Sophie Reads YA: Paige Toon

Review: I Knew You Were Trouble (Jessie Jefferson #2) by Paige Toon

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I Knew You Were Trouble
Series: Jessie Jefferson #2
Author: Paige Toon
Published July 30th 2015 by Simon and Schuster

Goodreads Synopsis
Life as the undercover daughter of a rock god isn't going to be easy. How will Jessie adjust to her old boring life again after spending her summer living it up with her dad in LA? With tough decisions ahead (and not just choosing between two hot boys), can she cope juggling her two very different lives?
Summer may be over, but Jessie's story is just beginning…
Goodreads

Review
See my review of The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson.

As soon as I finished book 1, The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson, I immediately dived into this one. Now that Jessie knows just who her father is, and has bonded with him, returning to her old, ordinary life is a difficulty. Though the media and public are aware that Johnny Jefferson has a secret, teenage daughter, they don't know it's Jessie. Soon, however, that information is leaked to the press, and Jessie finds herself back on a plane to LA. Now that she understands the implications of being the daughter of a famous rock star, Jessie has a lot of thinking to do: does she move to LA permanently, or deal with the public scrutiny back at home.

I think I liked both books in the series equally, and am so happy to see that the Jefferson family unit is getting stronger and stronger every second. Meg could've been the stereotypical 'evil-stepmother', but she isn't, and her love for Jessie keeps growing. She honestly treats her the same as she does her biological children, though isn't trying to replace Jessie's late mother, Candy. Barney and Phoenix are just as cute as they were in book 1. What made everything so much better was how Johnny has really matured, and is trying as hard as he can to help Jessie, without being pushy about it. He knows she has an amazing voice, and is helping her train herself through her stage-fright.

On that note, Jessie really comes into her own in this book. I was pleasantly surprised with the majority of the decisions she made in I Knew You Were Trouble, though a few rubbed me the wrong way. Not to go into too much detail, I am really looking forward to seeing how these decisions pan out in book 3, which Toon mentions in her acknowledgements.

Though I've only discovered this series, I have become a quick fan of Toon's writing, and may try her adult books in the future. The Jessie Jefferson series is a wonderful UKYA contemporary series, and one I would recommend to lovers of that genre.

Dates Read:
September 9-11, 2015

Rating
4 Stars

4 Stars

Review: The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson (Jessie Jefferson #1) by Paige Toon

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The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson
Series: Jessie Jefferson #1
Author: Paige Toon
Published August 27th 2015 by Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Goodreads Synopsis
Meet Jessie, small-town girl turned wild child...
Jessie has never known her real dad, and when her mum dies she thinks any hope of finding him is gone. As she goes goes off the rails, her stepdad announces that her father is Johnny Jefferson - legendary rockstar and former hell-raiser.
Still dealing with her loss, and now the daughter of a superstar, Jessie is sucked into the LA lifestyle - paparazzi, parties and hot guitar-wielding boys included.
But is Johnny up to the job?
And, more importantly, is Jessie?
Goodreads

Review
I hadn't really heard much about this book, until it's sequel, I Knew You Were Trouble, was released in August. Once I read the synopsis, however, I immediately knew this would be a book I'd like. In The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson, Jessie, who just lost her mother in a freak accident before her 15th birthday, has been spiralling out of control. During one of her many arguments with her step-father, Stu, she finally discovers who her biological father is - rock star Johnny Jefferson. To say she's shocked would be an understatement. After wanting to know for so long, she can't help but be desperate to meet Johnny in person. She is flown to LA to meet her father, step-mother, and half-siblings, though under the guise of the children's nanny, in order to protect her identity.

I loved Jessie. Yes, she's a bit of a mess - drinking, smoking, sneaking out, etc. - but what do you expect from someone who's mother suddenly died the day of her 15th birthday. She's upset, and angry. Her mother would never talk about her father, and she thought she'd now lost him forever too. Luckily her step-father knew who Jessie's biological father was, or else she'd never know. When she met Johnny, she was understandly nervous and worried that her new family wouldn't want her there. Jessie was a very 'real' character, and one I could imagine actually going through everything in the book.

I also really enjoyed Jessie's family members too. Though Stu may not have been her 'real' father, he cared for her, a lot, and tried to help her at everything turn. I'm hoping their relationship is explored more in book 2. Barney and Phoenix, Jessie's half-brothers, where the cutest kids ever, and Jessie's relationship with them was dead sweet. Furthermore, Meg wasn't the stereotypical evil step-mother either, which I was pleasantly surprised by. She may have been a bit wary of Jessie at first, but I can see them having a really nice relationship in the future. There wasn't much of a father-daughter relationship between Johnny and Jessie, but what was there definitely laid the foundation for a beautiful one. I loved their little one-to-one talks, and hope to see more of them.

Jessie may be only 15, but that doesn't mean there's no romance blossoming. Back in Berkshire, she has Tom, the guy she's fancied for ages, who has just asked her to the cinema before she flew to America. While she's meeting her new family, she also meets Jack, the son of one of Johnny's old friends, and they grow very close. I'm not sure who I prefer for Jessie, but I'm sure there'll be a lot of angsty relationship stuff in book 2.

Overall, The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson was a really sweet and fluffy UKYA contemporary. I'm glad I have a copy of I Knew You Were Trouble, cause I can't wait to read more of Jessie's story. Definitely a series I'd recommend.

Dates Read:
September 8-9, 2015

Rating
4 Stars