Monday, December 8, 2014

Becoming Nikki Review

You can find the rest of the blog tour celebrating the release of Becoming Nikki here.

Enter to win a signed copy of Becoming Nikki!
Picture
What would you do if you were given the opportunity to rebuild a broken relationship?

Alec and Nikki Scott are the perfect ice dancing duo, executing flawless technique and brilliant performance abilities each time they compete. No one doubts their camaraderie, not even their friends.

But looks can be deceiving. Off the ice, their relationship is in shambles. Ice dancing is the only thing they have in common anymore… and Alec wants out.

Just as Nikki feels like their relationship can’t get any worse, an unexpected tragedy crashes into her life. She’s left struggling with a difficult choice as her opinion of her brother slowly starts to change.

Whatever she decides, she knows that her life will never be the same.


*********************************************************************

Disclaimer: I am a friend of the author, a beta reader, and the book formatter, but I love this book on its own merit. I would not have been so involved in the publishing of this book had I not truly believed everything I've said about it.

I first heard of this book from the author's sister and was interested, but unsure what to expect out of it. I must say, it exceeded my expectations. I don't read much contemporary fiction, generally preferring fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction, but Becoming Nikki is a book that easily joins my generally preferred genres. I love the ice dancing angle of the story, but Nikki's relationship with her brother Alec outshines even that. Ashley writes the ups and downs of their relationship well, and all the characters feel like real people.

I really do love the characters. Nikki is very relatable, and her friend Natalie is a fun and entertaining girl. I also really liked Dylan. He's a gentleman, which I appreciate. I don't know what to say about Alec without giving spoilers, but I both loved and hated him.

Becoming Nikki is well written, really making me feel like I was experiencing the story. I stayed up late several nights reading it, and not at all because I had agreed to beta read it. I really wanted to keep reading. I was anxious to know what happened. I also enjoyed the pop culture references, particularly the Doctor Who ones. Ashley and I are fellow Whovians. :)

There is also a faith element to the story. There is no doubt it is a Christian book. Nikki has some learning to do in the faith department. It is well executed, and not preachy.

I highly recommend Becoming Nikki to everyone. It is an excellent story, that has absolutely nothing to prevent children from reading it, with a great message and memorable characters.

Picture
Ashley Elliott is a writer, reader, musician, photographer, tree-climber, and Leaguette. She speaks fluently in movie quotes and spends most of her time fangirling over her latest obsession. In her free time, she enjoys laughing with her friends, laughing over Christian indie films (but secretly loving them), and laughing with her five crazy siblings. Ashley is a homeschool graduate and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Humanities through CollegePlus. She lives in Georgia with her parents and siblings, and doesn't have any pets.

14 comments:

  1. Great review! I'm excited about the novel! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Aww, this is such a great review, Morgan! Thank you SO much for your sweet words. : ) *hugs*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome. I really did enjoy it, and I'm glad I've been able to get to know you this year. Good thing Miriam put us in a piece together. :)

      Delete
    2. I'm so glad! : ) I'm glad to have known you, too. Haha, very true!

      Delete
    3. It's kind of funny to think about how we crossed paths and had mutual friends for years, but didn't talk to each other until the Vivaldi rehearsals. Actually, I was slightly annoyed at you at the studio class last year because you played the Dancla piece that I wanted to play so I got stuck with Concerto in A Minor. :)

      Delete
    4. I know! Haha, REALLY? I did TERRIBLY on the Dancla... : P

      Delete
    5. Yeah. I was kind of insistent that I would get to play a Dancla piece at the last studio class. I'm not sure I would have done better than you in front of people. I was pretty good alone in my room, but I kind of freak out when people are watching. I had some freak out moments with the Concerto. At least I didn't mess up the Vivaldi ensemble too bad. I felt like I was behind about half the time.

      Delete
    6. Hahahahaha... Sowwy. Miriam INSISTED that I play it. : P The Vivaldi ensemble was great! It went better than I thought, considering how much we practiced... HA.

      Delete
    7. Eh, I'm over it now. What's done is done. There is no need to speak to Edmund about what is past. ;) Yeah, it would have been nice to practice together more. I don't know about you, but I would love to do another ensemble. It was fun. Just with a LOT more practice together. Maybe we should talk Miriam into something?

      Delete
  3. This is a blog post comment.
    What should I say about Becoming Nikki? That I can't wait to read it? But I already have read it (review coming soon).
    I could say I know the author of the book, and the reviewer is my sister. There, I did say it.
    I don't know what else to say, other than the book was good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can't wait to read your review, Addyson!!! I'm glad you thought it was good. : )

      Delete
    2. The review is up now.
      Question: why were you up at midnight? :)

      Delete
    3. Same reason I'm up 'til almost midnight tonight - STUFF. : D

      Delete

Share your thoughts! I love getting comments. Please keep them clean and relevant to the post. Thank you!