*REVIEW & GIVEAWAY* Candid by Michelle Pennington

Life is simple for high school senior, Sienna Whitfield. With a few good friends, a camera, and a dream, she has everything she needs to be happy. But when Jordan Rubio, the most popular girl at Haskins High, makes her mad, she decides to use the power of photography to right a few social wrongs. As if that doesn’t cause enough drama in her life, she realizes she’s falling for the new guy, Lee Franklin. Strong and protective, he’s just what she needs to survive the craziness she’s stirred up at school. If only she didn’t have to keep her feelings for Lee a secret from her mom…




  I looked forward to reading this novel from the time that Michelle contacted me about reviewing it for her.  I have been trying to add more contemporary to my reading schedule.  This one was refreshing and a great coming of age story that had a lot of what high school is really like.  Not from the popular girl or the invisible one like normal but just a regular girl.


  Sienna loves her photography and maybe that is why I connected so easily with her.  She was real in so many ways but life is not simple for her.  Inside she isn't the quiet and docile girl that she appears to be on the outside and although she feels like she fades into the background I think the only reason she is there is because that's where she puts herself.  So many times just the little things she would say had me laughing because it felt real and in those moments I could see myself doing something similar. 

"Who knew a guy could cause so many problems? Forget about the stupid

gate.  Somebody should have warned me about him."

  Not being able to date or even really be anywhere near a guy has it's ups and downs.  Not dating keeps her mom happy and not worried about her having a child young like her and leaves her wide open to do what she wants.  When Lee walks into her life, well things become more complicated.  She never even expected to like him so when he showed interest in her, it was anything but easy for her.  How do you stay friends with someone that you immediately feel drawn to like nothing else.  Lucky for her Lee has had a good upbringing himself.

  Behind all the cute teenage love/angst is the high school drama.  In every walk of life no matter how we try to break them down and pretend they aren't there, are the "labels".   In this book Jordan is the leader of the pack and she expects everything to just go her way.  Sienna sees everything through the lens of her camera and finds the beauty that everyone else misses and figures she will share it.  When she realizes that her pictures can mean the power to change how people see each other she jumps on the chance.  

"Well, how the heck am I supposed to act when you're drooling over 

another guys body?"

"Supportive?"

"That's messed up."

  The most fusterating and at times down right infuriating part of this book was Sienna's mom and her inability to bend or trust.  Sienna's mom had her when she was young and raised her on her own and in turn has BANNED dating.  I will give Sienna credit that she listens and doesn't complain but there were times that this just made me want to scream.  I did the single young mother thing. NOT EASY but would I ban mine from dating or not trust her... No, and why?  My daughter is not me and 

  This book was so much more than a love story.  It was a story of how a girl realized that one choice can change everything.   That you can not only change yourself but change how things are around you with just the push of a button.  The lessons and emotions that run in this novel are strong and real.  This book is just a fun and simple read.  I am really looking forward to book 2, to see where everything goes.

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