Jennifer Steen

I really enjoyed this short coming of age style short story. I loved the way Rain wanted to be different and play the drums! Rain is fairly confident in some ways and then really nervous and inexperienced with guys and relationships. Rain is not the typical girly girl she is more of a tomboy into sports and "boy things"Its the whole over looking the best guy for you, and then finding out the guy you do like is not so nice as you think and then finally the best friends get together.
its a totally feel good short story and I would love to read more by Jennifer Steen. I would also love to hear more about Rain too perhaps in future books? A great short story that's well worth reading!… (mehr)

I did enjoy this short story, it was well written and you really felt empathy with Jess, we all have those days where everything that can go wrong does go wrong! Jennifer writes the character of Jess so well you feel her distress at the thought she cannot afford to go see her father now her husband has lost his job due to cutbacks. You feel the frustration that jess knows and accepts she cannot afford to go even though it may be her last chance at seeing her father alive.
Jess starts out the story feeling everything is going wrong for her and that she has to deal with it alone. Later in the day she realises with "a little push" from her youngest son Micah when they are on the bike coming home from school that she is not alone and her family are there to help her. Jess realises that if her and her family pull together they can overcome anything that is thrown at him. This short story is definitely worth the read.… (mehr)

It's hard being a girl. It's even harder being a girl when you don't try to be different, you just are different.

Rain is that different girl. While all the other 7th grade girls are vying for spots in front of the mirror, Rain just wants to be playing basketball and (GASP!) the drums - which in her school is a definite no-no. Only the boys are supposed to play drums....

Rain suddenly realizes she isn't so different after all when she discovers what she is feeling for a certain boy is a crush and she has succumbed to the 7th grade crush. This boy is cute. All of the girls want to date him, so why would he be interested in her? But he keeps watching her. Could he be crushing on her too? Her basketball (and drum) buddy, James, is her only confidant when it comes to telling all about who she is crushing on. He swears not to tell, but then she learns James has been talking to her crush about her! What is a girl to do?

I liked this story from the get-go because not only did I always want to play the drums when I was younger, my daughter does play percussion in her school band. So having this little girl doing what it took to do what she loved tugged at my heart a bit.

The story unfolded well and was very cute. I think the missing element was some sort of developing relationship between Rain and James. Sure, it had a few scenes in there with them, but I don't see a blossoming relationship in there at all. He seemed to just be the guy she played basketball with all the time, nothing to rival a best friend status or anything like that.

I do admire the way Rain sticks up for herself in the book. Even thought she is self-conscious about herself, she still does what she believes is right. I think this is a good lesson for every girl/woman to understand. :)… (mehr)