One Lonely Degree

One Lonely Degree

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I didn't This was almost 5 stars I didn't even care about Audrey Finn was awesome, she was funny and her thoughts about Jersy were so relatable OMG. She made me laugh and swoon along side her. Martin's writing is spot on After reading two of C. Kelly Martin's novels, I added all of the others to my wishlist on Amazon, and bought three of them, her first three novels, when they went on sale.

One Lonely Degree differs quite a bit from my prior experiences. Although the style clearly belongs to Martin still, and the books have a similar tone that I associate with her, I can really tell how much she grew as an author from this book to My Beating Teenage Heart. I did enjoy reading One Lonely Degree, but the subject matter is a bit overdone and it's also a subject I really just don't care for much personally.

Of course, Martin does not write contemporaries full of rainbows and sunshine and happiness. The first half of the novel reminded me quite a bit of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, though their plot and situations differ. Finn, short for Fionnuala, aches and lives in fear, cringing at the memory of some incident months before. The reader does not learn precisely what transpired until quite a long ways in, allowing time for guesses. This both builds suspense and lets the reader see just how much Finn refuses to deal with what happened. She avoids talking about it to anyone, and even thinking about it to herself.

As always, I respect Martin so much for not shying away from how terrible teens can be. They have sex, they drink, they do drugs, and they generally hurt one another constantly. Finn is so incredibly selfish throughout One Lonely Degree, and, honestly, I'm finding that I really love the main characters that admit their own selfishness and indulge anyway, because that is being a teenager, or, really, a human.

On top of her personal difficulties, Finn's parents have been going through something, and she fears that divorce is on the way. Already so unstable, she throws bratty temper tantrums and ignores her obviously upset parents, hoping that, if she fights back hard enough, the current of change will retreat back whence it came. With her friend Audrey, too, Finn always focuses on herself first, her personal dramas counting much more, largely because of The Event.

At this point, I'm going to have to venture into spoiler territory, because I just don't see any other way to talk about what happens and why I didn't like this book more than I did. As happens in about 75 percent of YA novels set in a school, a new guy comes into Finn's class. In this case, her turns out to be a childhood friend, Jersy. Though at first annoyed by him, she quickly starts to crush on him, but tamps those emotions down when Audrey expresses interest, because broken as Finn is, she doesn't think she could handle a relationship anyway.

Jersy's presence destroys the friendship between Finn and Audrey in so many ways, none of which were his fault, but I still never cared for him as a character largely because I feared where the novel was going and I was right about that.

I did think it was awesome that he is shorter than Finn, though, because that pretty much never happens in fiction. Anyway, his presence in their lives breaks down their friendship, first because Finn pretends never to have wanted him, second because he and Audrey end up having to sneak around while dating because of her father's disapproval, and third because, when caught sneaking around, Audrey gets sent away from the summer, leaving Jersy and Finn free to bond and hook up.

I know nobody likes cheating, but I seriously hate it, because I've always had a very black and white sense of justice, and, to me, such things seem stupid and so easily avoidable. In this modern age of communication, send your girlfriend an email and end things, so that you can launch on your new relationship as something other than a cheating douchebag. Similarly, talk your feelings out with your best friend before you ever lay a finger on her boyfriend in a sexual manner, and, ideally, don't tell her he's fair game when you've already got feelings for him.

Audrey would have backed off immediately had Finn mentioned her burgeoning attraction, because of all of Audrey's lingering guilt about her part in what happened.

MORE BY C.K. KELLY MARTIN

Sadly, I would have liked Finn and Jersy well enough as a couple had they not been betraying someone else. Maybe you can't help who you fall for, but you can at least try to be less of a jerk about it than they did. While my heart ached for what Finn went through, that does not excuse her behavior here.

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Plus, once the characters are in that place, there aren't really any endings that will satisfy me. Pretty much as soon as the cheating occurs, I cannot like those characters as much as I did before, and I can't root for them to have a happy ending, at least not for a long while. Forgiveness and empathy are not emotions that I'm especially good at. In no way would I say that One Lonely Degree is a bad book, but if you have huge issues with infidelity as a theme like I do, you may not love it either.

I feel, too, that I might have appreciated this more had I not read several novels with similar themes that spoke to me more than this one happened to. For fifteen year old Finn, the world seems like it's crashing down. For one thing, her family's falling apart. And on top of that, there's that thing with Adam Porter that happened at the Party and it continues to haunt her. Only one person knows about it and that's Audrey, Finn's best friend. But when Finn's childhood friend, Jersey, comes to town and things between him and Audrey begin to heat up, well, things begin to change.

