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Less Than Nothing

(Less Than Nothing #1)

R.E. Blake

3.87 · Rating details · 722 ratings · 109 reviews

Sage’s life as a teenage runaway in San Francisco is simple: Snatch a few hours of sleep on park benches and bus stops; dodge perverts, predators, and cops; and make enough as a street musician to eat. But her world flips upside down when she meets Derek – hot, tattooed, and charming, a singer from Seattle whose looks and talent take her breath away.

What begins as a reluc ...more

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Kindle Edition, 249 pages

Published October 7th 2014 by Reprobatio, Ltd. (first published September 5th 2014)

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· 722 ratings · 109 reviews

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Aug 18, 2014 .Karéz. rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, 2014, arc-s

4 Nothing left to lose Stars..

description

Less than nothing. is a Sweet, full of dreams,and hope story.

Stage a 17 year old, having a mother who prefers alcohol rather than living, and an abused stepdad who treats her as a punching bag. stage her only way out is to runaway. living on streets in San Francisco.
her main income is by singing. having her Yam(her guitar),and her gifted talent nothing can stop her from performance. until one day. a charming, talented man takes her Spot. Derek who also a singer fro ...more

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Sep 17, 2014 Ilze rated it it was ok

Shelves: new-adult, 2014-release, arc

Meh.

Every time I am disappointed in the new adult genre I tell myself I will stop reading NA books, but then I read some interesting blurb and I can't help myself.

This was one of those times. Although I liked the idea of the story, the execution of it did not work for me. I wish the author had focused more on the homeless life rather than put it in kind of a background. Also, I wasn't really sure of the message of the story - is it anybody can reach their dreams? I really don't know because bei ...more

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Aug 22, 2014 Shh moderator marked it as consider-later

Shelves: to-read-contemporaries, series-wait-on-last-book, series-g-contemporaries, series-check-on-sequel, kindle, g-contemporaries, own-but-not-read, kindle-freebie

FREE on Amazon US today (2/24/2015)

BLURB:
Sage’s life as a teenage runaway in San Francisco is simple: Snatch a few hours of sleep on park benches and bus stops; dodge perverts, predators, and cops; and make enough as a street musician to eat. But her world flips upside down when she meets Derek – hot, tattooed, and charming, a singer from Seattle whose looks and talent take her breath away.

What begins as a reluctant partnership quickly develops into a cross-country race against time - and aw ...more

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Aug 21, 2014 Kim Cano rated it it was amazing

Less Than Nothing by R.E. Blake is a romance novel with adventure, humor, and one of my favorite things, travel. The main character, Sage, is seventeen years old, and even though I’m not a teenager anymore, I found her easy to relate to. Any woman who has ever been in love with “The One” will empathize with her predicament. I especially enjoyed her inner self talk. It kept me smiling throughout the book.

With so many romances about billionaires and bondage, I found this coming of age tale of two ...more

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Aug 24, 2014 Nawal rated it really liked it

Shelves: new-adult

Now I’m not very much of a young adult reader but I read the blurb and was intrigued so I decided to give this a go. And was I glad of that choice! It wasn’t filled with the usual teenage drama but had a knack for showing the reader something a little different to what they’re used to. It’s a beautiful story, one that refuses to let you go after you finish reading.

This story embarks on a journey of a girl named Sage who’s succumbed to the tragedies of life and has to do what she must to ensure h Now I’m not very much of a young adult reader but I read the blurb and was intrigued so I decided to give this a go. And was I glad of that choice! It wasn’t filled with the usual teenage drama but had a knack for showing the reader something a little different to what they’re used to. It’s a beautiful story, one that refuses to let you go after you finish reading.

This story embarks on a journey of a girl named Sage who’s succumbed to the tragedies of life and has to do what she must to ensure her survival. The only option left for her than the unstable home life she had to endure was to run away and try and make it on her own, day by day as a kid with no home. While most girls her age would spend their time trying to tackle their school work or consuming their free time with their friends, Sage is required to spend her day playing her guitar, providing a source of entertainment on the street, trying to make enough just to purchase herself a bite to eat. Her nights spent sleeping various places for only a couple of hours out of fear that someone will try to take advantage on herself on her own. And then she happens to meet Derek one day, sitting across the street from where she regularly plays her guitar for a few bucks, and he’s setting up his own place to play after watching her. As the blurb states: ‘hot, tattooed, and charming, a singer from Seattle whose looks and talent take her breath away.’ After some contemplation and having the chance to witness how great they perform as a duo they decide that performing together would earn them each more than they do separately. And before she realises, they’re travelling across the country together, on a path to better their future and make their lives about living more than mere survival on a daily basis.

