Reunited

Jul 29, 2012 Hallie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

I was going to give this a two-and-a-half-star rating, with three stars showing, but then saw the average rating here and decided to go with my first thought, which was two-and-a-half showing two. Read this on the recommendation of someone I'd never taken a rec from before, because I liked the sound of a funny road-trip story with a broken friendship that gets repaired over the course of the road-trip/book. But. I thought the execution of the story was quite weak, with that sort of charactizatio...more I was going to give this a two-and-a-half-star rating, with three stars showing, but then saw the average rating here and decided to go with my first thought, which was two-and-a-half showing two. Read this on the recommendation of someone I'd never taken a rec from before, because I liked the sound of a funny road-trip story with a broken friendship that gets repaired over the course of the road-trip/book. But. I thought the execution of the story was quite weak, with that sort of charactization that relies on over-the-top stereotypes enough to distinguish the three ex-friends. They *are* distinguishable, at any rate, but they never felt at all real. There could have been a lot more editing to get rid of repetitive lines that became quite annoying, like whoever's the one atm putting on "a bad Southern accent".

Alice, the one who owns the VW van in which the three head off across country, is supposed to be organised, good-girl, responsible - so organised she's a control-freak, in fact - which is a bit tired in itself, but also falls apart when she behaves in a highly irresponsible manner.

Here's where I go into full-on disapproving mode. I have NO idea whether or not it's as easy as it is in the book to find multiple bars in New Orleans that don't make any attempt to card obviously underage kids. I don't *like* the fact that teens in large numbers will get themselves shit-faced, in situations in which it's really, really less safe than it normally is to get so drunk you don't know what you're doing. But in this case, the three are clearly stupid enough not to have had the cop-on to think through the possible dangers of going out in New Orleans in order to drink (a lot), the night before they've another long highway drive ahead of them. And they won't even let Alice report her bag missing - though it's the bag with her driver's licence in it. Aaaand Alice gets up the next morning, throws up a lot, and gets in her van to drive - either towards home (1500+ miles, which she thinks they can make in 1 day) or to Texas (5 + hours' drive). Aaaand then when they decide to go on to Texas, they compound the driving drunk (chances of her being sober at this point are very, very slim) & stupid by deciding to make it on time for a contest, saying "screw the speed limit". This is NOT cool, and it's NOT cute. This is the kind of thing that kills people, and I'd hope that it's not only adult readers who'd notice and be disgusted at this.

I was also disappointed and irritated to see a bunch of nasty fat-slams apparently in there to contribute to the "funny". Had there been anything to indicate that the three teens were just showing their immaturity and cluelessness it might have been okay, but there was nothing of the sort. Making "jokes" like "Instead of a flat boat, they should have called it a fat boat" doesn't show a sense of humour - just a prejudice and willingness to join in society's abuse of fat people.

Yes, I did finish it, and this write-up is based on a reading from start to finish. (less)

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Oct 11, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-must-reads, around-the-world-arc-tours, june-2012

Reunited is one of those stories that stays with you for some time. I have read lot's of road trip books and I loved them all and when I read Reunited it reminded me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants how they all start out as best friends and then there are little things that build to big things and there is a fallout and the girls are no longer friends.

In Reunited Summer, Tiernan, and Alice are best friends who do everything together and even love the same band Level3. Then Freshmen yea...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Adelina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I love the whole concept of going on a road trip... at least the ones where parents are not invited. Most of the road trips I've been on involve family, and I certainly don't mean siblings or cousins who are close to my age.

But there's something wildly exiting about packing up, hopping into a car - or a van, in this case - and taking off with the whole world ahead of you, metaphorically speaking. Often, it's not the end destination that matters but what you see and experience on the way.

Unfortun...more

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Sep 09, 2012 Sayjil rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, young-adult, 2012

Reunited Is about three friends who lost in touch four years ago because the one thing they had in common was no more. The band Level3 was the only thing the girls had in common. After Level3 split up, the girls fell away as well. Now after Gratuation, Alice sees that her favorite band has reunited so why not reunite with her best friends as well. The girls are at a cross roads in their lives where nothing seems to be right, there remembrance of their friendship and love of Level3 brings them t...more

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Aug 11, 2012 K rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

It took a few pages, but the book sealed the deal with a roadside memorial for a squirrel.

