Ah, another Heather Wardell book on the blog. I’m happy to announce I have read and reviewed all of her books, and she is at the top of my Favorite Authors list. Live Out Loud captures the story of Amy, hobbyist songwriter with a heavy goal on her mind – honor the memory of her late childhood friend. Amy thinks the way to do this is to start a support center for teenage girls, but when Amy suddenly catapults to fame thanks to a video of her singings blows up the internet, Amy is faced to realize that maybe the center isn’t meant to be. Amy – now posing as Misty Will, hit pop star – has fame at her door and teenage girls following her every move. Can Amy really give up being Misty – or is the call of fame too strong for her to ignore?
Another book I highly enjoyed from Wardell. Amy is such a confused character, so sure that she knows what she wants just unsure how to reach it, but at the same time – she’s hopelessly lost. She knows she wants to honor her friend, but it’s fairly obvious that she has no idea how to go about the center. I loved the pop culture twist in the book – how to become an overnight sensation with just an uploaded video, the pressures celebrities have on them when their considered to be role models, and the great content that gets delivered in each book from Wardell. There are some hard hitting topics discussed – from teen death to abortions – but the story is very touching and I would definitely recommend Live Out Loud.
[Rating: 4]