly, Elijah and Kristen are in a new spotlight as the online
backlash spins out of control. And the consequences are bigger than they both
could have ever imagined because these threats don't stay online...they follow
them into real life.
Advanced Praise for The Way It Hurts:
"Blount writes authentically; both protagonists’
voices are distinct. The author explores the rapidly consuming world of social
media and how it affects relationships online and in real life. A relevant read
and must-have for all YA collections." – School Library Journal
"THE WAY IT HURTS draws our attention
to the joy, heartache and confusing contradictions that arise as we try to find
our place in the real world and the virtual one." – Kimberly
Sabatini
“Elijah and Kristen’s personal evolutions
through the novel, along with their chemistry, feel as authentic as the
conflicts they face. A genuine plot filled with steady tension that will keep
readers hooked.” – RT Book Reviews
“This book sensitively covers
topics such as sexism, handicapping conditions, communication, and ageism.
Agency is also shown when Kristen says she wants to pursue studying in a
conservatory rather than continue in the band and the three young men
acknowledge her wish. Talking about what bothers us rather than trying to guess
another person’s feelings is demonstrated through the actions of the
characters. The characters’ issues are eventually resolved through hard work
and understanding, making this an interesting and informative read." – School Library Connection
Excerpt:
Elijah
took my hands. “Okay, look. Maybe you’re right. Maybe these people are taking
this whole battle thing way too seriously. If you’re scared, then we’ll stop.
No more posts except for appearance information.”
“So
no more battle of the sexes, no more make Kris scream?”
He
held up his hand. “Swear to God.”
“Okay.”
I sighed in relief. “You’d really do that?”
He
leaned closer and repeated the vow. “I promise, Kris.”
And
just like that, I forgot why I was mad at him. I couldn’t talk, couldn’t
breathe, couldn’t even blink because I was afraid he’d let go. This was the
part of him I adored. I clung to him for a long moment, and when his gaze
drifted to my mouth, I wondered if—hoped—prayed—he’d finally kiss me.
And
then, Etta’s voice suddenly spoke inside my head. “Well, my God,
darling, it’s the twenty-first century. What on earth are you
waiting for? You can kiss him.”
I
could. Yes. Yes, I could just lift my head and lean in and kiss Elijah Hamilton
like it was a normal, ordinary occurrence.
Right.
Like kissing Elijah Hamilton would ever be ordinary?
I’d
watched him kiss that girl at the mall and was sure I’d memorized all the steps
in his routine. He’d move in, grip my face between his hands, run his thumb
along my jaw, and finally, glide his arm down around my body, pulling me
against his own, all the while, peeking through his lashes to see if I enjoyed
it.
I
wasn’t sure when I decided—even what made me decide. I just touched my lips to
his and waited.
It
took a second or two. But then there was a sudden, tiny squeak from him, and I
felt the pulse in his wrist leap under my fingertips.
And
then, his hands were in my hair, angling my head just the way he liked it, his
tongue brushing against mine, so soft it might have been my
imagination...except imaginary kisses were never so intense. He kissed me like
I was a song he wrote, lips wrapped around every word until it hummed with
hidden meaning and promise, and his hands held me the way they held his
guitar—like the music would stop if he let me go.
Interview with Patty Blount
About Patty Blount:
Native
New Yorker Patty Blount is the award-winning author of several critically
acclaimed internet issues novels for teens as well as a few adult contemporary
romances. She is inspired to write by such greats as Judy Blume, JK Rowling,
and Gayle Forman. In fact, Judy Blume is the reason Patty elected to write
under her real name…so she’d appear on shelves next to her idol. Patty adores
writing; she’s written everything from technical manuals to song lyrics (see
THE WAY IT HURTS, coming August 2017). Patty wants you to know she loves
chocolate…really, really loves chocolate.
When
not crushing on actors Gilles Marini or Sam Heughan, Patty can be found sitting
in traffic somewhere on the Long Island Expressway, listening to audio books or
talking wildly to herself about plots and characters. Prone to falling madly in
love with fictional characters, Patty suffers frequent broken hearts when they
all invariably prefer the heroine to her… go figure. When she’s not
writing, Patty loves to watch bad sci-fi movies and live tweet the hilarity,
and scour Pinterest for ideas on awesome bookcases. Patty lives on Long Island
with her family in a house that, sadly, lacks bookcases.
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