Alice, Summer, and Tiernan are former ~~BFFs~~ besties. They had a falling out a few years ago and pretty much plan on graduating high school and seeing the last of each other. When she hears news of a final show put on by their favorite (now-defunct) band, Alice gets nostalgic. She buys ridiculously expensive tickets minutes after hearing the news. She figures she’ll ask the others to go, if only to enjoy one...more

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Jul 12, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Hilary Weisman Graham's Reunited takes a look at what really makes people friends and whether the past can be set aside in order to re-spark a previous friendship.

The story begins with disappointments and the high school graduation of three ex-best friends. After finding out that her summer abroad has been cancelled, Alice is hoping for a new laptop as a grad gift, but gets a refurbished 1976 VW camper van called the Pea Pod instead. While she's breaking in her new wheels, Alice hears her ex-fav...more Hilary Weisman Graham's Reunited takes a look at what really makes people friends and whether the past can be set aside in order to re-spark a previous friendship.

The story begins with disappointments and the high school graduation of three ex-best friends. After finding out that her summer abroad has been cancelled, Alice is hoping for a new laptop as a grad gift, but gets a refurbished 1976 VW camper van called the Pea Pod instead. While she's breaking in her new wheels, Alice hears her ex-favorite boy band, Level3, on the radio and reminisces about the good times she had with her fellow groupies and ex-best friends, Summer and Tiernan. When a Level3 reunion concert is announced that night, Alice knows that is more than just coincidence and buys a ticket for herself, Summer, and Tiernan.

Summer has problems of her own, however. Her boyfriend broke up with her at the graduation ceremony, breaking her heart and ruining their summer vacation plans. Taking up Alice's Level3 road trip offer gives her an excuse to get out of town. And rebel, Tiernan is stuck at home because she's grounded, so a 10-day break from her mother is very welcome. She jumps at the chance to see Level3 again--though she's not telling her mom about the trip until she's well on the way and can't be stopped.

Their trip starts off with a lot of bickering and a funeral, and the girls have trouble letting go of old resentments, but there are also a lot of funny moments to balance out the bad. Of course, various boys are involved in the trouble in one way or another and you will smile at some of the situations.

The Tiernan, Alice, and Summer are a nice change from the general female stereotypes of the sexy one, the smart one, and innocent/naive one. While the three girls are very different and it is easy to see why they grew apart, they all have well-developed personalities that keep them from being one dimensional--even Summer has more going on than just being the pretty, popular girl--and they continue to develop throughout Reunited.

The way Graham made up Level3 song lyrics and placed them between each chapter was a fun touch that reminded me of the lame boy band songs I used to run around singing (I was a major New Kids fan).

Reunited is an excellent girl power story about old friends helping each other find themselves before they go off to college. It's rated for ages 12 and older, but adults will also enjoy this fun coming-of-age story and its message.(less)

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Jul 08, 2012 Chelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

What an absolutely cute and heartwarming book!! This story takes us, the readers, on a road trip with three girls who USED to be friends; weird, huh? Alice Miller finds out that her favorite boy band is getting back together for a one time reunion show, so why can’t she and her two ex- best friends? Spontaneously she purchases $200 tickets to the one time concert in hopes that they will attend. Before she knows it Summer and Tiernan are riding alongside her in her newly refurbished van (that’s a...more What an absolutely cute and heartwarming book!! This story takes us, the readers, on a road trip with three girls who USED to be friends; weird, huh? Alice Miller finds out that her favorite boy band is getting back together for a one time reunion show, so why can’t she and her two ex- best friends? Spontaneously she purchases $200 tickets to the one time concert in hopes that they will attend. Before she knows it Summer and Tiernan are riding alongside her in her newly refurbished van (that’s another story in itself) on a road trip halfway across the country to see a band that they all drooled over when they were thirteen.

Alice, Summer, and Tiernan have each taken different paths throughout the course of their high school years and they have seldom spoken to each other since the Winter Dance in middle school. This story line shocked me a little because I was like how is Hilary going to write this so that this trip halfway across the country is not awkward and unnerving for the girls. She fits their individual stories and their personalities in like small puzzle pieces! Each girl brings something different to the table. One has a sassy side, and one just doesn’t have a filter and will say anything at whim, while the other is Ms. Perfectionist! When all of their various personalities were jumping off of the page at me I was thinking how were you guys ever friends to begin with? The more I got to know them the more that I saw how much they really did appreciate the things that set each of them apart.