I think the biggest strength this whole book possessed was originality. I don’t think I have yet come across a story recently that deviates from the normal drama of young adults and goes to peer in to the lives of teenagers without homes. It explores the difficulties that they face regularly, only thinking about how their day will end while the rest of us with comfortable homes to go to busy ourselves planning our futures, things we have no guarantee for. But don’t get me wrong, this book isn’t all that serious. Everything is toned down with a patch of humour, there’s an easy going vibe plummeting throughout the whole story. It’s funny in various places and makes you laugh. Like may be not having a home to go at the end of each day isn’t that bad as long as you try to make an honest living, keep recognising the little things in life and having people to create bonds with. What really touched me was how lonely Sage was without her truly realising it. Even though this book doesn’t encounter on the path of telling the reader that sob story, I was thrilled for her when she crossed paths with Derek.

Not every story is perfect and the only little issue I experienced was a certain temper tantrum that Sage has towards the end of this book. I can’t really say what in detail but when she takes a major step without waiting to hear what Derek has to say, didn’t seem like what someone should do when they witness the person they’re close to do something that they don’t particularly agree upon. I don’t think she recognised the consequences of her actions may not necessarily be for the best. But I probably failed to realise that she’s young and doesn’t have much experience of the world therefore can make some quick decisions without giving it much thought. That was the only time I saw the whole ‘teenage drama’ situation make an appearance but it quickly faded as the tension built up and the consequences that had to my likeability of this book were never as dire as I first assumed.

I know for a fact I am going to be reading the upcoming parts to this series ‘More Than Anything’(book 2) and ‘Best Of Everything’ (book 3) because I simply cannot wait to rediscover what the world of Sage and Derek will hold now. Because we never really want the good books we read to ever really end. I highly recommend this read to anyone who’s looking to spend their reading time lost in a book that has something a little different in store for them. Add this to your to read lists!

My stomach free-falls – his voice matches his looks. No, it’s actually better than that. It’s mesmerizing to listen to, the timing of his inflection just unexpected enough to make it seem like he’s toying with the words, rolling them around in his mouth like wine tasters do in the movies, then setting them down for gentle landings at the last possible instant.

I’m not a vagrant or a bum. I don’t want charity. There’s effort and skill involved, which is why people toss their money into the case. I entertain them, and if I do it competently enough, they pay me for a job well done. Just because I’m not changing tires or working in a factory doesn’t mean what I do doesn’t have value. ...more

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Sep 30, 2014 Rosa Sharon (iScream Book Blog) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: music-lover-alert, funny, copy-for-review, tissues-required, sweet, tattoos, suspense, series

I can resist anything but temptation...
I want to share with you my scientific, proven, guaranteed method of finding 5 star reads. If I see a guitar on the cover, I read it. I have accidentally discovered awesome authors that I would never have given a chance. I never purposely choose a YA book, I prefer more mature reading, but sometimes my method brings great rewards, like now. I have been glued to my kindle, deeply connected to Derek & Sage's heartbreaking, inspiring, and beautiful story. What ...more

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Sep 29, 2014 Books Laid Bare rated it it was amazing

