After reading four philosophy books, four history books, two fine arts books, and one computer programming book, winter break finally came around and I needed light, easy reading. So I picked up a book I bought right before my first semester, when I still believed that I was able to read for fun and for school. I got lost in the delightful life of Oliver and Stella and before I knew it, I was finished.
Ali Novak is actually one of my role models. She was a girl who loved to write and followed her dream. At the age of 15, she finished her first young adult novel and being a young teenager, had no idea how to share it. She discovered Wattpad, and there she “published” her work, "My Life with the Walter Boys," and it became a hit. In 2013, she got her big break; her book became a reality when Sourcebooks agreed to publish a paperback version. I’ve been following her story ever since I was 15 and read her first book online and immediately loved it. I love the way she can just tell a story. I like Novak’s style and the way she describes her characters and what’s happening; she makes you feel like you’re actually in the book. After her first book was a success, she then started her second.
Novak’s second book, "The Heartbreakers," is the first book I read over break. After the boring books that came with my core classes of college I went straight to an author I knew I liked already. "The Heartbreakers" is a young adult novel about how fictional Oliver Perry of a famous boy band meets small town, amateur photographer Stella when she goes to get an autograph from the band for their sister, Cara, who has cancer. Stella and Oliver first meet at a Starbucks, but she has no idea who he is. At the time, he was just a beautiful boy who paid for her coffee order. It isn’t until after the autograph signing that she discovers that he’s actually the Oliver Perry of her sister’s beloved band.
Although Stella never actually gets an autograph at the signing, she meets the band when she yells at them on a hotel elevator, calling them untalented and their music horrible. Most of the boys actually respect her for her opinion, except Oliver. Stella and her brother then share one night of fun with the famous band, filled with band pranks, midnight cooking excursions, chicken fights and, of course, a blossoming romance. Novak does an amazing job with the personalities of each band member; I fell in love with each of them. When the night ends, Stella and her brother return to their sister and their normal life until Stella gets a call from the band’s publicist, who offers her a job to become the band’s professional blogger/photographer for the rest of their tour, an opportunity of a lifetime.
"The Heartbreakers" is a typical teen fiction romance, but it also tells a story about how Stella has to learn how to put herself first before her sister. When Cara got cancer, Stella’s only concern was her sister and always staying with her. She somehow thought that if they were always together, nothing could happen. She and her brother became homeschooled to stick with Cara, and Stella even deferred college to stay close. Although family is important, Stella was turning down life-changing opportunities because she was scared of what was going to happen at home when she wasn’t there. Ultimately, Stella finally realizes that she cannot control her sister’s disease just by being near her and life has to go on even when things don’t go your way.
I’d give this book five out of five stars and two thumbs up because it was just what I needed after reading about Plato, the history of human rights, java, and women composers in history. "The Heartbreakers" was an incredible, heartwarming story and Novak wrote it wonderfully. It was inspiring, light, and after finishing, it will make you want to write, be a photographer, become a famous singer in a boy band, and to go hug your family again and tell them you love them all while having a smile on your face. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.