When summer rolls around, Audrey's parents go off, with Audrey in to For fifteen year old Finn, the world seems like it's crashing down. When summer rolls around, Audrey's parents go off, with Audrey in tow, on vacation, leaving Finn to spend her summer without her confidante. But as life continues to get harder on Finn, she finds herself hanging out more and more with Jersy. Everything with him is perfect, except for one small issue.

Can Finn really do something so horrible to Audrey? I have to say, One Lonely Degree panned out very differently than the way I'd expected it to be. Finn, who wants to be a graphic designer and move to London or New York, is easy to relate to. She shares the type of dreams that many teens do, likes similar music and has a unique way of looking at things that really struck a chord with me.

Watching her watch her family life disintegrate was painful to read about and her reactions were realistic. It was easy to feel her desperation and her anger. Audrey and Finn's friendship was also portrayed very well. I hate it how in some books things like that are just stated and never really shown. In One Lonely Degree, the depth of their bond is evident and it makes Finn's horror at what happens during the summer more palpable. Jersy, on the other hand, kind of conflicted with me.

For one, he was going out seriously with Audrey and then after she was gone, he tries to get together with Finn. In my opinion, that would make him the lowest of the low. But then Jersy also had his own problems, he was never really a jerk and CK Kelly Martin did make it seem like the thing between Jersy and Audrey was basically over when Audrey went away for the summer. I guess, overall, Jersy is just like any of us. Someone who makes mistakes, just like Finn.

The way that the story is told is different from I Know It's Over. In I Know It's Over, there were clear events which marked risings and fallings of tension. In One Lonely Degree, it seemed sort of passive.

Parents say

Instead it was more of a recounting of a period in Finn's life. While this caused One Lonely Degree to not be as engrossing as CK Kelly Martin's first novel, One Lonely Degree is decent and entertaining read that many teens will be able to relate to. Review Posted She Reads Things http: This book was hot and cold. There were moments where it was just so spot on.

But then there were the other times where everything drew a blank. I truly think that this is a hit or miss kind of book. For me, this was a miss unfortunately. First of all, the characters. I couldn't relate or connect in any way whatsoever. I felt for them, that's for sure, but I don't think they were developed thoroughly enough. I got glimpses of each of them, but I never really saw the whole of them, not even Finn, who I actually got to learn about more, since this book is about her life and told from her point of view.

There were some random people thrown in, similar to what I'd compare to extras in a movie. They didn't have a specific role or purpose, yet they rolled on by and subsequently left unnoticed. Character development is always important, and I just don't think there was enough going on with them to be able to connect with them and thus the story.

I think that the base of this plot was a good one. But it was all predictable. I always had a guess as to what happened, what was happening, and what was about to happen, and each time, I was correct. I had speculations as to what happened with Finn and Adam Porter and The Party, and my speculations were confirmed. I had a feeling about what would happen with Finn and Jersy and Audrey as well, and that happened. Then there were some loose ends. I never really truly understood what happened between Finn's mom and dad. It was all unclear to me, and it was a messy conflict.

I was going back and forth between the whole family as they went through it all, but I honestly couldn't follow. It just wasn't too organized and when the book reached its last page, the family issues hit a dead end, leading nowhere even though there were different possible outcomes. Plus, the whole thing with Finn and Audrey and Jersy was so complicated and odd.

It's like they were the best of friends and more while also being the worst of friends and more. It was all too dramatic and jumbled up and a bit abrupt. I really wanted to like One Lonely Degree, but nothing seemed to click. While it would definitely appeal to some like I said, definitely hit or miss , I'd say that it'd be more worth it to read something else. Even though there were some defining moments, overall, this wasn't a cohesive book.

There are better books out there that would be more enjoyable to read. Grace She Reads Things: I adore Summers' writing style, so after reading her reviews of Martin's books on Goodreads, I thought I should definitely give Martin's books a go. One Lonely Degree is a contemporary, emotionally-charged, roller-coaster of a YA novel; one that took me by surprise. The book description makes it sound like it will be- more than anything- about a potentially awkward love triangle between Finn, her best friend Audrey, and Jersy.

I know a lot of you readers out there are very much over the love triangle convention, so let me say that this YA novel is NOT about that. For me, at the core of the story is Finn trying, mostly unsuccessfully- to live her life and keep herself together following The Party. Adam Porter sexually assaulted Finn at a party in September. The only person that Finn has told is Audrey, her best friend, her everything, her witness in the world. His presence pervades the novel, in Finn's thoughts, in her worries, at school, at work, how she talks to her parents, in her opening up and falling in love with Jersy.

Almost anything Finn does, her thoughts take her back to Adam Porter. I think that Martin got inside the brain of a fifteen year old girl so well that it was almost uncanny. Finn's narrative and her friendship with Audrey reads like that of a teen and not of an author trying to sound like a teenager.

