Thousand Words

Mar 15, 2013 Arlene rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-2013, ya-contemporary, young-adult

Wow! This should be listed as required reading for middle and high school. Relevant, topical and all too real.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

No truer statement than that, especially when it involves a seventeen year-old high school junior who while intoxicated took a picture of herself, sans her clothes, and texted it to her boyfriend. After a nasty breakup, Ashleigh’s ex-boyfriend Kaleb callously forwards the text and her picture only to have it circulate to an entire school and its neighb...more Wow! This should be listed as required reading for middle and high school. Relevant, topical and all too real.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

No truer statement than that, especially when it involves a seventeen year-old high school junior who while intoxicated took a picture of herself, sans her clothes, and texted it to her boyfriend. After a nasty breakup, Ashleigh’s ex-boyfriend Kaleb callously forwards the text and her picture only to have it circulate to an entire school and its neighboring districts.

This book tells the story of Ashleigh’s humiliation from this incident and the taunting she received in the aftermath of having her nude photo distributed. There were nasty emails, texts and even message boards on the Internet that forced her to deal with the ramifications of a single moment of lapse in judgement.

There were so many elements to this story that came to the forefront and to capture them all would lead me to go on forever, so I wanted to capitalize on a few that stood out to me.

First being, the cruelty that can be the Internet. It never ceases to amaze me how bold and cruel people can be in a virtual forum when they can conceal their actions and words with the anonymity that the Internet provides. It’s no doubt that the Internet affords cowards with fake courage, but it still saddens me to see the distance to which some will go. This story did a great job in showing how virtual bullying is rampant, real… and most of all hurtful.

Second, it was a rude wake-up call to witness the ramifications and criminal side to sexting. A portion of the book centers on the consequences of their actions. We’re talking school suspension, being kicked off a sports team, a parent possibly losing their job over his daughter’s actions, an ex-boyfriend being charged as an adult sex offender for distributing a minor’s revealing photo, the list goes on! It’s no joke… so just don’t do it.

Lastly, there was a level of substance that I appreciated in the story. As much as I faulted Ashleigh for her stupid mistake, I equally admired her resolve to face the consequences to her actions. The strength she showed after losing faith in her friends and family for support was inspiring. I appreciated her dedication to her community service at Teen Talk and I felt she shared a worthy story with the right amount of remorse and character growth.

Overall, this book is topical, it’s relevant, and it’s real. I highly recommend this to YA Contemporary readers that are looking for a story with substance and truth. It caught and kept my attention. Well done!!(less)

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May 19, 2013 Ashleigh Paige rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, back-in-the-oven-with-you-dear-book, better-than-expected, could-have-been-so-much-better, damn-book-made-me-cry, please-no-more-slut-shaming, the-great-shelf-of-awesome, to-review

Loved it, but it needed deeper characterization and it's walking the very, very fine line between being a genuine exploration of the subject and an after-school-special kind of deal. Review to come!

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May 20, 2013 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own

The first Jennifer Brown book I read made me an instant fan of her work, and Thousand Words shows me she has more than one story to tell; one she tells admirably. This time, we meet a girl - Ashleigh - who had her life turned upside down when a private picture text to her boyfriend goes viral.

With technology allowing us constant and worldwide communication, sexting is an issue that was not even possible when I was in high school (way to make me feel old!), so stories like these are real eye ope...more The first Jennifer Brown book I read made me an instant fan of her work, and Thousand Words shows me she has more than one story to tell; one she tells admirably. This time, we meet a girl - Ashleigh - who had her life turned upside down when a private picture text to her boyfriend goes viral.

