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The Crush

(The Ballad of Emery Brooks #1)

Allyson Kennedy (Goodreads Author)

4.36 · Rating details · 25 ratings · 26 reviews

Never settle for anything less.

A combination hopeless romantic and old soul trapped in a teenager’s body, closet musician Emery Brooks wonders if she’ll ever find a love as timeless as her grandparents’. Fear of judgment and social alienation due to her older brother’s past mistakes render her incapable of writing a love song. Still, Emery holds fast to the ideals her Gra ...more

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Paperback, 280 pages

Published October 24th 2020 by Allyson Kennedy

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Aug 27, 2020 Emma rated it it was amazing

Shelves: genre-contemporary, genre-young-adult, read-on-ipad-phone, review-copies, 2020-reads, indie-books

How do you review a book that made you cry your eyes out and turned your world upside down? — I don’t know but I’m going to try because this book definitely deserves a review. Honestly, I don’t know how to feel about the ending. As a lover of happy endings, it was hard to face. Just know this book is sad and will make you cry! But it will make you smile too.

From the first few pages (and the cover because I love it so much!), I knew I was going to like this book. Really love it. I connected with ...more

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Apr 04, 2020 Allyson added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: young-adult, clean-young-adult, contemporary-young-adult, north-carolina, set-in-the-south, young-adult-romance, young-adult-series, mental-health, christian-fiction, books-by-me

2-21-2022 Update: The Crush is currently on sale for the first time ever for $1.99 on all my ebook retailers, from now until February 26th! Grab your copy here: https://books2read.com/thecrush-theba...

Paperbacks and ebooks are now available! Grab your own copy here: https://books2read.com/thecrush-theba... .

A tale of love and loss reminiscent of old-fashioned values with a bit of sass and music mixed in, The Crush is perfect for fans of A Walk to Remember and This Lullaby.

Add Book 2, The Fall t ...more

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Sep 14, 2020 Eloria rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-read

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

ok um wow...

what an emotional ride! And to be honest I feel mildly betrayed by that ending. One of the craziest curve balls ever thrown at me!

But so anyway... this book was so good. At first I was not liking it that much. It just seemed like another one of those cheesy cliche christian books but once I got into it, man I fell in love with the characters.

What I liked:

Kennendys writing style is so nice. Often nowad ...more

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Jul 31, 2020 R.J. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: need-a-physical-copy, edited

UPDATED: 9/14/20
I’ve read and reviewed Allyson Kennedy’s books before, and while I’ve always, always loved her stories, I was not even ready for The Crush.

YA Christian Contemporary is a much needed genre, but it’s very hard to find books within this genre that are both amazing stories, and amazing at presenting Christianity in a way that isn’t preachy. The Crush is a story that is so amazing that I literally laughed out loud and cried my eyes out in more than one place. It’s so beautiful.

Emery UPDATED: 9/14/20
I’ve read and reviewed Allyson Kennedy’s books before, and while I’ve always, always loved her stories, I was not even ready for The Crush.

YA Christian Contemporary is a much needed genre, but it’s very hard to find books within this genre that are both amazing stories, and amazing at presenting Christianity in a way that isn’t preachy. The Crush is a story that is so amazing that I literally laughed out loud and cried my eyes out in more than one place. It’s so beautiful.

Emery has a heart of gold and I loved watching her grow up and mature into the young lady she is. And Sawyer, oh my goodness, he was so special and brought an entirely new dynamic into the storyline. This couple is so perfectly imperfect. You will find it incredibly easy to root for their success.

One thing that makes this Christian YA stand out from others is how raw and real Allyson is in including how messed up Christian families can be. I think one of the biggest flaws in Christian fiction is illustrating the idea that these once-bad characters accept Jesus and then suddenly they make all the right decisions or take every bad thing that happens to them with a grain of salt and portray that life is suddenly laid out perfectly before them. Sure some bad things still happen, but now they have this perfect wisdom in how to navigate it just because they became Christians. And that is just so not true! The Crush portrays the realism of being Christians and showing that even though Jesus is the king of our lives and we’re doing the best we can, we still make terrible decisions, we still fall apart at night when no one is looking because we don’t know what to do, and we still struggle to move past things that will forever change our worlds. The Crush shows what being a Christian is really like, especially as a teen.

