Just Good: Break Away - Kat Spears

Break Away by Kat Spears
Date Released: September 15, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin 
Pages: 290 pages
Format: Hardcover
Source: For Review
Rating: 3 Stars
Series: Standalone!

Goodreads Synopsis: When Jason Marshall’s younger sister passes away, he knows he can count on his three best friends and soccer teammates—Mario, Jordie, and Chick—to be there for him. With a grief-crippled mother and a father who’s not in the picture, he needs them more than ever. But when Mario starts hanging out with a rough group of friends and Jordie finally lands the girl of his dreams, Jason is left to fend for himself while maintaining a strained relationship with troubled and quiet Chick.

Then Jason meets Raine, a girl he thinks is out of his league but who sees him for everything he wants to be, and he finds himself pulled between building a healthy and stable relationship with a girl he might be falling in love with, grieving for his sister, and trying to hold on to the friendships he has always relied on. 

A witty and emotionally moving tale of friendship, first love, and loss, Breakaway is Kat Spears at her finest.

From Goodreads

You know when you are hyped up for a book, the moment when you can't wait to sink into the pages of a promising story? Then after finishing it, it was nothing special just good? Yeah, that how I felt with Break Away by Kat Spears. I was greatly looking forward to picking up her latest one. Everything about it seemed liked the perfect young adult contemporary novel, but it was just a good book. Nothing special here or there, just good. Average.

Break Away begins the story of Jason Marshall whose younger sister recently passed away. Jason was a great character, I believe any teenager could easily relate as he deals with family issues to friend problems and his girlfriend Raine. Jason also deals with a mother who is stuck in her own world grieving and a father who was never there to begin with in Jason's life. Having his life turned around he knows he can count on his friends - Mario, Jordie, and Chick to help him get through it. Spears does a wonderful job crafting each of Jason's friends. From Chick's social awkwardness and shyness to Mario, a upbeat friend and even Jordie who helped introduce Raine, a girl who is ready for change, to Jason. Spears definitely hit the mark on the characters, everyone felt real and true to what teens would experience today. 

The book does focus greatly on Jason and Raine's relationship. From Jason dealing with family issues to Raine finding her way and place in school and in the world, I could easily relate to it all. It was so easy to step into Jason's shoes and experience what he went through, and I thought that is what made it a good novel. The relationship between Jason and Raine felt honest and true. It was not any of those fast paced relationships typical in young adult contemporary novels. 

Overall, Break Away was a solid novel. Nothing special, but well written and crafted to match the nature of teens and life's issues. I feel like every reader can relate to any of the characters and be sure to check this one out!

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