The novel and narrative is nuanced and the way that Finn narrates the story reads like the run-on and furious thoughts of an anxious, distressed teen girl who: And I have to add that the unfolding closeness and relationship of Jersy and Finn is written beautifully; so very fragile and aching. One Lonely Degree is a perfect book for summer ,this book put me in a summer mood. The main character Finn is shy which is why I connected mostly with her because I am just like her. Finn had only one true friend, her best friend which was Audrey.

Finn has always been nervous around guys probably because she has never been so close to guys, but she got more scared to be around guys after what happened at one of the parties she went to. After her friend Jersy a guy which was her friend years ago One Lonely Degree is a perfect book for summer ,this book put me in a summer mood. After her friend Jersy a guy which was her friend years ago moves back into town she develops a little crush for him.

But Audrey her best friend start dating Jersy and Finn tells herself that she does not have any feelings for him. But something happened and Audrey had to move for the summer so Finn was all by herself this summer as well as Jersy. The attraction between Finn and Jersy might be to strong to ignore. Well that is something you should read because I am not telling you the answer.

This book was an awesome read which created mixed feelings. This book was something I was looking for this summer, one that would put me in the summer mood, an easy read, and most importantly entertaining with some romance in it. I loved how this book made me keep reading because sometimes things happen and I wanted to keep going and know what was going to happen next. Something that dissapointed me was the ending because I felt like there should be things included I just hope there is a continuation to this book because I felt like it ended unexpectedly.

But even though that got me a little dissapointed I still liked the book because I connected with some characters, it was kind of sad at times, and it included romance in it which is something I am always looking in books. I loved the writing of this book, Kelly Martin knows how to write in a way that would captivate people and keep them flipping pages.

The cover is absolutely amazing and would look really cute in my shelf lol because it looks just like summer. I give this book a 4. Hope you go grab a copy of this book and tell me what you think. Comment and tell me if you have read the book and liked it or if you would love to read this book. Have a nice day: Soo, I was heading to the beach, and thought, I want a nice fluffly book to read while there. So I choose this. Turns out, not a nice fluffy book.

It's a book about a girl with serious issues and who frankly needs to get over herself. Maybe I'm not being sensitive enough, because personally I would have never have gotten into the situation she did I would have just kicked him view spoiler [[possible bit him, it was right there] hide spoiler ] and walked out the door to the crowd of people outside Soo, I was heading to the beach, and thought, I want a nice fluffly book to read while there.

Maybe I'm not being sensitive enough, because personally I would have never have gotten into the situation she did I would have just kicked him view spoiler [[possible bit him, it was right there] hide spoiler ] and walked out the door to the crowd of people outside. I was expecting something really bad, and while we're told what happens, I'm just like well, you could have gotten out there, and there, and there.

And really, nothing happened, there was a threat of it, and okay, you can hate him and freeze up when you see him. But why is you life in shambles because of this? But then, I've never experienced anything remotely like what she did so I might be coming across of an insensitive bitch right there but you know, I saw ways out, so I just don't get it. I do get her not telling anyone about it, and that making it worse.

Anyways, regardless of my opinion of her on that whole situation [and that I picked it up expecting, and wanting, a fluff read], it was a decent book. And I did find her interesting, and I unfortunately could relate to her. She's not happy, she doesn't trust boys, won't let them get close, she doesn't have a lot of friends, feels like she doesn't know how to talk to people. And then her parents are having a lot of problems, making things worse for her. This book takes place over a long period of time considering the length, we go from winter to the end of summer.

And then winter half, while they're all still in school, is very different from the summer part. While she's in school she's pretty much a mess, sticking with the people she knows, but during the summer she grows up a bit, steps out of her comfort zone and a lot more things happen during that time. OH, I did love that it was set in around the area I live, I'm fairly confident its a fictional town least not a town I've ever heard of, and it's set on the lake, like mine, I think I'd know it but the other towns she mentions are real places, and I'm a weirdo that goes 'hehe!

Finn is so incredibly selfish throughout One Lonely Degree, and, honestly, I'm finding that I really love the main characters that admit their own selfishness and indulge anyway, because that is being a teenager, or, really, a human. On top of her personal difficulties, Finn's parents have been going through something, and she fears that divorce is on the way.

Already so unstable, she throws bratty temper tantrums and ignores her obviously upset parents, hoping that, if she fights back hard enough, the current of change will retreat back whence it came. With her friend Audrey, too, Finn always focuses on herself first, her personal dramas counting much more, largely because of The Event. At this point, I'm going to have to venture into spoiler territory, because I just don't see any other way to talk about what happens and why I didn't like this book more than I did. As happens in about 75 percent of YA novels set in a school, a new guy comes into Finn's class.