I also liked how there is a show of toxicity in church and how throughout the book, Allyson illustrates through actions of other characters that just because someone goes to church, doesn’t mean they should be looked up to as role models; including adults. I think that is an incredibly important message to share with teens, because in many of these toxic churches, a teen’s faith can be easily squashed by an adult because teens are simply told to “obey” or “respect” the elders without question as to whether the adult is in line with the Word or not. And while respect should always be taught, teens need to know that not all adults (whether they are leaders in the church or not) are always correctly aligned with the Word; which is why personal Bible studies are so important in your teens. But more importantly than just showing how a church can be toxic, I loved how she incorporated that even in leaving one church, it’s still important to find another. Not because you can’t be a Christian if you don’t go to church (so FALSE), but because it’s important to surround yourself with other believers who can help to build you up and walk through life with you.

There is honestly so much about this book that I loved and I could probably go on and on about it. The way it’s written, the SONGS that were included (O.M.G. I just cried, like, so hard), and really just everything about this book. My husband laughed at me because everytime I looked up from reading this book I was crying, either from pure happiness or complete anguish. There was hardly an in between. I give The Crush a solid 5 out of 5 stars and cannot wait until the next book in The Ballad of Emery Brooks comes out!

Trigger warnings: Depression/anxiety. Mentions of attempted suicide and death of family members. Some mentions of partying. There is no cursing and no sexual content (aside from a few kisses).

Though I did have the privilege of editing this novel, all of my opinions are entirely true and would not be different if I had picked this book up on my own.

This is a LiteratureApproved.com Review.

7/30/2020
Review to come soon, but OMG. Just plan on pre-ordering this books folks.

via GIPHY

...more

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Sep 30, 2020 Anna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian-fiction, arcs, clean-romance, contemporary, young-adult

“I’m ashamed to admit I may be wrong, for now my heart is a puzzle I’m struggling to solve.” - The Crush (The Ballad of Emery Brooks, #1) by Allyson Kennedy
—————————————————
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
The Crush was so good!! It follows Emery Brooks from her last few weeks of middle school to halfway through her junior year of high school as she learns about life, first love, and God’s grace.
The Crush is set in a small NC town, which is so similar to where my mom grew up! In a lot of ways, Grahamwood feels l ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 Jes Drew rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian, clean, emotional-punch-to-the-gut, high-stakes, relateable-heroine, romance, ya

I've read two of Allyson's books before, and I liked them both. But I like this cover most of all, and thought I'd like this story the most, too. I was right.

But at what cost?

This story is everything one would expect from a sweet contemporary coming-of-age tale with a hint of romance.

Except that it's way, way more.

Brooke is such a relatable character, and old soul with a young heart. She longs for romance, but has both feet planted firmly on the ground. She has a loving family and a good friend, ...more

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Sep 09, 2020 Loretta Marchize rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-books

This book definitely took me on a rollercoaster! There were some plot twists I did NOT expect! I enjoyed reading it. I read it in about 2 1/2 hours, in one afternoon. (I do read very fast). I couldn't put it down!

It was a little deeper and darker than I'd originally expected it to be. It's definitely for a little bit more mature audience, but it's pretty clean overall. I actually enjoyed it even more than I thought I would, and I'm considering marking it as one of my favorite novels.

I received a ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Hufflepuff Book Reviewer rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, coming-of-age, redemptive, christian, modern-young-adult-realism, young-adult-realism

When I first read Allyson Kennedy’s debut novel Can’t Beat the Heart of a Carolina Girl more than two years ago, I realized that I enjoyed the author’s style immensely. But I still deemed her a fairly generic YA romance writer, who writes ‘fluffy’ stories about young people meeting their true loves. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, to be clear. Fluffy reads can be great!) But then when I read Kennedy’s second novel, Speak Your Mind, an inspiring coming-of-age story that centers on per When I first read Allyson Kennedy’s debut novel Can’t Beat the Heart of a Carolina Girl more than two years ago, I realized that I enjoyed the author’s style immensely. But I still deemed her a fairly generic YA romance writer, who writes ‘fluffy’ stories about young people meeting their true loves. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that, to be clear. Fluffy reads can be great!) But then when I read Kennedy’s second novel, Speak Your Mind, an inspiring coming-of-age story that centers on personal growth and tackling inner demons, I realized that I could not have been more wrong about the author. She could certainly write one heck of a deep story! So I was a tad disappointed to hear that Kennedy’s third novel was going to be titled The Crush—a title that seemed to lend itself more to romance than coming-of-age, which is where I felt the author most excelled. Yet again, I could not have been wrong. In The Crush, Allyson Kennedy blends the genres of romance and coming-of-age to produce by far her most mature and heartfelt work yet. It has been such a pleasure to watch Kennedy’s craft steadily improve through each book she writes!