With technology allowing us constant and worldwide communication, sexting is an issue that was not even possible when I was in high school (way to make me feel old!), so stories like these are real eye openers to the damages that an online world can have with a simple error in judgment. Especially to someone as young as Ashleigh who is in an age where you feel invincible, yet mistakes happen, friends often betray each other, and boyfriends rarely last. It also importantly points out how permanent things are online. Once words or pictures, are out there, there is no deleting them, ever. Not only does this book give us a realistic, well handled story of something so very undoable, so scandalous, it also sends an important message to teens who may not realize how easily a situation like this can come about. One thing I'm sure of: it can't be easy to be a teen in these times, where everyone and everything is out in the open. (Ok, I'm not THAT old, we did have the internet -- ICQ anyone? -- but no one really used it much, then. *sigh* pre-Facebook times!)

A past and present POV is how we learn of Ashleigh's story. We first meet her when she's starting the community service she was sentenced to. While she's slowly making a new friend and trying to make due with how tattered her life seems, we get regular chapters that go back to before anything ever happened. This is where we find out what lead to her taking a risk that she will regret for the rest of her life. Past and present POVs don't always work, but for a story like this, I found it to be the perfect way to tell it. We're able to get the emotional and mental ramifications of her ordeal from the start, making it so when we're taken to her past we're left cringing, for knowing what will come of it. It also makes it easy to put ourselves in her shoes, somehow. It's like seeing her regret and humiliation makes her past mental status more accessible. Additionally, we're shown how much growth her character was forced into by going from a girl who had it all (though she wasn't in any way written as a stereotypical mean girl), to someone who only has regret. While some would have become an emotional mess in her shoes, I admired how strong Ashleigh stayed throughout all of it. She does have her breakdowns which are expected, but overall I loved how she becomes stronger for it. It would have been so easy to go melodramatic with this story, but Brown explores a different side: the side where the character does not get overrun with emotional and mental onslaught. Ashleigh takes back her life and that, to me, is the second most important message of the story. Even when things are at its worse, how you react and take charge of your mistakes are what will make a difference in the end.

Like all Jennifer Brown books, Thousand Words has just the right amount of heart, friendship, family, and emotion; it grabs you, but it remains a quick and easy read nonetheless.

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An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

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May 21, 2013 Wendy Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-publication, may, lb, realistic-fiction, young-adult, icky-subjects, read-2013, own-dtb-tbr

3.5 stars Living in the digital age is fantastic--we use smartphones and computers to get information and stay in touch, and to share in a way that wasn't possible not too long ago. But the speed and efficiency at which news travels can be a huge drawback when you've made a mistake--or when someone decides to use your information against you.

Thousand Words is somewhat of a modern cautionary tale. Ashleigh is caught up in a sexting scandal when, in a moment of weakness, she sends a naked photo of...more 3.5 stars Living in the digital age is fantastic--we use smartphones and computers to get information and stay in touch, and to share in a way that wasn't possible not too long ago. But the speed and efficiency at which news travels can be a huge drawback when you've made a mistake--or when someone decides to use your information against you.

Thousand Words is somewhat of a modern cautionary tale. Ashleigh is caught up in a sexting scandal when, in a moment of weakness, she sends a naked photo of herself to her boyfriend Kaleb. When the two of them go through an ugly break-up, her ex decides to circulate the photo to his friends. She's mortified, especially since her father is the school superintendent and she feels guilty on top of feeling embarrassed.

The blurb made me a little wary, because it sounds as though the book could be After School Special-ish or too neat in the way things wrap up, especially in mentioning a boy who (of course!) didn't look at the circulated photo. But it's good to find that this story was told in a non-preachy, non-sensationalist way: Ashleigh's relationship with her friends and parents is well-portrayed, the parents' concern for the bigger picture was realistic, the developing friendship with Mack is slow to unfold and surprisingly solid (and thank heaven, there's no forced romance), and I really liked that there weren't any neat and tidy ends, particularly in Ashleigh's interactions with Kaleb. And I really liked the way Mack gives a twist to the "A picture tells a thousand words" phrase.

What I didn't realize going into this story was that teenagers who send naked photos of themselves can actually be charged with distributing child pornography. Ashleigh is already humiliated by her ex-boyfriend's actions, but now she also has community service to fulfill. While I'm all for educating kids who find themselves in this position, it does seem as though such charges are further punishment for something these kids will already have to live with for the rest of their lives.

