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48th out of 744 books
—
3,778 voters
Where I Belong
by
Gwendolyn Heasley (Goodreads Author)
Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City--shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .
When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit ca...more
When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit ca...more
Paperback, 289 pages
Published
February 8th 2011
by HarperTeen
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This just goes to show that I probably can't stomach a book like Before I Fall if I was kind of disappointed about a book like this which I'm pretty sure is a lighter read.
This was kind of what I expected it to be but more annoying at the beginning than I thought. Yes, I expected her to be a snob about going to Texas and that she would miss her old life in New York but Corrinne is such a stereotyped spoiled brat who did whatever she wanted. I was hoping it would be funnier but it was mostly jus...more
This was kind of what I expected it to be but more annoying at the beginning than I thought. Yes, I expected her to be a snob about going to Texas and that she would miss her old life in New York but Corrinne is such a stereotyped spoiled brat who did whatever she wanted. I was hoping it would be funnier but it was mostly jus...more
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Mar 10, 2011
Allison (The Allure of Books)
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
contemporary-realistic-ya,
2011
This was a really fun story, and a very quick read. Seeing Corrinne embrace her inner hick was an enjoyable experience. The focus is definitely on Corrinne and her learning things about herself and about life in general - I think the cover makes it out to be more of a romance than it is. I'm not saying that as a critique, because it didn't bother me. Just fair warning.
Sometimes I let the stupidest things bother me. When Corrinne is first learning her way around Broken Spoke, they talk about the...more
Sometimes I let the stupidest things bother me. When Corrinne is first learning her way around Broken Spoke, they talk about the...more
I wish more YA books were set in small towns in the south. Although I did not grow up in the south, I did grow up in a small town. The varsity football game was a big deal. Our parents didn’t go on business trips or anything, so you had to party in a field. Express was considered ‘designer’.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
I almost put this book down, but I persevered in hopes that it would get better. And it did.
My main problem was with Corinne, who was a spoiled, selfish brat for the first half of the book. Of course, it was to be expected, and she gets loads better (even very likable), but it still irritated me.
I feel like there should've been a bit more character development, but the author serves them just fine anyway. I liked the setting, something the author put more emphasis on than most others. The plot...more
My main problem was with Corinne, who was a spoiled, selfish brat for the first half of the book. Of course, it was to be expected, and she gets loads better (even very likable), but it still irritated me.
I feel like there should've been a bit more character development, but the author serves them just fine anyway. I liked the setting, something the author put more emphasis on than most others. The plot...more
My Thoughts: Do you want this book summed up into one word? Charming! We are introduced to Corrinne who hails from big city New York to a small quiet hick town in Texas which is called Broken Spoke! She had plans to attend a private school (Kent) with her best friend Waverly so going to public school is like her idea of torture. She is supposed to hook up with the cute guy on campus and become his girlfriend. And to sum it up, her family is broke so how is she going to relieve some of this stres...more
More like 3.5 Stars. I found the cover to be quite deceiving while it looks corny and like it would be more suited to an adult romance, the book actually ends up to be pretty juvenile. My expectations were along the lines of Jennifer Echols but Where I Belong turned out to be a totally clean novel with very little romance. If my expectations weren't skewed, i may have enjoyed this one a little more.
It's one of those breezy stories where a city girl is transposed to the country where she finds he...more
It's one of those breezy stories where a city girl is transposed to the country where she finds he...more
Review
There are main characters who transform from being mean to nice, from snobby to friendly, from sad to happy … and then there’s Corrinne. She is the typical big city girl who goes to a private school, lives to shop, and thinks life is all about glitter and glam. That is, until she lands in Broken Spoke, Texas. Corrinne transforms into a small town girl who goes to a public school, lives for the rodeo, and thinks life is all about football games and true friends.