The main character of The Crush is Emery Brooks, known at school as Grandma Emmy, who is something of an old soul in a fifteen-year-old’s body. She dreams of someday encountering the same kind of warm and palpable romantic love that her grandparents share. She has tried to guard her heart so intensely that she has never even had a real crush. So, when she finds herself begrudgingly drawn to Sawyer Alston, a jaded and troubled teen who claims not to even believe in love, her primary feeling is annoyance. Why does this cynic of all people have to be her first crush?

One of the things that I most love about the Crush is the way that Kennedy deconstructs Sawyer’s character. He is so complex, so broken, and so human—although his flaws are not romanticized, as is the case with so many other male love interests in romance novels. Through his character, Kennedy merely explores what it is like to be a teen with a good heart but a broken soul—but also how God can work to put a broken soul back together. So good!

This gives way to another thing that I loved about The Crush. The Christian themes are incorporated beautifully and organically! They never feel forced or overbearing. What’s more, I ate up the way that Kennedy explores Christian hypocrisy through the dysfunction and favoritism taking place at Emery’s home church—while also showing Emery’s family eventually finding another church. The author illustrates that, while individual churches can indeed be broken, the Church as a whole is still vital.

And….can I just be the 4,797,398th reviewer to praise the ending? I didn’t at all see it coming, and it just about ripped my heart out. Suffice it to say, the conclusion of this narrative is gritty, powerful, and ultimately heartbreaking. Gahhhhhhhh!

Any critiques that I could mention for The Crush would be minor and subjective. For one, Emery’s feelings toward Sawyer (especially in regard to whether she wants a relationship with him) seems to fluctuate in ways that I struggled to make sense of. Then again, maybe this is because I am a guy. Also, having now read three of Kennedy’s books, I am starting to realize that the main characters’ best female friends rarely seem to have particularly compelling personalities. They all have seemed to blend together into one for me. In fact, none of the characters in this book aside from Emery, Sawyer, and Abeline really shined for me.

Nitpicky critiques aside, though, The Crush is an unforgettable story about God’s redeeming power. It now follows A Walk to Remember as my second favorite romance novel I’ve ever read! ...more

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Aug 28, 2020 Rose (Adventurous Bookworm) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian, clean, contemporary, romance, 01-young-adult

Looking at the title, you may think that this is a fluffy read, just full of sparkles and glitter. That would be inaccurate. This book was so emotional, thought-provoking, and real.

One of the best parts about this book was the emphasis on friendship. Even though Sawyer and Emery were dating, they focused on keeping a strong friendship instead of a romantic one.

Also, can we get a round of applause for a romance that is not 'insta' anything? I really liked how this book was set over the course of ...more

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Oct 24, 2020 Mary Elizabeth rated it really liked it

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for this review. ;)

This book is so well-written, and the characters are very in-depth! I love how Emery- the main character- is searching endlessly for her true love, but at the same time making careful decisions about who she lets into her heart!
This book is appropriate for ages 11-18, and is the perfect introduction for young readers to christian romance novels. It assists young readers in understanding God's plan for your future!
What I didn't ...more

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Jun 17, 2020 M. Boyle rated it it was amazing

Kennedy's YA novel The Crush gives an honest look at what it means to support someone with depression and stay true to God's plan - and how to make music out of it all. It's a lesson-packed novel that would be excellent for a book club.

I received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Feb 07, 2021 Karen (BaronessBookTrove) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Crush by Allyson Kennedy is about two people falling in love and believing in God.
Does Emery find her forever man like her grandma Adeline did?
Emery Brooks
We follow Emery Brooks from her last few days as an eighth-grader to going to high school. Emery isn't just a normal fourteen-year-old girl as she idolized her grandparents' love for each other. So much happens for Emery, from when we first start her book to the very end when she's sixteen. Emery is a good character, even if it's a bit ...more

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Sep 08, 2020 book_loversdreams Betty rated it it was amazing

Book Review:

I received this beautiful ARC called “The Crush: The Ballad of Emmery Brooks, Volume1” from its author Allyson Kennedy @authorallysonkennedy for my honest opinion of her newest novel which will be coming out Saturday October 24th, 2020❤️

The story revolves around a young sassy southern girl named Emmery Brooks whom we initially meet when she is 14 years old and watch her evolve over a 3 year period of time. She is brought up in a family with a strong faith in the church. She has a won Book Review:

I received this beautiful ARC called “The Crush: The Ballad of Emmery Brooks, Volume1” from its author Allyson Kennedy @authorallysonkennedy for my honest opinion of her newest novel which will be coming out Saturday October 24th, 2020❤️

The story revolves around a young sassy southern girl named Emmery Brooks whom we initially meet when she is 14 years old and watch her evolve over a 3 year period of time. She is brought up in a family with a strong faith in the church. She has a wonderful support system in her mom and dad as well as a younger sister Auden and older brother Rider. Her Grandma Adeline and Grandpa Amos are her greatest role models. They had a love that spanned over 50 years that was beautiful in the eyes of Emmery beyond words. Her Grandma always reminded her that god would lead her to her true love and until then she need never settle for less.

We watch as Emmery navigates her life through school, church, music, family, friends, and love. Emmery spends free time writing music and playing her guitar. This helps her to express her love of god, family and friends. As a teenager Emmery is very concerned that she has never had a “crush” and her biggest dream stems from the magical love that her grandparents had. She is afraid she will never have that kind of love? Or will things change when a young man named Sawyer Alston moves into the town of Grahamwood, NC.

Ms. Kennedy also tackles the issue of mental health and its profound effects in the lives of teens. Mental illness not only effects the person but all those around them. The author is able to superbly convey its impact to us the reader.

Verdict:

Ms. Kennedy has written a book that will touch you in so many ways and leave you wanting more. This can be looked at as a book for YA but in all honesty I loved reading this book.She touches on issues that we can all relate too in one way or another. For me more than that I could not put this book down and that is always a good sign. I give this book 5/5 stars. ...more

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Sep 03, 2020 Julia rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 24, 2020 Blessed & Bookish rated it really liked it

The Crush by Allyson Kennedy is a sweet, young-adult story with an old-soul vibe. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters in this story, and I especially loved Emery and Ryanne. They are all so genuine--even the characters you aren’t meant to like. And while the story may have moved a little slow at times, it was full of real-life, heartfelt issues that are so, so relevant today. You will quickly get swept away in Emery’s quest to guard her heart for the love God has for her. You will fall ...more

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Nov 12, 2020 Ryan Elizabeth rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, contemporary, young-adult

4/5

(I received a copy of this book to review by the author, but all opinions are my own!)

What I thought was going to be your average fluffy, cute love story turned out to be a thought-provoking and emotional story (while still sweet) with a lot of depth.

I LOVED the writing style! I don't know how to exactly describe it, but it was really enjoyable to read.

Overall, I'm really impressed by Allyson Kennedy right now.

I'd mostly recommend this for younger teens. :)

~(May add more to review later!)~ ...more

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Dec 07, 2020 Shamika Lindsay rated it it was amazing

A sweet book with a southern flair. I must say. I'm a huge fan of books that transport me to another realm. And this did just that. It was so innocent and sweet that I smiled like a goofball at certain scenes. But ugh completely adorable.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more

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Sep 17, 2020 Naomi rated it liked it

Shelves: read-and-reviewed

I think this book told a really sweet story, but... not for the right age group. I don't think it is healthy for someone so young to be so obsessed with finding the person they're going to spend the rest of their life with... which leads me to the relationship.

When she is fourteen she meets the Sawyer- the guy, the crush- and I don't want to repeat myself, but like I said she has an unhealthy obsession with finding the one (who she decides is Sawyer).

Sawyer is the love interest, and when the boo I think this book told a really sweet story, but... not for the right age group. I don't think it is healthy for someone so young to be so obsessed with finding the person they're going to spend the rest of their life with... which leads me to the relationship.

When she is fourteen she meets the Sawyer- the guy, the crush- and I don't want to repeat myself, but like I said she has an unhealthy obsession with finding the one (who she decides is Sawyer).

Sawyer is the love interest, and when the book starts out he is a senior in high school. I don't think it is too weird for a fourteen year old girl to have a crush on someone a few years older than her, but (spoiler...) -he-starts to like -her- it freaked me out a little bit. It did end up they were only 2 and 1/2 years apart or so, but it still seemed really hard to be okay with.

So they start dating. But I really felt like they didn't have a healthy relationship, Sawyer wasn't in a good space mentally (which isn't to say you can't date someone then, but.... maybe you shouldn't when you both are so young). I felt like there came a point where Sawyer (didn't say this but I felt like that's what their relationship had come too) would have been like, "If you break up with me, I'll kill myself". And... that's intense... in a very negative way.