There are a few things that I think could have made the story stronger: the shifting timelines were sometimes confusing to me, and I wish the book had spent more time talking about the emotional effect this would have on someone at the center of the storm. Victims of this behavior don't just experience embarrassment, they can suffer devastating long term damage from a momentary lapse in judgment. But the author's note at the end provides interesting background to her drive in writing the story, and I especially appreciate her comments that "One bad decision does not an identity make" and "how we handle the fallout is what matters most." I couldn't agree with those statements more.

"That's the thing," I said. "He didn't apologize. Not really. He said he was sorry for how things turned out, and he talked about how bad it's been for him, but he never really said anything specific, you know?" And I realized that was probably what bothered me about my meeting with Kaleb the most. You could have plugged that apology into pretty much any situation and it would have worked. It was as good as saying nothing at all."

The takeaway from this book is this: our actions have consequences, and so do our words. As our world becomes increasingly more plugged in, Thousand Words comes along at just the right moment in our culture. I cannot imagine a more timely and relevant topic of discussion for YA readers.

This review also appears in The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher.*

*There are links to interesting articles related to the book's subject on our blog.
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May 20, 2013 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-read, contemporary, really-excited-for, arc-2013, ebook, emotional, great-realistic-fiction, great-books, i-love-this-cover, ya-loved, surprised-me

When Amanda Todd’s story went viral, I had many friends tell me that she'd deserved everything that happened to her - she deserved to have been bullied, she deserved to have felt suicidal, she was outrageously stupid and gross. “Disgusting”, “insulting”, “desperate” and “slutty” were words that were thrown around from tones dripping with hatred, as if people had the right to feel personally destroyed for the simple reason being that they’d heard of the scandal. All the while I sat there, trying...more When Amanda Todd’s story went viral, I had many friends tell me that she'd deserved everything that happened to her - she deserved to have been bullied, she deserved to have felt suicidal, she was outrageously stupid and gross. “Disgusting”, “insulting”, “desperate” and “slutty” were words that were thrown around from tones dripping with hatred, as if people had the right to feel personally destroyed for the simple reason being that they’d heard of the scandal. All the while I sat there, trying not to judge – but judging a little bit - being not quite sure how to feel to, minutes later, being extremely opinionated on everything wrong with the whole scandal, and all the ways people in her life had failed and misguided her.

Thousand Words is a story that will stay with me for a very long time because it did a lot to make me understand. Brown made me rethink my opinions on Amanda Todd’s parental involvement, made me reconsider my opinions on bullying, and relook where I’ve placed blame in situations like this. This book created the grey space existing between the camps of black and white, and the depth Brown uncovered in such controversial issues as sexting and unjust juvenile offense has opened my eyes and widened my mind is many great ways. For someone who has always prided herself on being liberal and accepting, Brown has shown me that there is such a multitude of points that I’ve never even taken into consideration, and that maybe there’s something wrong with the whole idea of “blame”.

Thousand Words is completely frank in its narration and characterization. Ashleigh’s character rang realistic and true for me, and her questionable responses and attitude towards the people in her life has made her story seem even more honest to me. What I really appreciated were the aspects of the book which focused on how Ashleigh’s case affected her parents’ and ex-boyfriend’s lives and reputations, and also how friendship isn’t always the easiest wheel to steer. Thousand Words offers a lot to readers, but the biggest thing, IMO, is its portrayal of lives being tempered with by such an unthinkable, unconventional situation.

This book does not preach or bias, but enlightens, and I want to put it into the hands of everyone I go to school with. In the wake of continental recognition of Amanda Todd and other stories like hers, I genuinely believe this book needs to be passed around and talked about. Sexting isn’t going away any time soon - nor are unhealthy relationships or slut-shaming – but I think that this book might help make clear, for unsure and uneasy people like me, that there are about a gazillion ways to look at something so big.

4.5 stars.

