REVIEW and GIVEAWAY
Going Off Script
by Jen Wilde
Going Off Script by Jen Wilde is currently on tour with Xpresso Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my review, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
A TV writer's room intern must join forces with her crush to keep her boss from ruining a lesbian character in this diverse contemporary YA romance from the author of Queens of Geek.
Seventeen-year-old Bex is thrilled when she gets an internship on her favorite tv show, Silver Falls. Unfortunately, the internship isn't quite what she expected ... instead of sitting in a crowded writer's room volleying ideas back and forth, Production Interns are stuck picking up the coffee.
Determined to prove her worth as a writer, Bex drafts her own script and shares it with the head writer - who promptly reworks it and passes it off as his own! Bex is understandably furious, yet ... maybe this is just how the industry works? But when they rewrite her proudly lesbian character as straight, that's the last straw! It's time for Bex and her crush to fight back.
Jen Wilde's newest novel is both a fun, diverse love story and a very relevant, modern take on the portrayal of LGBT characters in media.
Excerpt
The door of the bus hisses as it folds open, and a burst of warm air swirls around me. I heave my suitcase down the steps and squint through the glare bouncing off the sidewalk.
I’m here. I’m actually in Los Angeles. After spending years daydreaming about this moment, it’s happening. And it’s even better than I imagined, because this is real. The sun is burning my pale skin, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and exhaust fumes fill the air, and I’m kicking myself for thinking my fave plaid shirt was a smart outfit choice in this weather. But it’s all okay, because I made it.
I open Google Maps on my phone and check the street signs. I’ve stared at the map of West Hollywood so many times in the last few months that I could probably find Parker’s street in my sleep, but the part of me that likes to be in control needs to have the map ready, just in case.
“Okay,” I say quietly to myself. “I’m on Santa Monica Boulevard. Good.”
I start walking, dragging my suitcase with its one busted wheel behind me. It’s Sunday afternoon, and there’s a chill vibe in the air. Tattooed people in printed shirts and oversize sunglasses sip cocktails at trendy outdoor cafés. Locals stroll along the sidewalk, and I smile at their dogs. Bars are painted turquoise and lemon yellow, and there’s so much stunning street art that I don’t know which one to Instagram first.
I can see why Parker, my cousin, loves this neighborhood. Its Old Hollywood vintage-style neon signs and proud queer culture are a perfect fit for him. Compared to our gray hometown of Westmill, Washington, it’s like being on another planet.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“What I really love about Jen Wilde’s writing is that it feels so natural. Nothing ever feels forced to me. She showed Bex’s struggles with her sexuality and gender very well. And also about her insecurities. Bex is on ritalin and lexapro. Those medicines are just mentioned in a normal way without any real focus on it. Everything just flowed and I found myself so immersed in this story. I read it in a 24 hour period.” ~ Kristi Confessions of a YA Reader
“Set in Hollywood hot on the heels of the Me Too Movement, Going Off Script is a fantastic, addicting story with wonderful characters, an amazing story, and the fluffiest of romances. Going Off Script is a story about taking control of your future, owning your past, and fighting for justice at every step of the way, especially in a world where diversity representation is hard-won and too many use their power for evil instead of good.” ~ Laura Cate Collins
“What I loved the most about Going Off Script was how Wilde is able to balance this summer romance with a discussion about being ashamed of our roots and chasing our dreams, with a discussion about homophobia, sexism, and privilege in the media business. There's so much nuance and layers in Going Off Script which just hits all the right spots.” ~ Utopia State of Mind
“What I loved the most about Going Off Script was how Wilde is able to balance this summer romance with a discussion about being ashamed of our roots and chasing our dreams, with a discussion about homophobia, sexism, and privilege in the media business. ... A powerful book that tackles issues that you might come up against today. All while delivering a story with a lot of heart, perseverance, and compassion.” ~ Utopia State of Mind
“A perfect balance of fandom, friendship, family, love and finding yourself and accepting who you are. ... If you’re looking for an amazing contemporary you don’t want to put down, definitely pick up Going Off Script!” ~ The Book Dutchesses
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
The summer before college, eighteen-year-old Bex moves from her small hometown
in Washington to the bright lights of Los Angeles. She has her whole life
planned out, from her internship on her favorite television show to one day
creating her own show. But she’s hiding a secret she hasn’t had the courage to
share with anyone, not even her best friend Gabby or her gay cousin Parker. You
see, Bex is also gay. Follow Bex as she struggles with her bullying boss and with
finding her identity. Bex’s courage and determination will lead her to make choices
that will change both her life and the lives of those around her.
Bex is an endearing and engaging character who, with her constant movie
and television show references, shows her geekiness every chance she gets. She
is just one of a cast of wonderfully diverse characters in this cute lesbian
romance, which also packs a powerful message.
Not to be missed.
Warnings: coarse language, LGBT themes.
Some of My Favorite
Lines
“This is where people who love creating fictional worlds as much as I do
all gather to make magic. The world’s most iconic stars have been born here. My
heroes have walked these streets.”
“Every house needs a blueprint and every dream needs a plan.”
“I’m the first eighteen-year-old stepping off a bus in LA, carrying a
suitcase full of dreams.”
“Sometimes you need to fight to be heard, especially when you’re the only
woman in a room full of men.”
“I need to pause for air, but if I had to choose between breathing and
kissing her, I’d choose this kiss every single time.”
“I love it when you talk nerdy.”
“This is for all the women out there who have been intimidated, bullied,
or blackmailed into silence by insecure men trying to hold on to their power.”
Jen Wilde is a writer, geek and fangirl with a penchant for coffee, books and pugs. She writes YA stories about zombies (As They Rise), witches (Echo of the Witch), and fangirls (Queens of Geek). Her debut series (The Eva Series) reached over three million reads online and became an Amazon bestseller. She is also the author of The Brightsiders and Going Off Script.
Born and raised in Australia, she splits her time between Melbourne and New York. When she’s not writing, Jen loves binge-watching her favorite shows on Netflix, eating pizza, traveling to far away places and going to conventions in Marty McFly cosplay.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a print copy of Going Off Script by Jen Wilde (open internationally).
Links
Featured in this post:
