In THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY, Liza signs up her band for a performing arts competition aboard a cruise ship, Destiny, in hopes that they can win the $25,000 prize money to replace the funds that have been lost to budget cuts.What happens next is a week full of band and choir rivalry, old crushes, ex-best friends, and just about everything that could go wrong for this drum major, Liza. Despite her best efforts to micro manage via to-do lists and clipboards this cruise is far from perfect. And yet, it might just end up okay anyways.I definitely connected with the main character, especially as she tried to plan and organize away all her troubles. High school me could have used a book like this to remind me that sometimes you can’t fix everything, but that doesn’t mean everything is going to go wrong.
Not only did I love Liza, I immediately loved the friendship with/character of her best friend Huck. He reminded me of some of my closest friends from high school, and I felt that she captured the goofy, supportive, nerdy best friend wonderfully.
Morrill does a great job at writing witty dialogue, chock full of pop-culture references (Rocky Horror Picture Show, anyone?) as well as great emotional insight. I found myself giggling at times, but there were also moments that I really felt for the struggles that the main characters were experiencing.
I do have to say that the plot was slightly predictable, but it did not detract from my enjoyment from this book.
This book was an enjoyable, lighthearted read that I would recommend to anyone who loves contemporary YA novels. It’s filled with adorable characters and hilarious situations that any former high school geek (of any kind) is sure to relate to!
I’m glad you enjoyed this one, Gabi! I had such a hard time with it, but I’m guessing it’s because I’m a teacher, and I just saw all the flaws and lack of research. 🙁
Yeah the more I think about this book the more I contemplate changing my rating. I did find it a fun, easy read, but I also see a lot of flaws, and it was a very young voice.