In this case, her turns out to be a childhood friend, Jersy. Though at first annoyed by him, she quickly starts to crush on him, but tamps those emotions down when Audrey expresses interest, because broken as Finn is, she doesn't think she could handle a relationship anyway. Jersy's presence destroys the friendship between Finn and Audrey in so many ways, none of which were his fault, but I still never cared for him as a character largely because I feared where the novel was going and I was right about that.

I did think it was awesome that he is shorter than Finn, though, because that pretty much never happens in fiction. Anyway, his presence in their lives breaks down their friendship, first because Finn pretends never to have wanted him, second because he and Audrey end up having to sneak around while dating because of her father's disapproval, and third because, when caught sneaking around, Audrey gets sent away from the summer, leaving Jersy and Finn free to bond and hook up. I know nobody likes cheating, but I seriously hate it, because I've always had a very black and white sense of justice, and, to me, such things seem stupid and so easily avoidable.

In this modern age of communication, send your girlfriend an email and end things, so that you can launch on your new relationship as something other than a cheating loser. Similarly, talk your feelings out with your best friend before you ever lay a finger on her boyfriend in a sexual manner, and, ideally, don't tell her he's fair game when you've already got feelings for him.

Common Sense says

Audrey would have backed off immediately had Finn mentioned her burgeoning attraction, because of all of Audrey's lingering guilt about her part in what happened. Sadly, I would have liked Finn and Jersy well enough as a couple had they not been betraying someone else. Maybe you can't help who you fall for, but you can at least try to be less awful about it than they did. While my heart ached for what Finn went through, that does not excuse her behavior here. Plus, once the characters are in that place, there aren't really any endings that will satisfy me.

Pretty much as soon as the cheating occurs, I cannot like those characters as much as I did before, and I can't root for them to have a happy ending, at least not for a long while. Forgiveness and empathy are not emotions that I'm especially good at. In no way would I say that One Lonely Degree is a bad book, but if you have huge issues with infidelity as a theme like I do, you may not love it either.

I feel, too, that I might have appreciated this more had I not read several novels with similar themes that spoke to me more than this one happened to. As a writer, Martin's best strength is being able to immerse herself in the head and voice of her narrator. She has a knack for creating complicated main characters, and being able to understand not only who they are, but how their insecurities play a part in shaping their lives. Many authors attempt to create life-like narrators; Martin is one of the few who succeeds.

Jersy is a boy that Finn used to know when she was six. She remembers him as a high-antic annoyance, but when he comes back to town, she finds herself strangely drawn to him. However, due to an earlier experience with another boy at a party that left her damaged beyond repair, Finn sits by as she watches her best friend fall for this newcomer from her past. This tests Finn's relationship with Audrey, the only person she can rely on, as her life at home begins to fall apart. While Finn remained consistently angsty and confused throughout the novel, the character of Jersy changed dramatically from the beginning of the book when school was in session, to the second half of the novel, which took place over the summer break.

Also, a girl is held against her will as a boy tries to force her to give him oral sex. One teen boy is described as being gay. Teens drink and take drugs at a party, and there is talk of teens using drugs and drinking frequently at other times. Parents need to know that there are some serious scenes in which divorce is discussed, attempted rape is described, and some sexual situations are portrayed. There's also liberal use of swear words. Add your rating See all 1 kid review. Finn is 15 and an outcast at school.

She and her best friend Audrey stick together, especially after what happened at a party with a popular boy at school. Finn tries to block everything out -- the "incident," school, her parents' arguments, her feelings for a guy named Jersy, but slowly things start to fall apart. She freezes every time she sees Adam at school, her parents' fights aren't so quiet anymore, and though Jersy is dating Audrey, Finn can't shake her feelings.

How is she ever going to figure all of this out? Martin does a great job of developing believable, likable characters. The story is compelling and engaging, and teens will definitely be able to relate to all the teen angst and drama. However, there isn't anything really new or different here. The book is a pretty typical coming-of-age story with difficult life situations many teens encounter while dealing with raging hormones, high school social anxiety, and questions about who they are as people.

Teens will enjoy the book, but may not necessarily remember it after they finish the last page. Families can talk about having a strong support system.

Questions?

Do you have friends and family that you can talk to about your private thoughts and feelings? What are the signs of date rape? What should you do if you or someone you know is raped? Who would you talk to, and where would you go for help? Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. See how we rate. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase.

Thank you for your support. Our ratings are based on child development best practices. We display the minimum age for which content is developmentally appropriate. The star rating reflects overall quality and learning potential.

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