SWAY by Kat Spears

Sway

by Kat Spears

In Kat Spears’s hilarious and often poignant debut, high school senior Jesse Alderman, or "Sway," as he’s known, could sell hell to a bishop. He also specializes in getting things people want---term papers, a date with the prom queen, fake IDs. He has few close friends and he never EVER lets emotions get in the way. For Jesse, life is simply a series of business transactions.

But when Ken Foster, captain of the football team, leading candidate for homecoming king, and all-around jerk, hires Jesse to help him win the heart of the angelic Bridget Smalley, Jesse finds himself feeling all sorts of things. While following Bridget and learning the intimate details of her life, he falls helplessly in love for the very first time. He also finds himself in an accidental friendship with Bridget’s belligerent and self-pitying younger brother who has cerebral palsy. Suddenly, Jesse is visiting old folks at a nursing home in order to run into Bridget, and offering his time to help the less fortunate, all the while developing a bond with this young man who idolizes him. Could the tin man really have a heart after all?

A Cyrano de Bergerac story with a modern twist, Sway is told from Jesse’s point of view with unapologetic truth and biting humor, his observations about the world around him untempered by empathy or compassion---until Bridget’s presence in his life forces him to confront his quiet devastation over a life-changing event a year earlier and maybe, just maybe, feel something again.

What I thought:

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did not buy this book. A literary agent--the always lovely and extremely funny Ms. Barbara Poelle--did a quick giveaway via twitter and I called dibs. I've been venturing into YA slowly, just dipping my toe in the water so to speak, and I figured what better way to find a great read than to have one hand-picked by someone who reads for a living?

I was not wrong.

The MC is the anti-hero in every sense of the word. Jesse was so unlikeable at the beginning that I fell in love. He is the center of his universe and I was happy to be sucked right into it. I love a bad boy--what girl doesn't--but Jesse isn't your typical womanizing sleaze. Oh no, he's so much worse. I don't want to get too spoiler-y, (is that a word?) so I'll just say that there is a romantic aspect here, and it is marvelous.

The only stumbling block for me, which I think stems from this being a YA read and my brain resting in a very adult place, was there were a couple of places where the telling was a little too telling for me, but, again, that's probably just my hang-up. The ending was...well no spoilers, but I loved it. LOVED IT. This book pushed all my happy buttons and the ending pulled everything together perfectly.

I rate this book 4 1/2 golden, glittering stars, and highly recommend it to YA and adult readers alike.

I love an anti-hero and this book delivers that in spades. The MC was so unlikable at the beginning that I fell in love. The only stumbling block I hit here probably stems from the fact that I am not a big YA reader (though I am trying to remedy that) but I did feel that a few scenes dragged a little toward the middle. Due to this, and my short attention span, it took me a while to get to the end, but I'm so glad I did. I loved the ending. LOVED IT. No spoilers, but I highly recommend this book.

Buy it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble and let me know what you think.

Do you love an anti-hero? Got any amazing reads to recommend? Leave a comment and let me know. If you include your twitter handle, if you have one, I'll be sure to follow you. :)

Have a great weekend and take care,
Chelly