This is a story of life and what it takes to survive it.
Within the YA genre I have to say that this was far from average and being able to say that means that I am absolutely delighted.
The story is evolutionary and will stay with you as you close the last page.
Sage has had a far from easy life, one that has left her not only existing through untold tragedies but having to make choices that were far from what she would have ideally liked in order to exist from day to day.
Living life on the stree This is a story of life and what it takes to survive it.
Within the YA genre I have to say that this was far from average and being able to say that means that I am absolutely delighted.
The story is evolutionary and will stay with you as you close the last page.
Sage has had a far from easy life, one that has left her not only existing through untold tragedies but having to make choices that were far from what she would have ideally liked in order to exist from day to day.
Living life on the street after escaping a home life that was too much for her to take for another day. Sage’s life is the epitome of hardship, living on the fringes of society and reliant completely on her street smarts and wits to keep her not only fed but safe from the predators that feed on the vulnerable on the streets.
One rule on the street is that you keep your pitch and when another teenager Derek encroaches on her turf, Sage is forced to stand up for herself. She might not be fighting to keep a roof over her head but it is much the same principle.
Derek, is not the type of person she ever thought she might come across and after the initial confrontation over location, he captivates her attention in more ways than one, because he was not only blisteringly hot to look at but he had what appealed to her most, musical talent and his talent blew her away.
Between them they knew that they could make beautiful music together and pretty soon they were on the road, hitch hiking their way across the country, living their own variation of a dream that street smart Derek had long hoped for and one which Sage never fully knew that she could aspire too.
Together their trip opens the big wide world to them both and shows that you have to rely on other in order to be able to rely on yourself. By accepting help they could plan a future for themselves, one that they both deserved. But that is not to say that the trip is easy sailing, far from it but I felt that the events that they encounter all added to the reality of the story.
I mean when you are on the streets, you are sometimes invisible to the rest of society, you have little option but to fight to survive and protect not only you but those you care about.
The book gloriously lifted the lid on a much hidden taboo, it gave us a much needed look into the drama that surrounds youngsters who feel disengaged with either home or society and are forced to live on the peripheries of what the rest of us take for granted.
I loved the fact that Sage was feisty but I also liked the fact that her life was not portrayed as a complete lost cause, this was not a woe is me story, it is uplifting in many ways. It is littered with humour and sensitivity.
Sage and Derek have an unusual dynamic, one that works for them but one that is tailored to their situation. Sage relies on Derek but there is occasion when her youth and naiveté is both presumptuous and insensitive.
I am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series and to see where Sage and Derek’s story takes them.
I hope they each get a happy ever after, whether that will be together or not we have yet to see, and to be honest I would not mind either way, I just want to know that they are able to achieve the goals they have set for themselves and perhaps if not a relationship between them, they will have forged a lifelong friendship.
...more

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Aug 27, 2014 Romance Readers Retreat rated it it was amazing

4½ stars

This book surprised me in many ways, but I think the most surprising thing was that I really did enjoy a New Adult romance involving two homeless teens. We follow the lives of Sage and Derek, two 17/18 year olds who both live on the streets, earning enough money to survive by busking in San Francisco.

Derek and Sage quickly strike up a friendship and find they can earn more by playing as a duo. Derek has an ambition to enter a talent show in New York and asks Sage to join him.

The story ...more

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Aug 14, 2014 Angie rated it it was ok

Shelves: new-adult, 1-2-stars, rock-stars, arc-netgalley, shutup-and-hook-up-already, emotional-baggage

**I received an ARC through Netgalley courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

This book seemed like two different stories in one. Part one being hitching and busking across the U.S. Part two being life during a singing competition.

Sage and Derek are two teens trying to live day to day on the streets of San Francisco by busking. Sage first meets Derek when she sees him singing in her spot. Sage isn't willing to give it up without a fight though. But Derek uses his charm to ta ...more

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Jun 30, 2015 Laura rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2015

I must admit I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately. Exams are over, summer has started, and even though there are so many books I want to read, I just can't get into any. I thought an easy read like this might help me speed through a book and get me out of this slump... No such luck.

This was clearly a romance story hidden beneath the premise of two homeless teenagers who love music. I didn't expect much from this book anyway, but still found myself disappointed, hence the "it's okay" 2 st ...more

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Aug 22, 2015 Flavia (OddCloud) rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish

Rating: 1.5

In the beginning I really liked it. I was actually really curious to see how the author tackled life in the streets and all that. The characters were starting to gain a little color, although pretty two dimensional. Sage didn't outgrow her stubborn-angsty-teen suit, and Derek was the hot bad-boy crashing in Sage's life full-speed. That's about it.

The road trip across the country started okay and the obstacles they met on their way seemed legit enough. But after a while it all fee ...more

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Aug 15, 2014 Terri rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...

