Girl on the Run

Jesse is a superstar athlete. Well, she was. But after the tragic loss of her dad she decides not to run anymore.

This summer, Jesse is a camp councillor at Camp Krystal Lake - but there is a mix up, and she has been given a cabin of boys.
Not one to back down from a challenge, Jesse is determined to make it work - which makes for some hilarious reading.

But maybe this camp is just what Jesse needs to forgive herself and move on from her grief, and maybe find love along the way.

This book was so, so good. I laughed out loud so many times - mainly at Jesse's grandmothers comments, advice or antics.

“Grandma,” I groaned. She had packed four boxes of condoms. Four boxes! There was a note. Dear Jesse, I asked the nice pharmacist at the drug store what would be best for a smart girl who should be prepared for anything. Feel free to share them with your friends. They might not have a grandma who loves them. P.S. Did you know you can buy Victoria’s Secret online? Chloe helped pick them out.

One of the boys in Jesse's cabin is a spoiled rich kid who is used to getting his own way, and he pretty much makes it his mission to give Jesse as much crap as possible.

But, as much as this story made me laugh, there was a more serious tone as well. Jesse is left reeling after loosing her dad, and needs to find her way again. I cried. A lot.
I'm not one to cry at any little thing, but something in this story hit a chord with me, and left me a blubbering mess.

And to top it all off, there is awesome supporting characters, a sweet romance, and references to Dirty Dancing. Honestly, what else could a girl want!

Read this book. Immediately. You won't regret it!

Girl on the Run by B. R. Myers is an emotional, fun, and delightful YA contemporary romance. I love this genre, even though I am far from a YA. There is something so innocent about first loves. I love the quirky people and situations in this book, and watching the characters grow over their summer at camp. I found this book to be a quick read, and recommend it to all YA romance readers, young and old.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was a really good book about heartache, death, and survivors guilt. Jesse blamed her self for her father's death and tried to punish herself by not doing the thing she loved most...running. Watching her struggle with the guilt of her father's death was heartbreaking and yet her relationships with a gay teenager and outcast and four rambunctious boys that were also outcast was endearing. Also watching her nemesis fall Head over heels for her was sweet. A very good read.

Review: 3 out of 5 stars

Our main character is seventeen year-old Jesse Collins, a girl with a proven record as a track and field star; she had high hopes of going to university on a full scholarship but everything comes to an end with the death of her beloved father; she quits running and puts all of her dreams on hold.

Jesse heads off to Kamp Krystal Lake for a breather and is mistakenly put in charge of four twelve year-old cheeky boys; it’s predicted that she won’t last a week by the head counsellor Kirk but she sets out to prove everyone wrong.

Some of the things Jesse had to endure would send a normal person running but she wanted to give her mum a break to grieve without worrying about her and also prove to herself that she can do it. I loved her strength and her eagerness to tackle most things head on; she also made some great friendships whilst she was there all whilst being pranked and embarrassed by her group on a daily basis. Her inner dialogue was great!

I loved the relationship that Jesse came to have with her young group – Spencer was the biggest troublemaker and the camp owners son, identical twins are Liam and Duff who is hearing impaired and Scotty, who is the best of the bunch; they could be quite trying but she was persistent. We also had the typical beautiful mean girl who was trying to sabotage Jesse’s job.

There is romance between Jesse and Kirk which was slow progressing as well as with two others boys (quite brief) which I felt wasn’t needed (not exactly a love square/triangle); I ended up enjoying Jesses and Kirk’s moments together but I felt there was something lacking.

Besides not loving the romance, I also felt there was nothing that was unique about this YA Contemporary read that would make it stand out against others; it was entertaining but it wasn’t a title that left me completely wowed.

Overall, Girl On The Run was written well and was a pleasant surprise. It was an engrossing, at times emotional read with fun, engaging characters and witty dialogue.

I would like to thank Nimbus publishing via Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

This book had lots of heart and laughter. Jesse is still reeling from her father's death and summer camp is the easiest way to hide from the guilt of what happened. What happens that summer was totally unexpected. Great YA read and first time for me with this author.

The world of seventeen-year-old Jesse Collins comes crashing down when her father dies. Enrolled in a summer camp as councillor to learn how to move forward, she faces many challenges and humiliations before finding her place. My heart went out to her on a few occasions, especially because of the tricks the 4 boys she's in charge of played, although I sometimes also found her reaction a bit immature - I think the book is definitely aimed at a teenage audience - I also think a North American audience might relate to the context a bit more. I didn't especially like how the setting (an American summer camp near a lake) was presented as it seemed to me to be very stereotypical, but it seemed to me that a good effort was made to make the book rather inclusive (characters from different ethnicities, a gay person, a deaf person, etc.).
Overall, a good read - 3.5/5 stars.

Thank you for the opportunities to read this book. I have attempted it on a number of occasions but unfortunately I haven’t been able to get into it.