Out of Play

Title: Out of Play
Author: Nyrae Dawn and Jolene Perry
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Year Published: 2013
Pages: 318
Price: USD 9.10 at The Book Depository

After almost died because of OD, Bishop Riley, an 18 year old drummer from Grammy winner band, Burn, was sent to Seldon, Alaska, to get treatment by his manager. Anything was difficult at first. There was nothing to do in Alaska and Bishop's hands kept trembling because his body needed more pills. He kept trying to contact his drug dealer, Marryanne, to send some package to his place. But then he met Penny, the owner's daughter of the guest house he was renting.

Penny was a kick ass hockey player. She was the only female on her team and she played really well. Every body on the team respected her and also loved her. But Penny didn't think that everybody understood her. All she wanted was staying at Alaska and going to college there so that she could take care of her Gramps but seems like everybody wanted her to move and go to better colleges outside Alaska. Surprisingly, only the boy who stayed in a cabin her family owned, understood her.

Bishop and Penny soon became close. In Penny and Gramps, Bishop found people who really trusted him and he started to feel better without the pills and drinking. Penny also thought that in Bishop, she finally found a person who truly understands her. But what would happen after Bishop's secret is revealed? Would everything still be the same?

This novel is such a kick ass! I really love it!!

I always love reading books where the heroine does guys' sport or working in guys' world. Clue: Catching Jordan, Moonglass, Such a Rush. This type of heroine usually has a naturally beautiful and toned body, which is my ideal body type (although seems like I'm so far away from having such body). They're not doing dramas and always being logic. And most of all, they knows how to deal with boys but clueless about themselves. So, when I read the blurb about this novel, I expected to meet that kind of heroine and glad to say that this novel have met my expectation. So, this is what I like about this novel number one. 

Number two is the character development. I like that both Bishop and Penny are not flawless. At first, the reader would meet the anxious and full of denial Bishop. It's not easy to love Bishop at first. i feel like this guy was really stupid, despite what he had been through. But as the story develops, and after he met Gramps, we can see that he's growing and readers would love him immediately. I like him and he's certainly a candidate of my 2013 Book Boyfriend. And as for Penny, at first she appeared to be this perfect and full of confidence girl. She owned the hockey team. She got so many college scholarship and her future seems so bright. But as the story goes, we would meet Penny who felt being left behind. The insecure Penny. And the no-one-can-understand-me Penny. The encounter of both two leads to this development of themselves to be better and mature persons.  

Number three, the supporting characters. The supporting characters also had their portions well enough. I love how Nyrae and Jolene put every details to the supporting characters. It's so nice to read how the main characters interacted to the people surrounding them. My favorite of course is Gramps. He was wise and a bit crazy. He had dementia so that sometimes he got a bit lost. But when he was normal, he was like the coolest grandpa in the world. He made me want to have a grandfather since both my grandfathers had already passed away before I was born. I also love Rebecca, Mitch's girlfriend. Mitch is Penny's best friend. At first, Penny hated Rebecca because she seems like a girl with no brain but as closer they were, we can see the real Rebecca, who is lovable and smart.

And the last one, I love the authors collaboration. The voices of both Bishop and Penny were so real. It seems like they wrote the story themselves. And everything is just perfect. Although I actually want to read more about Bishop's teammates, but it doesn't matter. Good job, Nyrae and Jolene. I am really waiting to read your next collaboration.

Recommended for the young adult contemporary lovers who are searching for not only romance but also story about self improvement and friendships and some bad ass characters. This is a must read!! Ooh.. by the way, about the cover.. I have to say it has done no justice to the story. This is waaay more than those YA or NA romances out there.