The One that I Want

Title: The One that I Want
Author: Jennifer Echols
Year Published: 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Price: Rp. 120.000 (Aksara)

  

What the novel is about...

Gemma Van Cleve once was a fat and low self confidence girl. But after her "best friend", Addison, pushed her to join the majorette selection, she forced herself to do more sports and go on a diet, and she succeeded. Now, Gemma was proportional but still, she had low self esteem. In her mind, she was still that fat and not interesting girl from the past. And Addison really didn't help at all.

After got accepted as majorettes, both Gemma and Addison joined a camp and there, they met two football players from other school. Gemma thought that one of the boy, Max, interested in her. But soon, her heart was broken as she found out that Max chose Addison as a date and not her. Gemma was pressured by Addison to date Max's friend, Carter, so that they could have a double date.

After some times spent with the guys, Gemma still felt like Max was actually interested in her, not Addison, but Gemma chose to stay quiet because she wasn't that sure either.

Was Max actually interested too in Gemma? Would Gemma be able to betray Addison to get Max for herself?

What I thought about this novel...

This is the first novel by Jennifer Echols that I read. I've just known Jennifer Echols because her newest book, Such A Rush, is often posted on many book blogs with so many good reviews. Besides that, this book really has a cute cover. 

Talking about the cover, I don't think it brings  the right impression about the story inside. If you see the cover, you would imagine a cotton-candy-sweet love story. Yeah, it's true that this book has a love story in it, but for me, the main issues here are more to the meaning of true friendship and about Gemma trying to find what she really wants for her life.

Max, although he's so kind and cute and I really wish I can have a guy like him in my life *got slap*, I don't think he is the main character of this story besides Gemma. The main characters for me are Gemma and Addison. Although they had been friends for so long, they are actually in a friend-or-foe relationship. It can be compared to Cinderella and her step sisters. I think a friendship like that does exist in real life and so common. Sometimes we friend people whom we know won't be cooler than us so that we will feel more superior than our friends, and then it will boost our confidence. Maybe not as extreme as Addison, but deep down inside, sometimes we do act like her. And reading this book can make us reflect more on how we treat our best friends. If you are in Gemma's position, this book can make you aware about is your best friend really your best friend or actually a beast friend. It can open your eyes and helps you to decide whether to continue friending her/him of not.

Although I think that this book really has a good message for its readers, unfortunately I think this book is too black and white. Addison is pictured as a really mean girl without positive side at all while Gemma seems like having all  the positive sides. The love story in this book between Gemma and Max is sweet (because Max is such a sweet guy) but the conflict doesn't offer something new at all. So typical teenagers' love story. 

However, I still enjoy reading it. I have a great time reading this book actually, despite those things I think this book is lack of. I think Jennifer Echols has a good writing style. The story flows effortlessly and it's so easy to follow.

Overall, I would like to recommend this book to all teenagers and also adults who still enjoy reading teenage reads (like me!).

Oh! Btw, Max is Japanese and during my time reading this book, I also pictured him as this guy:

This is Marco from So You Think You Can Dance Season 8.. lalala...