An e-ARC was provided to me from the publisher, though this fact in no way affects my review.(less)

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Apr 28, 2013 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alcohol, bullies, community, families, friendship, romance, school, self-esteem

Jennifer Brown knows teens, relationships, and the issues and choices they face every day, and this book tackles one of today's hottest topics.

Required reading for every teen who owns a cell phone, the storyline for this engaging book could have been taken from today's headlines and could certainly serve as a cautionary tale. During the summer before her junior year, Ashleigh Maynard sends a nude picture of herself to her boyfriend Kaleb to remind him of what he's missing. Although the two have...more Jennifer Brown knows teens, relationships, and the issues and choices they face every day, and this book tackles one of today's hottest topics.

Required reading for every teen who owns a cell phone, the storyline for this engaging book could have been taken from today's headlines and could certainly serve as a cautionary tale. During the summer before her junior year, Ashleigh Maynard sends a nude picture of herself to her boyfriend Kaleb to remind him of what he's missing. Although the two have engaged in heavy make-out sessions, they've never gone all the way, and Ashleigh is fearful of losing him to an older female once he heads off to college. Tired of hanging out with her friends while he hangs out with his baseball buddies, Ashleigh listens to the advice of her friends to text the picture so he won't forget her. That picture changes everything. Ashleigh becomes convinced that Kaleb has shown it to one of his friends, and her worry taints their relationship. When they finally break up, her friends retaliate in a childish fashion, and he ups the ante by sending the photograph out. Not only does Ashleigh end up feeling humiliated but she is forced to do community service because she distributed child pornography. Because the story moves between Ashleigh's community service during which she meets a guy named Mack who seems to understand and not judge her and the earlier scenes that she would like to forget, readers can see for themselves just how fast a reputation can be ruined and how impossible it is to take back a picture once it has been sent. Even while Ashleigh is almost drowned by the consequences of that one action taken while she was drunk, the consequences for others such as her friends and parents are also made clear here. The title, stemming from the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, refers to Ashleigh's realization that a picture doesn't tell the whole story, but few are willing to listen to that story. My heart ached for Ashleigh and even for Kaleb even as I wondered about her choice in friends and her difficulty in standing up for herself until the very end. (less)

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Jan 06, 2013 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2013

Ashleigh sent her boyfriend a nude picture as a way for him to think of her and remember her when he leaves for college. So he doesn't get distracted by other girls while she's still stuck in high school for a couple more years. What she didn't expect was for that photo to become viral among her classmates and even among those outside her school. Worse, she didn't expect to be arrested, see the inside of a courtroom, nor work through a community service punishment to make up for this little pres...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Excellent message of the utmost importance. The story gives the perspective from the naked girl's perspective but also provides a few peeks into the ex-boyfriend and the felony charge he faces along with possibility of being on a sex offender's list which I have long maintained is too broad and needs an overhaul.

The reason for only 3 stars is that, although the story is convincing and gives a fair portrayal of those in a sexting case, the powerful scenes where Ashleigh or anybody else makes a...more

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May 07, 2013 Jessica (Jess Hearts Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, favorites

Jennifer Brown is an author whose books have always sounded interesting to me but I’ve never actually took the plunge and read one. So when my blogger friend Jasprit offered to lend me her latest novel Thousand Words I jumped at the chance to finally check this author out.

Thousand Words covers the subject of teen sexting. Ashleigh and Kaleb’s relationship has been rocky all summer with Kaleb making plans to go off to college. With the pressure of Kaleb being away and surrounded by experienced co...more Jennifer Brown is an author whose books have always sounded interesting to me but I’ve never actually took the plunge and read one. So when my blogger friend Jasprit offered to lend me her latest novel Thousand Words I jumped at the chance to finally check this author out.