**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Reprobation via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is October 7, 2014**

This was a YA/NA read that has broken the mold from the other stories I have read. While there is the typical loved story it puts the romance on the back burner and focuses on the actual story of the characters lives and the demons and obstacles they need to overcome ...more

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Sep 10, 2014 Aimee (Getting Your Read On) rated it liked it

Shelves: ebook-for-review

The first thing that drew my attention to this book was the musical aspect and the across country travel. After reading the book, I'd have to say that those two things remain the most appealing. It was easy to imagine Sage and Derek on the streets of SF, singing and it was easy to imagine them in New York doing the same thing on stage. The whole road tripping with the truckers was fun.

The backstory for Sage and Derek unravels slowly and gently, bit by bit. Sometimes I don't love that approach, b ...more

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Jun 25, 2015 Rachel rated it really liked it

Less than nothing - R.E Blake

4*

A story about being homeless and making something of yourself.

Sage, a 17 year old runaway, bumped into Derek, 18, when he tried to busk on her turf. After a rocky start, they partner up and what happens next is life changing.

I got pulled into their story. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I Feel that this author picked up ed sheerans life but put a spin on it. Unlike ed, sage and Derek ran away from home. They had a tough time and they both slept in h ...more

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Aug 28, 2014 Cinisajoy rated it it was amazing

I received a copy of this book for an honest review. I am totally and througholy in love with RE Blake. This is one of the best NA romances I have ever read. I take that back. Make it the best NA romance I have ever read. You feel like you are right there with Sage every moment. Fantastic work. Great book. I look forward to reading many more from RE Blake.
I highly recommend it to everyone. Even if you don't like NA or romance, this is a great book.

The only thing that would make this book even b ...more

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Jul 11, 2015 Roz Balidio rated it it was amazing

Shelves: new-adult

This book deserves more than what it's getting!

At first, I thought it was cheesy and all the crappy things like 'oh he's so gorgeous!' or 'he's so handsome I'm gonna die!' thing. It maybe but not really.

The author's style had me hooked and sent me butterflies everytime some big thing's going up. Their performances sent chills to my tummy and I felt like I was there with them, or maybe make me feel what they're feeling.

I'm also proud to say that the story made me feel like I'm watching (or readin ...more

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Sep 20, 2014 Katie Valdez rated it it was amazing

It's a great story!! Lovely book
The only con I've got is the winner hehe but I absolutely loved it!

Can't wait for the other two books.

Female POV with great touches, made me laugh, cry and even scream

You guys should totally read this one ...more

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Aug 24, 2015 Yesley rated it really liked it

3.5 Stars!!

Saw this book on kindle unlimited. Sounded interesting. Gave it a try and was not disappointed. Great characters. Great storyline. Easy to get wrapped up in. Liked it enough to continue on to the next book.

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Jul 09, 2015 Katie Pearce rated it really liked it

this book was utter trash. and I loved it! finished in one sitting, so addictive and I'm left wanting more. hoping she wrote a sequel *fingers crossed* ...more

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May 02, 2020 Carol rated it liked it

Sage and Derek met while both of them were living on the streets and singing to make a buck. When they put their talent together and were a big hit with the crowds. Dereks dream was to get to New York and try out for a talent show. He convinces Sage to come along and off they embark. Trying to find rides and dealing with predators are some of the hardships they are having. They finally make it and their digs are something to cringe about. Throughout this book all Sage can think about is how she ...more

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Jan 05, 2018 Staphysagria rated it it was amazing

A vivid description of two teenagers' life on the road. I am anxiously following their personal road trip to reach New York City to take part in that singers ' contest.And what starts as a hitchiker' s road movie gains momentum when they reach their destination. They meet new people, their lives change dramatically and then their entire future seems to shatter.... I guarantee you a sleepless night until you find out what happens to those adorable young people with their difficult backgrounds and ...more

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Jan 04, 2017 Heather rated it liked it

Shelves: half-five-star-half-not

First half (maybe even 2/3) was really good. Original story, liked the characters. After they reached New York, it just seemed to unravel.

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Jul 04, 2017 Blue rated it liked it

A bit slow at times but a unique storyline.

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May 23, 2018 Selipperydickdip rated it liked it

Shelves: tough-guy, tough-girl, parents-from-hell

This had the odd moment where it captured my attention, but mostly found myself wanting to flick past the humdrum and get the more exciting bits.