But I don't just have negative opinions on this book! I feel like I unloaded a lot of negative stuff, and I don't think that it was really that I didn't like this book- I just felt like the main relationship was unhealthy which... affected the whole book.

I did really like that the book was set in 2008- it was kind of different. Most books, unless they were written then, aren't set then. So it was a nice switch, still contemporary but still not happening right now.

Emery is a song writer, and I loved the songs she wrote! I wish this book had come with a CD so I could listen to all the songs that were written in the book. I think that would have been really cool.

Another thing that I really liked and I feel like you really don't see a lot in books, is the unhealth church they were a part of. Usually (in my experience) when a church is portrayed in fiction it's always portrayed positively.... but that isn't always the case in real life. A church is made up of sinners, so it might be nice to see a church every now and then that isn't super great. (There was a slight disappointment where Emery just decided to go to a different church and that was the end of that. It might have been nice to see her struggling to fit in, or struggle with that decision, or something. But it was still a positive in my opinion).

Okay, and the last thing: even though I felt like Sawyer and Emery's relationship was a big "maybe you should NOT" (in my opinion, and this is directed at the characters, I'm not saying that the author is bad!) I still really enjoyed the book. The songs, the 2008-ness, the friendship, and the small town-ness of it. My love of it combined with the things that concerned me made me decide on giving the book 3 out of 5 stars.

I am very interested in seeing what else Allyson has in store of Emery.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. ...more

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Aug 29, 2020 Hairi rated it it was amazing

I finished an e-ARC of The Crush by Allyson Kennedy. Thank you for letting me read an e-Arc in exchange for my honest review. It was a rollercaoster of emotions. It was so deep and heart breaking.
The journey of the main character, Emery, in search of love was so painful. She deserved so much better than what she got. I Could feel how beautiful her heart was. Always there for her family, suffering alone in order to spare others from the pain. Well, not everyone can do that. My heart broke for he I finished an e-ARC of The Crush by Allyson Kennedy. Thank you for letting me read an e-Arc in exchange for my honest review. It was a rollercaoster of emotions. It was so deep and heart breaking.
The journey of the main character, Emery, in search of love was so painful. She deserved so much better than what she got. I Could feel how beautiful her heart was. Always there for her family, suffering alone in order to spare others from the pain. Well, not everyone can do that. My heart broke for her. She was such a gem person. It was so heart-warming how she admired her grandparents and their love. She listened to her grandma's advice and kept it to her heart till the end. I so so want a friend like Emery. She had such a pure heart that she even forgave those who wounded her in the past and kept hurting her till the end. I admired her the way she managed her pain all alone on her own. I want to be like her.
Auden and Rider were great characters and they really helped Emery in many ways. My heart ached for the pain Rider went through. As for Auden, she made me worried till the end. I was always afraid something bad will happen to her. At some occasions, I was annoyed with her because of the way she behaved with her sister. But since she was just a child, I still liked her.
Ryanne was such a supportive friend and I am glad Emery had someone whom she could trust.
Bryn was a bit irritating but the character that I like the least was her brother, Sawyer. Don't get me wrong here. I totally understand what he was going through and I don't blame him for anything but he certainly had no right to treat Emery the way he did. It was not her fault that life was hard on him. She tried so hard for him. I think she deserved better love than he gave her. Like till the end, he talked about his ex, his first love. That was so unfair. He was really insensitive towards her. He couldn't even let go of his ex.This fact washed away all the good things he did for her.
The story was so close to reality. I was expecting a fairytale but got hit with bitter realities. The good thing about this book was how the author has portrayed the relationship between God and His people. It had a great message that a person should rely on God alone. I learned a lot from this book. It will stay in my heart for a long time. I loved this book although the ending was so unexpected that I wanted to scream and shout. It was so unfair. My heart is still crying for Emery. ...more

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Oct 14, 2020 Samantha B rated it really liked it

The first thing that comes to mind when I think about the setting of this novel is "very Southern". I've never been to the South for more than a week, so I really don't know a lot about it. But after this book...I feel like I've been dunked in the South for the couple of days it took me to read it. Excellent immersion in the setting.

The plot was perhaps the strongest, but also strangest, part of this book. The book spans two years, showing the trajectory of Emery's thoughts/feelings about Sawyer The first thing that comes to mind when I think about the setting of this novel is "very Southern". I've never been to the South for more than a week, so I really don't know a lot about it. But after this book...I feel like I've been dunked in the South for the couple of days it took me to read it. Excellent immersion in the setting.