Thousand Words covers the subject of teen sexting. Ashleigh and Kaleb’s relationship has been rocky all summer with Kaleb making plans to go off to college. With the pressure of Kaleb being away and surrounded by experienced college girls Ashleigh worries that they will grow apart. After being drunkenly encouraged by her friends Ashleigh snaps a naked picture of herself which she sends to Kaleb. For a while the photo seems to bring them closer together but when Kaleb goes to college the cracks in their relationship re-appear and after a nasty break-up Kaleb sends the picture to his friends. As well as being publicly humiliated it seems like everybody has something to say about the picture and have their own ideas on who Ashleigh is as a person. But whilst a picture speaks a thousand words it doesn’t tell the whole story or define who somebody is, and this is Ashleigh’s story behind the picture.

The book is told in a past and present narrative from Ashleigh’s point of view. Before, tells the story of that fateful day when Ashleigh takes the picture and follows how everything so disastrously fell apart. And the present day is Ashleigh serving her community service as she is prosecuted for child pornography for taking the picture of herself. I loved how this story was told and although I preferred the past chapters and seeing how everything went down I also enjoyed reading about Ashleigh picking herself back up again and claiming back her life and dignity in the present.

One of the things I found really refreshing about Thousand Words is the lack of a love story. A Young Adult book without a love story? You say. Yes. I was shocked too. So at the start there is Ashleigh and Kaleb’s relationship but ain’t nothing romantic about that boy! At times I wondered if a romance would blossom between Ashleigh and Mack – a guy she meets at community service who didn’t look at her picture – but Mack is just a friend who helps Ashleigh reclaim her life. I loved the lack of a romantic interest and appreciated this story of standing up for yourself and forgiveness instead, it was certainly something different!

Overall Thousand Words offers up something completely different in the YA Contemporary market and I was captivated by Ashleigh’s unique story and her journey to redemption. Jennifer Brown blurs the lines between victim and offender making Thousand Words a thought provoking novel that I really enjoyed. After reading this book I’m definitely eager to read more from this author!(less)

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May 22, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Between a 2.5 and a 3, but more toward the 3 because the writing was well done and it was a page turner. Scored so low because the ONLY truly likable character was Mack. The main character was a bit whiny and very much about passing the blame. Maybe in these situations, it's not possible to have a likable character, though.

However, it was also very realistic. The victim-blaming ticked me off, but unfortunately that also happens in real life. Also, I was very glad the main character developed, an...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Justine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-wins

I won this book in a Goodreads "First- Reads" giveaway, it is an ARC (My first paperback ARC woot!) I fell for this book when I saw the cover, I love it. If I would have seen it sitting on the shelf in a bookstore I would have bought it solemnly on the cover. I loved reading a good contemporary novel amongst all of the paranormal, sci-fi and fantasy that I have been reading lately. I know that this book will be a huge seller, not only because it is by the amazing Jennifer Brown, but because it d...more

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May 07, 2013 Ardo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, young-adult, contemporary-2013-challenge, contemporary

This book was interesting. It was a short read and nothing about it really stood out all that much except for it’s topic which was Sexting. Sexting is a new issue especially in regards to it being seen as a crime. It’s a crime that could only exist in the technological world that we live in today just like identity theft (Identity Theft existed before technology but it wasn’t to the extent it is now in terms of how serious or prevalent it is today. Anyways, this isn’t Criminology 101 so I’ll get...more

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May 22, 2013 Amber ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As soon as I saw the release date for this book, I was waiting in anticipation for it to come out. Just something about the storyline sounded like it would be amazing and that Jennifer Brown was writing it. It's not that I didn't like this book but in a way I was disappointed when I finished. For me there was a question mark left in the end. I wanted the relationship between Mack and Ashleigh to grow. I was not a fan of the flashbacks between every chapter either. I did think Jennifer Brown did...more

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May 22, 2013 ShIL rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads

Though i like the concept of the book, i found the story lacking. Left loads of questions unanswered for me. I know its focused on Ash, the MC, but i surely wanted to know what happened with other side characters that were mixed up in the mess, specially Kaleb, Ash's ex-boyfriend. It just mentions him facing a court date, but i so wanted to know the actual outcome.