You may think it is strange for a friendship to form over a boy band, but theirs literally did. They were obsessed with the music and the boys and knew every song verbatim. This seems like such a minor detail when reading the story of even thinking about this out of context, but that one detail formed a strong bond between girls that brought them together after four years of not speaking to one another; now that’s good writing! This book is made up of so many small details, like the struggle that each girl is fighting within herself. If you like stories where you unravel more than one main character then this story is definitely one for you. Alice, Tiernan, and Summer each have a story within themselves and I believe those are the best kind of books.

Another aspect that I really enjoyed about this book is the fact that it took place the summer after their senior year. They were just graduating from high school when the book began and I believe that this, besides the actual college experience itself, is one of the most crucial that a teen goes through. Sometimes this is the time that you really start to uncover who you are and what makes your clock tick. Each girl took a journey within herself on that road trip and came out with some sort of revelation for a new beginning. They were gone from home for 10 days, but sometimes it only takes a day or two out of your normal schedule to clear your head and start afresh. They learned things about themselves that they might not have known otherwise.

So by the end of the novel the road trip, not the boy band, was the new detail that had bonded these three together once again. The story line sounds so simple at times; a road trip to see a one time reunited boy band. But the things that the girls witness and learn on this trip will change them forever. They went on the road trip with heavy hearts and mind, each of them stressing over one issue or another and they came back swearing to starting clean slates within their friendship and their relationships with others. This book is such an amazing summer read and made me want to take a road trip of my own if only NSYNC were reuniting for a one time concert in Austin, TX!!
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Jun 18, 2012 A.C. Gaughen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the book I wish someone had given me right before I entered college. Maybe even earlier, but what I LOVED about this book was that I am SO an Alice--I am so the girl looking for the patterns of fate in everything, looking for the plan, looking for the way everything connects and has a grand master plan that over-arches all of my very human planning. And man do I wish that I had a book like this that's a snarky whirlwind of unplanned hilarity, and epic battle of control freak vs. the real...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Jamie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Once in a great while, a book comes a long that I feel I can really relate to. Reunited is one of those books. Every time I go anywhere with my best friends, some sort of unrealistic shenanigans happen to us. The same is true with Alice, Teirnan, and Summer in Reunited. They used to be the best of friends until one night it all ended and throughout this book, the reader wonders what happened to cause such issues between girls who seem to be true soul sisters. Sure, they’re all different in their...more

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Jun 20, 2012 Joanna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Won an ARC through a Goodreads Giveaway, thanks Hilary & Goodreads!

I wasn't suprirsed by how much I enjoyed Hilary Weisman Graham's debut novel Reunited. I love stories featuring roadtrips and nostalgia so before starting I was prepared to fly through this contentedly. I wasn't prepared to immediately relate with three wonderfully realistic and flawed characters, and get caught up in their slapstick misadventures en route to the Level3 concert.

It would be easy to write off Reunited as fluf...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Meem rated it 3 of 5 stars

“I just think that most people do such a bad job making themselves happy, it’s completely ridiculous to think anyone else can do it for you.”

And...Young Adult Contemporary manages to surprise me yet again.

Reunited was unexpectedly funny (love Tiernan “Photosynthesize this, you demonic weed!” Horowitz ) but too cutesy and full of old clichés. Even though it didn't pretend to be anything else 'Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with...more

“I just think that most people do such a bad job making themselves happy, it’s completely ridiculous to think anyone else can do it for you.”

And...Young Adult Contemporary manages to surprise me yet again.

Reunited was unexpectedly funny (love Tiernan “Photosynthesize this, you demonic weed!” Horowitz ) but too cutesy and full of old clichés. Even though it didn't pretend to be anything else 'Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with her nose buried in books.' I was disappointed. In a classic Anna and the French Kiss move, it was dumbed down with three stereotypical fluff girls and the substance of the book is very see-through. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at some of the supposedly touching moments. The girls were meant to be flawed and lifelike, but Hilary Weisman Graham just doesn't have the Ann Brashares touch.

But I'll admit I found myself grinning like a Cheshire cat from time to time. Reunited had some great lines.

When they were done, Summer patted the earth flat with her hands. “Would anyone like to say a few words?”
Tiernan stifled a laugh. “He was a good squirrel,” she said in her best spiritual-sounding voice. “He really loved his nuts.”

Along with some unexpected words of wisdom.