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Jul 19, 2018 Raz rated it really liked it

Complete review available: Less Than Nothing

I totally forgot when I went away with my brother's kindle eons ago (5 years, but it feels longer) that I'd downloaded a selection of free ebooks from the kindle store, so when said kindle did a little haywire dance the other day and randomly started up on the first page of this book, it was unexpected. Not unwelcome though. Blake's Less Than Nothing was a strong read though - nothing ground-breaking or 'hold the headlines' worthy, but strong, well-wri ...more

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Dec 11, 2014 Isabell rated it really liked it

First posted on Dreaming With Open Eyes

I kindly received Less Than Nothing in exchange of an honest review by the publisher.

Less Than Nothing is the breakout debut NA novel from USA Today bestseller R.E. Blake. Sage & Derek's story continues in More Than Anything (#2) and Best of Everything (#3).

Sage, a seventeen-year old teenager has been living on the streets of San Francisco for a couple of months fleeing from an alcoholic mother and abusive stepdad who treats her like shit. While most girls First posted on Dreaming With Open Eyes

I kindly received Less Than Nothing in exchange of an honest review by the publisher.

Less Than Nothing is the breakout debut NA novel from USA Today bestseller R.E. Blake. Sage & Derek's story continues in More Than Anything (#2) and Best of Everything (#3).

Sage, a seventeen-year old teenager has been living on the streets of San Francisco for a couple of months fleeing from an alcoholic mother and abusive stepdad who treats her like shit. While most girls her age would spend their time trying to tackle their school work, spending their free time with their friends/boyfriend or posting on Facebook. There is no way she can stay any longer. Sage packs her bags and becomes a street musician. Her daily routine consists of playing her guitar day by day to make enough money to buy something to eat and wash her clothes. At night no place is safe enough. She spends sleeping in various places for only a couple of hour.

Fortunately she has a best friend called Melody, when her mother is not at home she is able to take a shower every couple of days. Life is hard, but she's coping somehow. At least until another singer shows up on the same block she's been working. Derek is hot, tattooed, and charming, a singer from Seattle whose looks and talent takes her breath away. First Sage is furious, she fears he is going to her out of business but after Derek convinced her how great they perform as a duo they decide that performing together would earn them each more than they do separately. Soon they build on a close partner/friendship. Derek will not stick around for much longer because he is heading to New York to audition for a well-known TV singing competition called America's Top Singers. And before Sages realises, they’re travelling across the country together, on a path to a better future.

The review request for Less Than Nothing landed totally unexpected in my mailbox. The more I am happy to tell you how much I enjoyed this novel. I never read a book by R.E. Blake before neither did I read one with the subject of homeless teenager. Blake creates a very realistic experience of how it's like to be in the shoes of a homeless kid. In this novel he powerfully expresses that life is full of choices and the ones you choose will determine the outcome of your future. He descriptively illustrates the trials and everyday issues that these people go through. The story takes Derek and Sage hitch-hiking all the way from San Francisco to New York which I very enjoyed to read about. For me it was great to read a book with a setting outside of the UK. The trip and the competition tests their friendship a lot. It's obvious that they both have feelings for each other but they're fighting their own personal demons so it's very hard for them to get a move to one another. Sometimes it becomes a bit frustrating but the romance itself is kind of secondary to the story and I found I was just as, if not more than engrossed in the actual adventures and experiences of the characters. The story is emotional, enthralling with lots of drama which made it very difficult for me to put it down.

The ending is very well set up for the next installemt in the series. I assume it would be hard for someone to get to the end of Less Than Nothing and not want to pick up the next instalment straight away. I absolutely want to know how Dereks and Sages story continues really look forward to the next book in this series. ...more

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Sep 19, 2014 Arya rated it really liked it

I’ve gone a little bit Netgalley crazy in the last few weeks. Honestly though there are so many awesome titles out there that I just can’t help myself right now!

Less Than Nothing has a beautiful cover! I admit it I judge books by there cover. I don’t think it portrays the story perfectly but I still really liked it and it made me really interested in finding out about the book.

Anyways I really liked this book it was interesting to read and defiantly fit the bill for what I was looking for. I was I’ve gone a little bit Netgalley crazy in the last few weeks. Honestly though there are so many awesome titles out there that I just can’t help myself right now!

Less Than Nothing has a beautiful cover! I admit it I judge books by there cover. I don’t think it portrays the story perfectly but I still really liked it and it made me really interested in finding out about the book.