Even though it has an excellent message, the story could have been much more better with a li'l more details. At times it kinda remi...more

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May 23, 2013 Caren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: galley, may-13, review

This was a well written, thought provoking book that I would recommend to any woman who's either a parent, friend, aunt, uncle--you get the idea--to a young girl in high school, or about to get there. As Jennifer Brown describes in her parting notes: it's relevant. This book is about something that back in my day, couldn't have happened because we didn't have cell phones and cameras and texting. We had pagers, and the dirtiest we could do with that was an endless page of 69's. In today's world,...more This was a well written, thought provoking book that I would recommend to any woman who's either a parent, friend, aunt, uncle--you get the idea--to a young girl in high school, or about to get there. As Jennifer Brown describes in her parting notes: it's relevant. This book is about something that back in my day, couldn't have happened because we didn't have cell phones and cameras and texting. We had pagers, and the dirtiest we could do with that was an endless page of 69's. In today's world, though, we have smart phones with easy everything, and young girls who are still impressionable. Young girls who fall victim to peer pressure when someone suggests they text their boyfriend a picture of themselves nude.

That's exactly what happens to Ashleigh Maynard.

After a night of partying, her friends encourage her to send a nude photo to her senior boyfriend to remind him what he'll be missing when he's off to college in the fall.

And Ashleigh never expects the photo to ruin her life, but sadly, it does.

After a nasty breakup, her boyfriend does the unthinkable and shares the photo with his baseball buddies, who still go to school with Ashleigh, and it isn't long before the picture goes viral. Soon the principal is involved, then the superintendent (who also happens to be Ashleigh's dad)...and finally, the police. Did you know sending photos like that is considered distributing child pornography? Maybe because I don't have children, I never even thought about that possibility, but it's true. And the consequences can be pretty serious. For Ashleigh it means sixty hours of community service, for her boyfriend, however, it could mean jail time and a lifetime of being a registered sex offender.

You can see as the book progresses, flopping between current time and the past, how Ashleigh's grown and learned from the mistake she made. In the beginning she's beaten down, afraid to leave home because she knows everyone has seen her naked. But in the current timeline, she's a different person. She's learning the hard lesson that everyone has to learn: everybody makes mistakes. It's what you do after that defines you, not the mistake itself. I thought it was really motivating to read how much she'd grown and changed from a young girl who was full of drama, into a young woman with a good head on her shoulders. Which is exactly why I said anyone who knows a pre-teen or teenage girl should recommend this book to them, or their parents. It was a great read, even for someone like me who doesn't have children.

Last little note is that I loved Mack. And while I know this isn't a romance, and shouldn't have been, I was so tickled with the subtle friendship between he and Ashleigh that I wanted more of it, even though it was pretty perfect without.

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May 23, 2013 Dawn Thomas rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: loved

As a long time fan of Jennifer Brown's books I was very excited to get the notification that my pre-order for Thousand Words had been auto delivered to my Kindle an hour earlier than I had expected! Brown is never afraid to stay away from subjects that teens and adults alike need to be more aware of...and Thousand Words is no different.

Ashleigh finds herself in the place that many teens today find themselves. She did something for her boyfriend that she thought would be kept private; she snapped...more As a long time fan of Jennifer Brown's books I was very excited to get the notification that my pre-order for Thousand Words had been auto delivered to my Kindle an hour earlier than I had expected! Brown is never afraid to stay away from subjects that teens and adults alike need to be more aware of...and Thousand Words is no different.

Ashleigh finds herself in the place that many teens today find themselves. She did something for her boyfriend that she thought would be kept private; she snapped a nude picture of herself on her phone and sent it to him. Only problem was in the end not only did the picture not stay private it went very, very public. The story follows Ashleigh and her family's and friends journey through this rather scary territory. I am reminded of when in 8th grade during a whole school, week long camp when my diary was stolen and passed around the entire camp. My deepest secrets were written on those pages...including the fact that I had a "crush" on one of my teachers. That was one of the longest weeks of my life and the after shocks were felt months, even years later as classmates continued to tease me about what was written on those pages.