But the funny thing was, you needed guts to be able to spill your guts.

See what I mean? I wouldn't call it too good to be true, but it will make you laugh and it's a great debut. There's a road trip and Level3 lyrics. What more could you want for a summer read?

NO. WAY. I looked up Level3 out of curiosity, and . . .

. . . Unbelievable. I can't believe I've been reading about a real effing band the whole time!

  (Luke Dixon, Ryan Hale, and Travis Wyland, all 21) are three childhood friends who grew up together in Austin, Texas. Level3 first started playing music together when the boys were only in the eighth grade under the name, Hat Trick. Just over a year later, they had changed their name to Level3, signed to a small indie label, and released their (self-title) first album, which immediately began making a splash on the college charts.

The next year, Level3 put out their second album (Rough & Tumble) to rave reviews and received their first airplay on MTV. The following year, the band had signed a three-record deal with Sony Music, and produced their first CD under a major label, turning the boys into instant, though reluctant, teen heartthrobs.

By the time the boys were 18, they had taken home two MTV awards, had three singles rise to number one on the Billboard charts, and won a Grammy. But sudden fame had its price. Midway through recording their fourth album, to the dismay of their fans, Level3 called it quits, putting an end to their short career at the peak of their success.

Level3 recently made headlines by getting back together for a one-night-only reunion show in their hometown of Austin, TX.

I think I've gone into shock. It's not often fictional boys come to life for you . . .

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Jun 26, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-young-adult, 2012-contemporary-ya, southern-book-bloggers-arc-tours

Three high school graduates. One pea green VW bus. A roadtrip to Austin to see their favorite band, Level3, reunited. REUNITED had all the makings for the exact sort of Contemporary Young Adult story I love.

The girls who make up REUNITED are three very different, distinct girls. Alice is the organizer. She is a sweet, well-meaning but a bit exasperating control freak. Tiernan is the rebel. She's abrasive, infuriating, uses humor to mask emotion, and I completely adored her. Summer is the sweeth...more Three high school graduates. One pea green VW bus. A roadtrip to Austin to see their favorite band, Level3, reunited. REUNITED had all the makings for the exact sort of Contemporary Young Adult story I love.

The girls who make up REUNITED are three very different, distinct girls. Alice is the organizer. She is a sweet, well-meaning but a bit exasperating control freak. Tiernan is the rebel. She's abrasive, infuriating, uses humor to mask emotion, and I completely adored her. Summer is the sweetheart. She's gorgeous and popular, but feels as if she doesn't have a voice. Jealousy, miscommunication and a lie tore their friendship apart. Will close quarters bring them back together, or tear them apart forever?

REUNITED was extremely well-written. Hilary Wiseman Graham's writing was well-paced and very readable. The narrative was excellent. The changing point of view were easy to navigate. I never had to struggle to keep going.

As far as the story goes, I really enjoyed it. As an adult, I can look back and see so much of myself and my friends in these characters. I have to say, it made me nostalgic and more than a little sad. I appreciate the fact that while there are a couple of instances involving the three and the guys they meet along the way, this book isn't about a girl trying to get a guy. This book is about the Alice, Tiernan, and Summer. Plain and simple. I wish there were more stories like this, about friendship, out there. The only thing I didn't love about the story was the ending. Yes, it was cute and very neat. But after all the girls had been through, it felt like one too many obstacles and then an unrealistic turn of events. This could just be me, being nit picky, but it felt a tad too cutesy. But still, I did smile.

REUNITED is a sweet, endearing and thoughtful book about the struggles of self and friendship. I would enthusiastically recommend it to fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.

Favorite Quote:

"Alice didn't want to over sentimentalize it, but it did seem like a rather strange coincidence that the three of them had wound up at the edge of the very same soccer field where they'd first met and become friends back in the fourth grade. Even stranger was the fact that they'd now spent more time giving closure to a dead squirrel than they had to the death of their five-year friendship." (pg 45, ARC)
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Jun 21, 2012 Ashelynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recommend

First things first: I didn’t want to read Reunited when I first heard about it. I probably skimmed the cover and thought, “meh.” Which, guys, this happens to me a LOT. You would think by now I would learn, but alas, I haven’t . . so when Julie asked me if I was willing to read Reunited, I was thinking er. . . and decided to read what Reunited was about and thought, “Oh hey, this book might be good!”