The plot was perhaps the strongest, but also strangest, part of this book. The book spans two years, showing the trajectory of Emery's thoughts/feelings about Sawyer. But a lot of it moves r e a l l y s l o w l y. And then the last third moves so quickly that I was left thinking "did that actually just happen? Really?" So: the pacing could use work. But I thought the author did a good job of "slice of life" writing--showing us what Emery's life looks like, how Sawyer changes that, and so on. I was a bit confused by the ending, not in that I couldn't figure out what happens, but I thought it sliiiightly invalidated a lot of the conflict of the previous parts of the plot. Emery did change and evolve a LOT throughout the plot, so I suppose that was part of the point of the ending.

I thought the MC, Emery, was really, really well painted--realistic, with a love of songwriting and dogs and music. I appreciated how her guarding of her heart went a little too far, and was partially a flaw and partially a strength (something I relate to, I think, although I've never been in a relationship). I also thought Sawyer was well-drawn. Some of the side characters seemed a bit flat.

The romance is done really well--the MC is really careful about guarding her heart, and not falling too hard for a boy right away. The romance is also purposely taken slowly, which I love. There are a bunch of cute moments between the two "romancees" involving Christian things (reading the Bible, etc.), which I really liked.

Content: Some vaguely described kissing, death

I overall give this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to four for the purposes of the BookSirens review team. A longer review will be posted on my blog later this month, at samsbookshire.blogspot.com

*I received an electronic advance copy for free, in exchange for a voluntary, honest review.* ...more

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Oct 25, 2020 Katelyn Furtick rated it really liked it · review of another edition

**I received a digital ARC of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**

I want to start by alerting to trigger warnings for suicide attempt and depression.

This was such a sweet little story! It is a very young adult novel. It follows our main character, Emery, from ages 14-16. It is a great coming-of-age story.

The writing was really good, it kept my attention and made me want to continue reading. It reminded me so much of my raising. Being set ...more

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Sep 02, 2020 Megan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5)

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Emery has a goal in life: she wants to find a love like the love between her grandparents. However, the people in Emery’s small town don’t care for her family too much. It doesn’t help that Emery has an old soul, discouraging most people from being friends with her. Suddenly, the Alston family moves into town. Emery meets Sawyer, a boy who no longer believes in love after the disastrous marriage of his p ...more

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Oct 27, 2020 Riddhi B. rated it liked it

First of all, thank you for providing an eARC to me, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely mine and they are not influenced by anyone.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

The Crush is a very well written novel by Allyson Kennedy. The language is lucid, the characters are well-portrayed and I enjoyed reading it. However, there were a couple of flaws in the book.
First off, I was warned that there was mild Christianity in the book but in the book the word 'God' was literally in every other se ...more

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Sep 03, 2020 Faith rated it really liked it

The Crush was excellent. The beginning was fabulous, and I would love to read the next book in the series, as the ending was jarring but beautifully foreshadowed. I enjoyed the pacing and the characters, specifically Ryanne. I recommend The Crush highly and await the next book eagerly!

*Note: I received an advance review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily*

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Oct 13, 2020 Tressa (Wishful Endings) added it

Review to come.

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May 07, 2022 Trigger Warning Database added it

Shelves: depression, mental-illness, suicide-and-attempted-suicide, add-to-site

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Attempted suicide
Depression

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About Allyson Kennedy

Allyson Kennedy

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Allyson Kennedy is an author from eastern North Carolina whose main goal for writing is to honor God without sugarcoating the realities of the world. In her time as an indie author, she has written contemporary fiction books for middle graders and young adults, and non-fiction for Christian authors. When she's not writing, Allyson enjoys watching movies with her husband, shooting arrows with her r ...more

Other books in the series

The Ballad of Emery Brooks (2 books)

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Quotes from The Crush

“He once told me not to cry over him, that he wasn’t worth it. That he wasn’t worth being cared about by anyone else. That he was replaceable. Discardable. Trash.
That’s what the world decided he was, but the world never knew Sawyer Alston quite like I did. Despite my love of a lifetime allotting me only ten months’ time, despite Sawyer taking to heart all the wrong things in life, he only ended up being wrong about one thing.
He was worth it to me.” — 2 likes

“All I want is my own love story, and all I get are fake chances with guys who don’t understand what love is.” — 1 likes

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The Crush

(The Ballad of Emery Brooks #1)

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