This native Texan loved EVERY...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
When I was reading the reviews for Where I Belong and saw people talking about contractions not being used enough, I thought to myself, "It couldn't possibly be that bad." I was wrong, completely and utterly wrong. Without contractions the writing is really stiff, so I wasn't able to feel like I was in Corrinne's head. It also make the dialogue not believable. Most of the time, I just couldn't believe someone, whether teenager or adult, would say that. It makes the book nearly impossible to read...more
Other reviews like this at thebookbabesreads.blogspot.com
I enjoyed this book, but there were a few things that could've been changed with no loss, because Corrinne was a good enough character, but I really wasn't interested in reading about her until halfway through the book, when she stopped be such a brat, and grew a conscience. There were a few things that I found really distracting, though. For one, all of the kids have names like 'Jenny Jo' and 'Kitsy Kidd'. It was kind of demeaning towards...more
I enjoyed this book, but there were a few things that could've been changed with no loss, because Corrinne was a good enough character, but I really wasn't interested in reading about her until halfway through the book, when she stopped be such a brat, and grew a conscience. There were a few things that I found really distracting, though. For one, all of the kids have names like 'Jenny Jo' and 'Kitsy Kidd'. It was kind of demeaning towards...more
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The back of the book mentions the total hottie Corrine meets at work and I went into this expecting a romance. It's not really, although there is romance in it. This book isn't what I expected, and at the bookstore I wasn't even sure I would like it, but it's about a NY girl stuck in TX, and I'm a TX girl stuck in WI, so I thought if I can't eat a decent burrito might as well read about it.
I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed this book. The first thin...more
The back of the book mentions the total hottie Corrine meets at work and I went into this expecting a romance. It's not really, although there is romance in it. This book isn't what I expected, and at the bookstore I wasn't even sure I would like it, but it's about a NY girl stuck in TX, and I'm a TX girl stuck in WI, so I thought if I can't eat a decent burrito might as well read about it.
I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed this book. The first thin...more
I wasn't sure I would like this book, never mind manage to finish it in less than a day. This book was cute, it's about the coming of age of a former stuck-up New York City socialite who ends up with a small town in Texas. I have to admit, I hated the protagonist, Corrine, at first, she annoyed me so much I wasn't sure I wanted to continue reading, I'm glad I did though.
Corinne's father, a big time investment banker gets laid off from his company in New York and finds that the family's investmen...more
Corinne's father, a big time investment banker gets laid off from his company in New York and finds that the family's investmen...more
Corrinne is a big city kind of girl. She lives in New York City. Some of her favorite things to do are shopping in the exclusive Barney's, going clubbing with her friends, riding her horse Sweetbread and drinking without getting carded. She's looking forward to going to a fancy boarding school and hopefully rooming with her best friend, Waverly. That's all about to change, because due to the recession her father has lost his job. He will be moving to Dubai to work at another lower paying job. Th...more
This book is about a girl named Corrine who is a hard core city girl from New York City. But she has to move to Texas to live with her grandparents because her dad got a new job. Moving towns and schools is a big jump for Corrine. She doesn't like the outdoors or little towns. She also hates the fact that she's leaving all of her friends behind and has to make new ones.
Well her grandparents eventually make her get a job working at a stable cleaning up poop. She doesn't like it at first, but the...more
Well her grandparents eventually make her get a job working at a stable cleaning up poop. She doesn't like it at first, but the...more
Let me just start off by saying that i am not a big fan of reading books about spoiled rich girls (ie: Gossip Girl). I picked this book up for its BEAUTIFUL cover (you know me and pretty covers, its an addiction). I started reading this book a while ago then put it down after a chapter. I hated how spoiled Corrinne acted and how selfish she was. It annoyed the hell out of me. So a month later i promised myself i’d finish reading it (that’s what always happens to me right? ). So i did. I read it...more
Butterfly Effect. A butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, and it sets off a tornado in Texas. It means the smallest moments of the past, even the ones that don't have anything to do with us, affect our future and our future selves. And just think, somewhere right now a butterfly might be flapping its wings and altering your future in some peculiar, yet beautiful way.
I wonder if that's what love is: the ability to go away and to come back again as if nothing has changed, even though everything has...more
I wonder if that's what love is: the ability to go away and to come back again as if nothing has changed, even though everything has...more
Poor Corrinne! She was born with her daddy's credit card in her mouth and no limits. She shops and demands the best. She's self-centered, egotistical and full of herself in Manhattan.