I was wrong. This book is AMAZING! One of my favorite books of 2012, I swear. (I keep saying that,...more

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May 08, 2013 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

*Sigh* Until I can embark on my own road I have to experience it though movies and books. I love road tripping books so when I saw Reunited I had to read it plus the whole concept of past friends road tripping intrigued me. Reunited is about three high-school grads who at one point were all best friends. One awesome pea green,a VW bus and a semi awkward road-trip to Austin to see their favorite band Level3 reunited for a surprise concert.

Three super cliche sounding girls Alice(Book worm/Nerd),Su...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Allison Allain rated it 4 of 5 stars

Alice, Tiernan and Summer were best friends who shared everything, especially their fondness for the band level3. That is until the night of their freshman winter formal dance when their friendship like their favorite band broke up. Fresh from their high school graduations they learn Level3 will reunite for a one night only charity concert. On a whim Alice buys three tickets. She hopes her ex-bestfriends will come with her, and as if by fate Alice’s parents gifting her the 1967 Volkswagen bus th...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Fran rated it 2 of 5 stars

Alice, Summer, and Tiernan were inseparable friends and number one fans of the band, Level3, but at the 8th grade Winter Wonderland Dance, the girls’ part ways and coincidently the band breaks up the same year. Now it’s four years later and Alice’s parents have fixed up their green 1976 VW van for her graduation road trip with her friend MJ. When MJ cancels, Alice decides to buy tickets to a Level3 reunion concert 2000 miles away and invites Summer and Tiernan to go along. With misunderstandings...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Christian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-z-challenge

Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy! Corny, corny, corny! That being said, I liked this book! There were a lot of "Oh, my gosh", "Really?", "That's so stupid" exclamations coming from my mouth throughout the book because of the typical cheeseball plot, but I couldn't help finding myself imagining being on that road trip. The whole story line is so predictable, and I really didn't think that the writing blew me away. The magic was in the imagination of myself getting to be there with them. I do want to set th...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Tammy Dahle rated it 4 of 5 stars

My Thoughts:
I'm calling this one "The Perfect Summer Read"
This debut novel by Hilary Weiman Graham is funny as well as touching.
First let me tell you that I LOVE the cover of Reunited. It's eye catching yellow screams to be picked up. The girls holding the map yells adventure.
And it is! It's a road trip you will love being a part of.
Do you remember the friends you had in middle school? The all night giggle sessions? Making up award winning dances to your favorite boy bands in your living room? T...more My Thoughts:
I'm calling this one "The Perfect Summer Read"
This debut novel by Hilary Weiman Graham is funny as well as touching.
First let me tell you that I LOVE the cover of Reunited. It's eye catching yellow screams to be picked up. The girls holding the map yells adventure.
And it is! It's a road trip you will love being a part of.
Do you remember the friends you had in middle school? The all night giggle sessions? Making up award winning dances to your favorite boy bands in your living room? The promises made that you would be best friends forever? Alice, Summer and Tieran were inseperable-The BFF's.
Then high school happened-one drama filled night changes everything and the girls go in different directions.
Four years go by without a word between them-they graduate high school and everyone is going their separate ways forever.
In a crazy spontaneous moment Alice hears that the band the girls worshipped back in the day-Level3 are reuniting for one night only-a concert 2,000 miles away in Austin, Texas. She buys three tickets and invites her two ex-best friends for a road trip of a life time.
Can these girls put the past behind them and find their long buried friendship again? Can these now strangers find forgiveness in each other and themselves?
Two things that I loved about this book is-
1. The 1976 VW Camper the girls take on the road-it's called the Pea Pod and I want one!!!
2. The fact that Level3 is a real band and their lyrics are throughout the story-cool addition to story.
Three incidents that had me snort laughing while I read this book-
1.Squirrel
2. Michael the hitchhiker
3. Pea Pod door
Two thumbs up for Hilary Weisman Graham-
My thanks to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Now I would like to give the opportunity to read this little gem to someone else. This book is an ARC-An Advanced Reviewer Copy-Uncorrected Proof-read once by me. I give these away in hopes that the winner will read, enjoy and possibly review also. Share the love my friends!
This giveaway is open to followers of Mug of Moxie. Please leave your GFC name and contact info in the comment section below. This giveaway is international. The contest runs from July 20 to July 30. A winner will be chosen by Random.org and contacted on July 31. The winner has 48 hour to confirm or another winner will be drawn. Good Luck!!! (less)

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Jul 09, 2012 Joyce rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was lucky to be at the launch party for Reunited and I couldn't wait to get home and read. I walked through the door and the book was gone. My 12 year old daughter had snatched it away. She read it in a day an a half, and then read it again. She loved the entire story and weeks later still talks about it.