The story resonated deeply with me and I imagine it will resonate with many who read it. Ashleigh trusted Kaleb blindly, she thought that Kaleb would always be there for her and "protect" their relationship. She finds out who her real friends are when Kaleb sends the picture of her to his whole baseball team...and then it goes viral. Anyone who has had someone very close to them turn against them...whether it be a boyfriend, girlfriend or best friend will be able to relate to the betrayal felt by Ashleigh. Ashleigh finds out who her true friends...and more importantly who her true self is as she deals with the aftermath of her mistake. She learns that although her mistake was very visible and hard to hide that it does not define her as a person and her mistake does not tell the whole story of her life.

As a parent of teenagers as well as working with many teenagers I am grateful that Brown has again chosen to shine a light onto areas of our teens lives that we need to be more aware of. Ashleigh's story is one of heartache and embarrassment and is also one that echos the lives of too many of our teens today.(less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Jenni Arndt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, ebook, own

I was quick to bump THOUSAND WORDS to the top of my reading pile because of my love for author Jennifer Brown. She has fast become one of my favorite contemporary authors because I love the way she deals with gritty issues in such a head on manner & creates characters that I can really empathize with. Her latest novel delivered everything that I have come to expect from her and while I did long to be a bit more moved emotionally, I came out having met characters that I really connected with...more I was quick to bump THOUSAND WORDS to the top of my reading pile because of my love for author Jennifer Brown. She has fast become one of my favorite contemporary authors because I love the way she deals with gritty issues in such a head on manner & creates characters that I can really empathize with. Her latest novel delivered everything that I have come to expect from her and while I did long to be a bit more moved emotionally, I came out having met characters that I really connected with in a story that is very relevant in this modern world.

Ashleigh was a high school girl who was definitely not without her flaws. From the very beginning of the novel she comes across as someone who has selfish thoughts and is quite susceptible to peer pressure. In these ways I could put myself in her shoes quite easily. I remember being that age and how easy it was to be swayed by the people around you and I could also really connect with her attachment to her first love. I was that girl, I had my first serious boyfriend and he became my world and I quite literally thought that I would never survive without him. As we watch the rocky road that Kaleb and Ash have found themselves on there was a lot that I could latch onto and I think that is due to Brown’s wonderful writing. It’s not flowery or over the top, it is straight and to the point, I really felt as if I was in the head of a teenage girl.

At the core of this novel it is really about the decisions that we make and the repercussions those decisions can have on us and our loved ones. Not only does Ashleigh pay the consequences for the photo that she sends out but her parents also face some pretty heavy tribulations. I liked how we got a wide picture of the whole scenario, we didn’t just get a tunnel view of how what happened affected Ash. I did long to see more of the consequences that Kaleb faced, he did a pretty heinous thing in the heat of the moment and ended up in some pretty hot water. We do get to see what has come of him but I would have liked some more resolution to know where he was at the end of the story.

I think this is an incredibly relevant story at this point in time and I think it has a very important message. One thing that I truly appreciated was that it didn’t make everything pretty. Even at the end of the story Ash’s life isn’t back to perfect and when we leave her she is definitely still struggling with figuring everything out. I would have been sorely disappointed had everything ended up perfect because life doesn’t usually work like that. She does have a better outlook as she brings some new people into her life and works on relationships of her past. In her community service hours she works after school everyday in a program for teens who create information pamphlets on whatever crime they had committed. I haven’t looked into this too much yet but I hope programs for community service like that really exist because not only is it giving the kids their hours but it’s making them face what they did head on and become more fluent in the issues they are facing.

A novel that feels like it could have been ripped from the headlines, THOUSAND WORDS is sure to please fans of issue books and contemporary in general. Jennifer Brown is remaining on my favorites list and I can’t wait to see what topic she tackles next.

An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 10, 2013 Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit) rated it 4 of 5 stars

It has been awhile since I read a Jennifer Brown book, and I had forgotten how easily she pulls me in on the first page. I was browsing around my ereader, read the first page of THOUSAND WORDS, and basically didn't put my ereader down until I was finished.

