Lovin' los libros

American Girl on Saturn (Saturn #1)
   by: Nikki Godwin

Publication Date: Aug. 29, 2013
Genre: Contemporary
Age Group: Young Adult
Source: e-ARC provided by Oops I Read it Again and the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 340 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords
My Rating: 5/5 stars



My Review:

I absolutely loved this book. LOVED it! It was such a fun, cute read that made me long for the days I was a middle/high schooler swooning over my favorite boybands- NKOTB, BSB, Nsync, etc. So to say I could completely understand where Chloe was coming from is an understatement. Godwin has done a great job of creating likeable, memorable characters as well as a story that is funny, witty, and refreshing. If you have ever been a hardcore fangirl like I was, you will adore this story!

Chloe and Aralie Branson are looking forward to their summer vacation. The plans are made and they are ready to own the summer. The last thing they plan on is for their secret service father to drop the bomb that they will actually have to give up their summer plans to go on lockdown with one of the most popular boybands in the world. Chloe and Aralie are quite unhappy with this- at first. They aren't fans of the band like their adorable little sister Emery is. Yet, sometimes you have to take one for the team and both of them do just that. However, the more time they spend with the guys, the more they realize that maybe this *isn't* actually the worst summer of their lives, especially as some become friends, some a little more, but ultimately they become like family.

I really liked Chloe as our protagonist. She's a sweet character who, after just having graduated high school, is feeling a bit burned. Her boyfriend broke up with her and her friends ditched her. She now really only has a couple of friends left to call her own. While she doesn't fangirl over Spaceships Around Saturn, she certainly appreciates the fact that they are good-looking. Chloe finds herself becoming attracted to Milo, the caramel-eyed serious one of the group. I was obsessed with JC from Nsync, and Milo reminded me a lot of him- the serious rule follower, yet utterly passionate about the band and their music.

Chloe's inner monologue was awesome throughout the book. I loved hearing her thoughts because she cracked me up more often than not!

"He eases onto the armrest, and the scent of his body wash makes my head swim. Can you faint from awesome boy scent?" (e-ARC 16)

"I hope Mom and Godfrey stay indoors until this round of Twister is over. This position isn't quite so PG-13. Oh God, I'd completely collapse on the plastic and die if Mom walked outside and saw me practically pinned underneath Milo. It's not my fault, Mom. It was right hand on red!" (e-ARC 56)

While Chloe prefers a screaming rock band to these guys, she can't help but get a little starstruck herself upon meeting the guys for the first time. Aralie, the middle sister (who is at least 16 or 17) also could care less about these guys. Aralie was a lot of fun too. She's full of spunk and tends to fly off at the mouth. Her bluntness is one of my favorite things about her. I also loved her constant fighting with Julian or Jules, the band's bad boy. These two are constantly at each other's throats and end up in screaming matches.

"Then what talent does Jules have? I didn't hear his name in your little instrument list, and he sure as hell doesn't have the best voice of you guys."

Finally, there is little Emery. She's is the ultimate Saturnite. At 5 years old, she knows everything about the guys and is obsessed with Benji Baccarini, the frontman of SAS. She even makes Chloe follow them on Twitter so she can keep up with them. She's adorable for the most part, but definitely can get on everyone's nerves. Yet for being so young, Emery is incredibly perceptive and it is difficult to keep her out of the loop.


How could we have a book about hot guys staying with two pretty girls and not expect some romantic entanglements?! Milo and Chloe are both very obviously into each other. They spend their nights meeting up and just spending time together, talking and forming a real relationship. They decide to keep it secret, as Milo is the one who follows what management says and girlfriends aren't really part of the boyband plan. These two are just uber sweet together and I really liked reading their alone scenes. Aralie's relationship is not the main focal point, and we do a lot of guessing as to who she might be involved with. And I totally approved.

Overall, this is more than a book about a boyband. It's about three girls, five guys and a summer none of them will never forget.


Excerpt:

We move up the staircase a bit more quietly. Then I lead Milo down the hallway to Mom’s old crafting room. Sunlight pours through the sheer white curtains and reflects off of the wooden flooring. Milo notes that the acoustics probably sound great in here with such a high ceiling. Thick layers of dust hug the old tables and piano that Mom quit playing years ago. Inside of the wall is a huge walk-in closet. I reach inside to flip on the light, but the bulb is shot.

“Can you handle the dark?” I ask, spinning on my heel to face Milo.

“Are you not hiding in there with me?” he asks. “You know, I won’t have fireflies to make me feel safe this time. I kind of need you.”

Do you hear that, Saturnites? Milo Grayson kind of needs me. Of course, you don’t hear it, though. This is lockdown. I can’t share my excitement with anyone. Maybe Noah will be willing to listen to details later. I can make him feel ‘in the loop’ about things.

Milo steps into the closet and reaches his hand out for me. There’s not a question in my mind as to whether I want to hide in a dark closet with him – who wouldn’t want to? – but my mature older sister side kicks in.

“Do you know how bad this is?” I ask him. “We’re supposed to be in charge, but we’re hiding out in a dark closet with each other.”

His mouth scrunches to one side as he shrugs.

“Technically, you’re not actually in the dark closet with me yet,” he says.

I grab his hand and let him tug me toward him. He doesn’t close the closet door all the way, allowing just enough light to leak inside so that I can see his silhouette. He leans back against the wall, sinking into the shadows, and pulls me to him.

His breath is warm against my ear as he holds me close to him. “You know,” he whispers. “When we found out about the lockdown, I never expected this to happen.”

His grip tightens around my waist, and I run my hands along his arms.

“That shirt looks so good on you.” I say it now since I know I’ll never be able to admit it outside of our dark hiding spot.

“You can’t even see my shirt right now,” he whispers directly into my ear.

“I don’t have to,” I say, somewhere just above a whisper. “I thought that the first night you got here, when you were sitting on the armrest.”

His hand moves up to my face and pushes my hair back over my shoulder. Then his fingers trail along my cheek and down my jaw line.

“You wanna know a secret?” he asks.

About Nikki Godwin:

Nikki Godwin is a Young Adult/New Adult author from the southern USA. She is a city girl who can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, Hawthorne Heights, and candles from Bath & Body Works. When not writing, she's not-so-secretly internet-stalking her favorite bands. She may or may not completely love One Direction.

a Rafflecopter giveaway