I loved how Graham captured the essence of all three girls and was able to entwine the multiple relationships in a way that allowed you to see each girl's unique strengths and weaknesses and h...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Darby rated it 3 of 5 stars

There was a lot that was wrong with this book. The dialogue was cheesy, the situations unrealistic, the characters were fairly two dimensional, but, somehow, I still enjoyed it.

This book is generally one that I wouldn't finish. It seemed like this book just couldn't make up it's mind where it wanted to go. It would occasionally inch towards being 'edgy', like referencing drugs or sex, but then it would quickly back away and topple back into PG rated territory. The dialogue was extremely forced...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just met Hilary at a book signing. Besides that she is awesomely into contemporary, I WANT HER BOOK. Is it June yet? This sounds hilarious and includes all things I love: broken friendships, road trips and bands [we] used to love.
Again...

IS IT JUNE YET??

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Jun 03, 2012 Shelley aka Gizmo's Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-releases, publishers-arc

*Genre* YA
*Rating* 4.0

*Review*

Four years ago, Alice Miller, Tiernan O’Leary, and Summer Dalton were best friends and Level 3 idolizers. They did almost everything together. They were so obsessed with the band that they covered the entire inside of a 1976 VW Camper (called the Pea Pod) with pictures of the band and themselves. Level 3 broke up at the beginning of their freshmen year because of family issues and shortly thereafter, after an incident at the Winter Wonderland Dance, a final wedge wa...more *Genre* YA
*Rating* 4.0

*Review*

Four years ago, Alice Miller, Tiernan O’Leary, and Summer Dalton were best friends and Level 3 idolizers. They did almost everything together. They were so obsessed with the band that they covered the entire inside of a 1976 VW Camper (called the Pea Pod) with pictures of the band and themselves. Level 3 broke up at the beginning of their freshmen year because of family issues and shortly thereafter, after an incident at the Winter Wonderland Dance, a final wedge was put in the girl’s friendship.

Nearly 4 years later, Alice hears about Level 3 reuniting for a benefit concert in Austin, Texas. On a whim, Alice, the most put together of all three girls, not only purchases 3 tickets for the concert but then somehow talks Tiernan and Summer into going to Texas with her.

Alice‘s summer road trip with her best friend had been cancelled because she’s going to China for the summer instead. Alice still hasn’t heard from her first choice of colleges Brown, and time is getting short. On top of that, her parents refurbished the Pea Pod and give it to her for her graduation present instead of something more useful like a computer, or Ipad. Alice is normally the most level headed character of the bunch and knows exactly what she wants. On this trip, what she holds dear comes into question, and the possibility of love is definitely in the air.

Summer is part of the popular crowd who the rest of the school hates. She’s had more boyfriends than she can actually count, and her current BF is an asshat who is most likely cheating on her. On top of all that, he decides that he wants Summer to go on the road trip with Alice verses going to Martha’s Vineyard with him. So, on a whim, Summer decides to join Alice on the trip to Austin. Summer is a very good writer which goes to show you that you can't judge a book by it's cover.

Tiernan is the rebel with a clue. Her father left her for another woman, and her mother is so busy that she can’t see that Tiernan is rebelling against her authority with her blue hair, and combat boots. Tiernan is also the one person most responsible for breaking up the girl’s friendship after purposefully twisting Summer’s words around. Tiernan's claim to fame is that she's really good at photography and could make some real money if she took it seriously.

Reunited is a fun, yet poignant story about the three very distinct teenagers who used to be best friends, but life got in the way. It’s a story about growing up and owning your responsibilities while trying to have a great time and seeing your all-time favorite band play one more time.

Reunited is the debut novel of Hilary Weisman Graham.

Recvd 05/16/2012 *Participating in Southern Bloggers Tour for Book! (less)

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Oct 04, 2012 Lisbeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well it was the perfect book to finish my reading challenge of the year. It was quickly to read but leaves you a sweet feeling after you end. I like the idea that even if the girls are really different they were still able to get along. But what I liked the most was that even if they had some fights that had completely separated them, they were able to face their problems in a realistic way and get back together. Their problems in high school describe real life so well, with their cliques and so...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Colette Whitney rated it 5 of 5 stars

From my blog refutingtheintolerablystupid.wordpress.com...

