Review: The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Title: The Fixer
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: The Fixer
Publication: July 7th, 2015
Ratings: 3 crowns
Summary: Sixteen-year-old Tess Kendrick has spent her entire life on her grandfather's ranch. But when her estranged sister Ivy uproots her to D.C., Tess is thrown into a world that revolves around politics and power. She also starts at Hardwicke Academy, the D.C. school for the children of the rich and powerful, where she unwittingly becomes a fixer for the high school set, fixing teens’ problems the way her sister fixes their parents’ problems.And when a conspiracy surfaces that involves the family member of one of Tess's classmates, love triangles and unbelievable family secrets come to light and life gets even more interesting—and complicated—for Tess.Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and Heist Society, readers will be clamoring for this compelling teen drama with a political twist.
The main character, Tess, got some SPUNK, that's for sure! I like Tess. She's badass and not outrightly so. She's extremely loyal to her friends and family. I like how she becomes high school version of her older sister, Ivy, who is the FIXER for many problems in the political realm. So Tess eventually becomes the fixer for her new high school, and gets involved in a major political problem as well. Dun, dun, dun! Cue the music.
There were several things I really enjoy about this book. One is the lack of romantic encounters. There were two young, presumably handsome men that played major roles in the book, yet neither was the apple of Tess's eyes. YES! It's so rare to see just friendships between females and males in YA, and I love that!
One scene I can't get enough of was when Tess is all dolled up for the ball, and no one --not a boy or a girl friend--complimented on her looks. I absolutely loved that, and had to reread it over and over. Not going to lie, I assumed someone was going to gawk over her new fancied-up look, starting from when they pulled out the poofy dress. I assumed that everyone was going to fall head over heels for Tess and they never noticed her beauty before. Because that is what many books I have read before do. They elaborate and exaggerate the transformation of a character and automatically expects some lovey dovey results.
The ending was the best part. I did not see any of it coming. Very fast-paced and unexpected. Enough said.
One downside which was why I had to take two crowns away was the pacing of the middle portions of the book. It was dreadfully slow and wordy. The book is very dialogue heavy, and I got lost in the midst of it sometimes. So beware.
I do have to recommend this book! Although slow sometimes, it was a perfectly well-written book and overall just very interesting. I had a good time.