Anyways I really liked this book it was interesting to read and defiantly fit the bill for what I was looking for. I was really worried that this would be to cliche for me but it ended up being better than I originally hoped for.

Sage and Derek are both homeless individuals which is a topic I have never read before.

I really liked Sage most of the time she thought about herself and wasn’t wrapped around Derek’s finger like a lot of leading women are in New Adult and Young Adult. When she had to do what was best for her she did without worrying about her love interest and that was really awesome and admirable. Since the event I am talking about is rather late in the book I won’t share but Derek does something that could ruin everything for both of them and Sage does whats best for her!

After Sage decides herself is more important the book changes from a romance to a more self growth journey. Sage finds that she is a great musician on her own as well as the fact that she can do this on her own without needing Derek to succeed.

Some of the problems the characters faced were solved rather conveniently. I was expecting a little deeper method to solve Sage’s problem with the talent show. At first it was going towards a more interesting method but then it switched to a more convenient way to solve the problem.

About two thirds in to the book Sage’s attitude towards Derek changed and every thought she had was about Derek and wanting him and her to get together which was really annoying until Derek messed up.

Okay, I feel like I was bashing Derek without meaning to Derek was a good character. Seeing the story from Sage’s POV I can understand why she acted the way she did and honestly I might of too if I was in the same situation. If you look at it from his point of view though I get it! A lot of things happen that lead up to the moment and I see where he came from and more of his history is shared later in the book and that adds to that concept as well. Derek was a likable love interest overall and I am glad to read about him.

When I accepted this book from Netgalley I didn’t know that this was a series that followed the same characters throughout the whole series. I expected it to follow the trends of each book following different characters but it didn’t. I don’t know how I feel about that. I liked the ending it was kinda mysterious in the since . I also have a fear of second books in series! They almost never live up to my expectations and let me down. A lot of drama unfolds without a real reason. With that being said I don’t know if I will be continuing this series or not. i was happy with the ending and I can happily leave it the way it is but I never know I might crave so Sage and Derek and pick up the next book in the series!

This was a decent book I liked it! It had good moments and parts I rolled my eyes at but it wasn’t nearly as hard to get through as some other books.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read about musicians,homeless teens, or New Adults lovers ...more

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Jul 10, 2015 Sophie rated it it was ok

Shelves: summer-2015, 2015

2015 summer reading #4

I liked this book. It isn't one of my favourites but it's decent. Again it was another full length novel free on the kindle app.

It is about a seventeen year old girl called Sage who is homeless and sings to make a little bit of money in San Francisco. That's where she meets Derek, another street performer who is on his way to preform in a talent show to boost his career. He convinces Sage to go with him to preform as a duo. Along the way it seems he isn't the person she th 2015 summer reading #4

I liked this book. It isn't one of my favourites but it's decent. Again it was another full length novel free on the kindle app.

It is about a seventeen year old girl called Sage who is homeless and sings to make a little bit of money in San Francisco. That's where she meets Derek, another street performer who is on his way to preform in a talent show to boost his career. He convinces Sage to go with him to preform as a duo. Along the way it seems he isn't the person she thought he was and she questions who she has actually gone on the road with. When they make it to New York they face even more problems of the harsh locals and living in underground tunnels, then there is the contest it's self. With Sage torn between loving Derek and being frightened of him, she doesn't know what to do anymore.

I thought that this would be another Stone Cold when I first started reading this. But it was actually pretty enjoyable. I enjoyed the fun lighthearted banter Derek and Sage had but both of the characters took their turns to annoy me to death as well.

I felt like the beginning of the book when they were in San Fran was too drawn out. We got every single little detail of their one week together there. That one week was 37% of the book. Then the eight day road trip was the next 21% and the actual contest was only 42% considering that should have been the part written in most detail since it lasted 6weeks! I would have much rather read more about them being in New York for the talent show then read about them busking in San Fran.

Cover: I like the cover a lot, 8/10. I think it's darkness shows the reality of living on the streets while the closeness of the people show how much they trust each other and love one another even if they shouldn't. You can't really tell from the cover though that it is about homeless kids though.

Plot: besides the length of each part of the plot I did enjoy it. 7/10. I didn't know what the book was about when going into it and I did enjoy it. However I felt like it just kept going and going. I don't think I will be buying the sequel (More Than Anything).