Then her daddy gets laid off and Corrinne's life becomes B.R. (before recession) and A.R. (after recession). Her family can't afford the few houses, maids, cooks, clothes, cars and lifestyle they once lived. So Corrinne and her brother are shipped off to grandparents in Texas. No way is Corrinne going to enjoy her t...more
Then her daddy gets laid off and Corrinne's life becomes B.R. (before recession) and A.R. (after recession). Her family can't afford the few houses, maids, cooks, clothes, cars and lifestyle they once lived. So Corrinne and her brother are shipped off to grandparents in Texas. No way is Corrinne going to enjoy her t...more
Corrinne Corcoran is a rich girl who gets everything she wants, when she wants it. That is until her dad loses his job and she, along with her brother and mom, move to Broken Spoke, Texas to live with her grandparents, whom she had only met a couple of times before.
Corrine wants nothing to do other than sulk and try to find a way back to her old life. While living with her grandparents and while her mom is back in NY trying to sell their apartment, she has to go to public school, is forced to t...more
Corrine wants nothing to do other than sulk and try to find a way back to her old life. While living with her grandparents and while her mom is back in NY trying to sell their apartment, she has to go to public school, is forced to t...more
I picked up this book while trying to kill time in my local library. I remember thinking it looked good and I wanted to read it, so why not? I sat down and proceeded to read through the first 100 pages without really wanting to stop.
Here’s the thing: You’ve seen the plot before. Gwendolyn Heasley plays it on the safe side, keeping the plot completely predicable. Rich girl suddenly a poor girl and exiled into a (to her) hellish, sub-par way of living that she ultimately finds has transformed her...more
Here’s the thing: You’ve seen the plot before. Gwendolyn Heasley plays it on the safe side, keeping the plot completely predicable. Rich girl suddenly a poor girl and exiled into a (to her) hellish, sub-par way of living that she ultimately finds has transformed her...more
The book starts with a letter from Corrine telling the readers not to be too annoyed with her snobby attitude because she'll get better towards the end of the novel. I think this is a very smart move by the author because had she not included this letter, I would have given up on Corrine halfway through.
You’d be surprised by how much Corrine’s attitude got to me. Or not, if you have read this book already. I was utterly annoyed with her attitude. She felt as if she was superior to all the people...more
You’d be surprised by how much Corrine’s attitude got to me. Or not, if you have read this book already. I was utterly annoyed with her attitude. She felt as if she was superior to all the people...more
I adore a good YA Contemporary. While I enjoy being sucked into the world building of paranormal, there’s just something about reading a novel with real people that I can completely relate to and a world just like my own. It has its own special magic.
This weekend I inhaled Gwendolyn Heasley’s WHERE I BELONG, a YA Contemporary about a New York City girl who is sent to the boonies of Texas after her father is laid off during the recession. Corrinne is unlike most of the YA heroines portrayed in th...more
This weekend I inhaled Gwendolyn Heasley’s WHERE I BELONG, a YA Contemporary about a New York City girl who is sent to the boonies of Texas after her father is laid off during the recession. Corrinne is unlike most of the YA heroines portrayed in th...more
The story begins with a letter from Corrinne to the reader where she gives a general summary of her story and it's connection to the butterfly effect. It was cute, just like the rest of the book. It was a short read with big writing and I read it in one sitting. Corrinne's voice was interesting to read and it kept my interest throughout the book. Aside from her, there wasn't much character development or romance (as the cover suggests). The book has a good message and an optimistic ending. The o...more
Feb 08, 2011
Melanie Goodman
added it
Corrinne is living the good life. She’s headed to a fancy boarding school in the fall with her best friend Waverly. She gets to keep her beloved horse. She regularly fulfills her love of shopping for expensive things using her daddy’s credit card. Everything is coming up roses right until the recession hits her family hard. Corrinne’s father loses his job, and that means the spending sprees and future plans all have to change.
Corrinne–along with her mother and brother–is forced to move to Broken...more
Corrinne–along with her mother and brother–is forced to move to Broken...more
Where I Belong was cute and charming.
It wasn't the best book I have read,
it's just one of those cutesy books that you don't think much of,
but you enjoy it while reading it.
I'm from Texas, so I really loved that the whole book was set in Texas.
It made me crave Sonic like crazy.
Author Gwendolyn Heasley did a really good job grasping everything Texas is about.