I firmly believe that a girl is the sum of her parts. Her parts are her friends.

I grew up alongside two really cool girls, Ashley and Victoria. We met in Pre-K when we were three years old and now, twelve freaking years later, we’re still best friends. We’re all very different. Ashley is kind of quiet, but thoughtful and humble and a realist, which I really appreciate because I spend my days up in the air. She loves to read and she’s real...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Mary (BookHounds) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: around-the-world-arc-tours, young-adult, 2012

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Take three best friends from junior high with one giant misunderstanding that causes them to hate each other, mix in some musical love and give them four years to marinated and grow up and you will get this wonderful debut, Reunited. Alice, the brainy one, hears an advertisement for a reunion concert for the band Level3 and buys tickets thinking they could all reunite as well and road trip to the show. The trio of girls had seriously bonded over the group when they were in mid...more MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Take three best friends from junior high with one giant misunderstanding that causes them to hate each other, mix in some musical love and give them four years to marinated and grow up and you will get this wonderful debut, Reunited. Alice, the brainy one, hears an advertisement for a reunion concert for the band Level3 and buys tickets thinking they could all reunite as well and road trip to the show. The trio of girls had seriously bonded over the group when they were in middle school but after a major fallout in their freshman year, stopped speaking to each other. Summer, had grown extremely popular, while Tiernan was shuttled off to boarding school after rebelling from her parents divorce.

The three have little in common anymore and each has their own reasons for agreeing to go with Alice in the Pea Pod, a now-restored green VW camper that they had used as a club house while growing up. Summer has a boyfriend that turns out to be a cheater while Tiernan is escaping from another grounding from a run in with her mother. Alice just wants to relive the friendship and bond that they once had. Of course, the trip is anything but smooth and each character shows strength and resources that help explain why they were once so close. They don't realize until the end that this has been the trip of a lifetime and when it is almost too late discover that their friendship is really true.

I just adored this sweet story. No guys, no sex, just wonderful female self discovery and girl power that keep everything real while being fanciful at the same time. It is full of adventure with each twist and turn of the road they travel in their last big hurrah after high school. I enjoyed how each made a major self discovery and remembered why they were once friends. This is well suited for older teens since there is once mention of alcohol which doesn't end well and some hooking up but nothing too graphic. This is chick lit for the younger set but one that adult should love as well.(less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Jodi Papazian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-reads

Cute, quick read about a group of ex-best friends who find themselves on a road trip to go see their favorite band. The characters were likable and their trials and tribulations on the road amusing. It did get to be a bit much in the last quarter of the book when literally everything kept going wrong and I did find the ending a bit cheesy and predictable.
I would have loved an epilogue at the ending. I'm not sure if it ended where it did because it is intended to be a series - however, if that...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is such a cute, fun story! Granted, it's not as good (or as memorable) as some of the others of this "YA friendship" genre (for example, the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books). But if you want something that's just sweet and will take you out of your head for a few hours, this is the book for you.

It's also not unlike the movie Crossroads with Britney Spears. (You may think that's a dumb movie but it's written by none other than Shonda Rhimes!)

So yes, this book is fluffy but isn't this...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: rock-music

This book showed such promise, but for all that promise, was very disappointing. The premise was something I fell in love with right away - three former best friends reunited on a road trip the summer after their senior year of high school to see a reunion show of their favorite band. But everything about it - the character development (or lack thereof), the wackiness that occurred on the trip, the stupid things the girls did - all seemed forced. I felt like I should be identifying with at least...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Tara added it

Shelves: library, read-in-12

Such a fun book. I especially loved the boy band aspect, since I was a huge boy band fan back in the day.

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Oct 31, 2012 Vivian Xia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I liked this book a lot. I think the best part were the characters and how they grew back together. This book kind of reminds me of my friends from DC. They called us the Three Musketeers for the whole week that we were there. We all shared one specific thing in common, dance. We were all dedicated dancers through and through, talking about how to increase our turnout or how to do the perfect pump turn. After DC, Sarah, Emily, and I kind of broke apart.

Anyway, I liked the concept and I liked the...more

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title link	preview: Reunited
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