In a moment of poor choices at a party, Ashleigh sends her boyfriend a provocative text message. Everything seems fine until they break up, and suddenly Ashleigh's picture is everywhere.

THOUSAND WORDS does an excellent job of showing the impact...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Princess Bookie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2013, a-net-g

My Thoughts: I was so excited to read this one! I love Brown’s books and am always excited to see her release more!

We are introduced to Ashleigh who is in high school. She likes to run, has a great mom and dad, and has an amazing boyfriend named Kaleb. She has a best friend, and a group of friends that make everything fun. Her life is pretty good.

One day at a party, a pool party, she decides she wants to send Kaleb a picture so he won’t forget her. He’s going off to college real soon. Yes, it is...more

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Dec 15, 2012 Anne marked it as to-read

This was starting to sound good until the part where it said 'Mack was the only boy not to look" and I'm sorry but, for some reason that just rubbed me in the wrong way and sounds incredibly cheesy! BUT THIS IS BY JENNIFER BROWN SO I KNOW ITS GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND WILL PROBABLY MAKE ME CRY A FEW HUNDRED TIMES

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May 20, 2013 April rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, ereader, netgalley, contemporary, for-review

It’s really cool when young adult books take on issues that are actually relevant to teenagers. Yet, sometimes I read these books and am unable to take my grown up hat off. It’s like when I am browsing the news sites and there’s a story about what kids these days are doing like that choking game or the condom up the nose thing and I think to myself WHY?! I DO NOT GET IT. Alas, sometimes that happens with me and books too. Like, with the topic of Thousand Words by Jennifer Brown, sexting, I just...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Noelle Walsh rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, fiction, romance

This book should be a required book for all students in middle school and high school. This book highlights the consequences of a bad decision and, by reading this book, young people (well, people younger than I am) can learn that sexting is a really stupid thing to do. One can only hope teens take it seriously once they read it. It's definitely worth reading.

***Won on GoodReads First Reads***

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Oct 22, 2012 Jan Bethel marked it as to-read

Shelves: wish-list

So the part in the blurb that says, "...he's the one person in town who received the text of Ashleigh's photo -- and didn't look." is what made me click that want-to-read button. This one sounds really interesting. Got to watch out for this book.

5 likes · like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Stacee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

3.5 stars

Pretty sad to think this is a normal part of life these days. That boys are jerks and girls are mean and something that could ruin a person's life was "only meant as a joke".

Great plot, heartbreaking story. I enjoyed the MC's growth throughout the story.

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May 24, 2013 Erika added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, ya

Every junior high & high school student needs to read this. Scary reality of what can and does happen when you hit send on your cell phone. Nothing dies in cyber space and one small poor decision has the power to destroy lives.

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Mar 27, 2013 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

wow sexting and teens. I enjoyed this book and its my first time reading this author. Really enjoyed this book and what can happen when pic is sent .

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Feb 15, 2013 Jen Petro-Roy added it

Shelves: 2013, arc, ya

I really enjoy Jennifer Brown's books. I really liked Ashleigh as a main character--could really feel her emotions. Also nice to have a male/female non-romantic relationship.

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Mar 18, 2013 Lena ♫ ♪ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-release, may13

I swear, Jennifer Brown writes some of the most powerful stories I have ever read. They always bring me to my knees, have me cringing and yet asking for more.

I honestly believe every single girl, teenager or adult, should read this novel. It reveals the dire consequences behind something as simple as sending a naked picture of yourself to your boyfriend. From someone who has been best friends with boys her entire life, I guarantee you that those pictures are never private. Nothing is ever innoc...more

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May 22, 2013 Jhed Parico marked it as to-read · review of another edition

i just read the summary it has and all that's out of my mouth is "isn't that just sweet" :D

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Oct 11, 2012 Anncleire marked it as to-read

Shelves: 2013

Letta la trama, ho detto lo voglio e poi ho scoperto che esce a maggio 2013 :(

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