Like how all the characters spoke, and the way it described how everyone dressed,
and the fact pretty much everyone in sight drove trucks.
Ha...more
It wasn't the best book I have read,
it's just one of those cutesy books that you don't think much of,
but you enjoy it while reading it.
I'm from Texas, so I really loved that the whole book was set in Texas.
It made me crave Sonic like crazy.
Author Gwendolyn Heasley did a really good job grasping everything Texas is about.
Like how all the characters spoke, and the way it described how everyone dressed,
and the fact pretty much everyone in sight drove trucks.
Ha...more
WHERE I BELONG, by Gwendolyn Heasley, is a sweet riches to rags story. In the wake of the recession, Corrinne (teen Manhattanite) and her younger brother move to Broken Spoke (podunk town in the middle of nowheresville Texas). She is heart-broken to be leaving her best friend, Waverly, and the chance to attend a very prestigious boarding school that Fall. But Broken Spoke's charm and simple-town life may have a different affect on her than she would have ever dreamed. I really enjoyed this book....more
When you read the first page of the book, you know exactly how the main character is going to be. Basically the first page is a letter from Corrinne to the reader. She tells you that when reading this book, you are going to not enjoy her attitude and demeanor. I found this to be very accurate.
When Corrinne's Father loses his job due to the recession, her family is forced to sell their home in New York. While her father travels abroad to find work, Corrinne is forced to move to Broken Spoke, Texa...more
Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley is her February 2011 YA debut. First let me start by saying, I absolutely adore this cover. It's colorful, cute, sweet and a tad romantic even the book itself isn't that romantic.
Synopsis: Corrinne Corcoran’s upscale Manhattan life is perfectly on track—until her father announces he’s been laid off and she’s shipped off to Broken Spoke, Texas, to live with her grandparents. All alone in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is...more
Synopsis: Corrinne Corcoran’s upscale Manhattan life is perfectly on track—until her father announces he’s been laid off and she’s shipped off to Broken Spoke, Texas, to live with her grandparents. All alone in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is...more
This is a really sweet read. Corinne is a New York socialite living the Gossip Girl life. She has the right friends, shops at Barney's and got into her dream boarding school in Connecticut. Then the reality of the times we live in smack her in the face and she is thrust into Broken Spoke Texas.
With one traffic light and diet food in sight, meeting people like Kitsy, Bubby, and Hands, Corinne couldn't be any more out of place. In the process of planning her escape Corinne starts working at a sta...more
With one traffic light and diet food in sight, meeting people like Kitsy, Bubby, and Hands, Corinne couldn't be any more out of place. In the process of planning her escape Corinne starts working at a sta...more
I just have to start out by saying I am actually from Texas, so at some points I actually laughed out loud. Maybe, it's because I live in Dallas, but I rarely meet people with a true blue out of the woods Texas accent. Also, I can promise we don't talk differently from any of you who live up north (My Dads from up North) and I have only been on a horse once (Summer Camp) So I can assure everyone unless you actually go to a SUPER small town (Which are virtually non existent now of days) this isn...more
This was a refreshing and humorous take on the recession. Big city girl, Corrinne is forced to relocate to a small town because Daddy gets laid off and "Madoffed" at the same time. She is a sassy, spoiled high school freshman who gets a major reality check when she heads to Texas with her brother to start her sophomore year at (gasp!) public school! Gone are the designer clothes, parties, endless shopping sprees with Daddy's credit card and paid servants she's used too. She has to learn to eat r...more
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| Thoughts on Corrinne... | 7 | 23 | Aug 16, 2012 02:29pm |
Gwendolyn Heasley is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned her master’s degree in journalism. When she was a little girl, she desperately wanted to be the next Ann M. Martin- the author of the beloved The Baby-Sitter’s Club series. She’s incredibly grateful that the recession rendered her unemployed and made her chase her nearly forgotten dream. Sh...more
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“Talking with Sweetbread, I wonder if that's what love is: the ability to go away and to come back again as if nothing has changed, even though everything has changed.”
—
22 people liked it
“Sixth-grade sweethearts. Wow. New Yorkers only commit to that type of monogamy with the Yankees or Giants”
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10 people liked it
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