Novel Review: Just Call My Name (I'll Be There, #2) by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Little, Brown

Release Date: 2014

Spoilers?: Light.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The happily-ever-after of Holly Goldberg Sloan's acclaimed debut, I'll Be There, is turned on its head in this riveting, emotional sequel about friends, enemies, and how those roles can shift in a matter of moments.

Emily Bell has it all. She's in love with a boy named Sam Border, and his little brother has become part of her family. This summer is destined to be the best time of their lives--until a charismatic new girl in town sets her sights on Sam. Now Emily finds herself questioning the loyalty of the person she thought she could trust most.

But the biggest threat to her happiness is someone she never saw coming. Sam's criminally insane father, whom everyone thought they'd finally left behind, is planning a jailbreak. And he knows exactly where to find Emily and his sons when he escapes...and takes his revenge.

The Cover:

Ehh, the cover is okay. It's a little plain, not too eye-catching, and it doesn't quite spark the quirkiness of the story. But it does show an important part of the story, so it's not too bad. It does have a more simple appeal, nothing too romantic or embarrassing.

Review:

This sequel takes us on a bit of a wild ride.

Things seemed to have calmed down for Sam and Emily. But unbeknownst to them, Sam's father has broken out of jail, and he knows right where he's going next.

A new girl shows up here, and she causes some drama for Emily and Sam. Some drama—and then a change for Emily. I like these kinds of friendships, so while it was a bit odd—and Destiny was a weird girl who was not very easy to like for most of this—I didn't mind it in the end. Riddle also makes some new friends and has some new experiences, which is great. He's a sweet boy, and I liked getting to see him grow here.

I really love Sloan's writing style. It feels like someone is watching from the outside, and yet you're also in their head, in a more quirky style than a normal third person. It gives weird little tidbits of peoples lives and reactions, and it jumps to different characters. I really love it, and it's one of my favorite narrative styles, honestly.

I wish I'd re-read the first book before jumping into this one, but I don't think it diminished my experience any. This was still a fun, crazy book to read, and I look forward to reading anything else she releases.