Book Review: Live Out Loud

Title:  Live Out Loud
Author:  Heather Wardell
Where I got it:  From the author, in exchange for an honest review

Amazon Summary:

Amy's a hobbyist songwriter with big dreams, but not the usual 'making it as a musician' kind. No, Amy wants to honor her late best friend by finally starting the support center for teenage girls they'd dreamed of when they were just girls themselves. She doesn't know where to start, but when one of her songs becomes an overnight internet sensation she sees a quick path to the money she'll need to make the center a reality. As white-hot pop sensation Misty Will, Amy finds a whole new world opening to her and realizes she loves being on stage holding an audience spellbound. She also loves how her young fans look up to her and draw strength from her songs, but of course they don't know the awful thing she did after her friend died and how badly she could have used a support center herself. She knows, though, and also knows that she simply has to leave her new pop princess identity behind and become Amy the center director as she's dreamed of for eight years. Doesn't she?

My Thoughts:

Sometimes it seems like the hardest thing to figure out is what we want to be when we grow up.  Especially when we have parents, friends, and teachers sticking their noses in with their opinions and well meaning advice.  Right?  Live Out Loud is a book about exactly that - figuring out if what you always thought you wanted to do, or should do, is really what you want. 

The first time that Amy has ever finished something, it was publishing her own CD of self written/recorded music.  She never expected that her album would get real interest from the music industry, or that she'd end up really enjoying her life as a performer.  Even when she agrees to work with a recording studio, she figures she'll only do it for a while to raise money for her real goal - starting a support center for teenage girls.  She and her friend Giselle had big plans for the center before Giselle passed away in high school, and Amy's always been determined to achieve this goal for both of them, and in Giselle's memory, but is that the right direction for her?

Amy is an awesome character, battling with questions that we've all faced.  She wants to start the center because of various events in her past, but at the same time, loves her budding career in music.  She isn't perfect, but she also has principles and values that she isn't willing to forsake just for popularity.  At the end of the day, she has to figure out what's right for her, and how to make that work, and the results are surprising!

It's hard to deal with conflict of the "what do I do with my life" variety, especially in public, and especially when the people closest to you aren't necessarily supportive.  I loved that the characters were all really normal people - some could handle the celebrity lifestyle, some thought it was odd.  Some were jerks, and some were really awesome people.  And it's especially fun to watch Amy grow as she deals with the challenges she faces both personally and professionally.

I completely enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to others by this author!