Characters: The characters reacted well together but both annoyed me equally. 6/10

Sage: she was feisty and smart mouthed yet too innocent and sweet. The two different parts of her personality seemed to clash which just made me stress about how she can be feisty and sassy but innocent and virtuous. She was very old fashioned, not wanting to make the first move on Derek while complaining the whole time how much she loved him and wanted to be with him. Also she was talking this way when she knew nothing about him, he could have been a murderer for all she knew and she would have still travelled the length of the country with him.

Derek: was said to be adorable and hot and every other thing a girl wants in a guy yet, to me personally, he seemed characterless. He didn't do much besides get himself and Sage into trouble, yet when she did it he would criticise her. He seemed two dimentional and I can't tell if it's because the story is written through Sage's point of view. The only characteristic he had was being sneaky and secretive and keeping things from Sage then getting into fights.

Over all I would recomend this book to people who are bored and want something to do. I haven't read many books like it so I can't make too many other suggestions.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ ...more

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Sep 16, 2014 Carrie Lahain rated it it was amazing

Shelves: delightful-will-read-again, want-a-sequel, completely-unique, funny-and-touching

** I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Two homeless young street performers join forces and travel across the country to try out for a talent show that could change their lives.

Seventeen-year-old Sage has been on the streets in San Francisco for four months after escaping her dysfunctional home. Using her guitar and vocal talent, she makes enough to keep herself fed--barely. Sleeping is another matter. She spends most nights traveling from spot to spot ** I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Two homeless young street performers join forces and travel across the country to try out for a talent show that could change their lives.

Seventeen-year-old Sage has been on the streets in San Francisco for four months after escaping her dysfunctional home. Using her guitar and vocal talent, she makes enough to keep herself fed--barely. Sleeping is another matter. She spends most nights traveling from spot to spot, trying to catch a couple of hours here or there. Thanks to some friends she's made, she's able to take showers every couple of days. Life is hard, but she's surviving. At least until another singer shows up on the same block she's been working. Derek is handsome and talented, and he pulls in more cash than Sage ever managed. She's sure he's going to put her right out of business. When she confronts Derek, he tells her he's only sticking around a week or so and offers to buddy up with her and split the take. It takes some convincing, but Sage agrees and soon she and Derek build a solid partnership. She finds out he's heading to New York to audition for a well-known TV singing competition and ends up going with him. The journey and the competition dredge up all sorts of personal demons that test their fragile friendship.

LESS THAN NOTHING is lodged firmly within Sage's POV. It's a nice seat for readers. She's mature, complicated and yet still innocent in many ways. Derek is a teen dream, but he's got more baggage than most forty-somethings. The attraction between Sage and Derek is built up gradually. Sage's tendency to over think combined with Derek's secretiveness exerts a nice breaking force. As close as the two get, there's an invisible boundary between them. This means great tension for the reader.

The author also does a good job creating interesting secondary characters--both friends that help the couple along the way and predators that mean them harm. Details of the characters' day-to-day lives are well handled. Readers gets a good sense of life on the streets of a big city. Sage and Derek's journey to New York is shown in vivid scenes that give a genuine sense of physical movement as well providing plenty plot advancement and character development.

For a New Adult novel, there's a refreshing lack of sexual content, yet also plenty of emotion and sexual tension. I was constantly surprised by how REAL Sage and Derek seemed.

There isn't much to criticize about LESS THAN NOTHING. The last few chapters are a bit rushed compared to the bulk of the book. Though not completely resolved, the story ends with enough strings tied that it could be a stand-alone. On one hand, I'm glad it's the first of a trilogy. There's a lot of material left to work with and explore. On the other hand, too often I've seen the beautiful honesty and emotion of a book watered down as the author twists and stretches it into a series. I have high hopes that R.E. Blake won't take this misstep. Guess, I'll have to wait and see! ...more

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Oct 15, 2014 Vivian rated it it was amazing

An inspirational story about a boy and girl finding each other in the least likely of circumstances. Their story is about life's many trials and how to live through them in one piece.
Sage is just trying to survive, one day at a time. She’s running from a painful past and lives by the motto tattooed on the side of her ribcage “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” She needs no one…until Derek.

Derek has been on his own for 3 yrs, living on the streets as a street performer. No a ...more

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