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Nowhere
Mikayla, or Mike as she likes to be called, is unhappy with life’s current turn of events. After the sudden death of her father, she finds herself starting a new life in the Podunk town her mother grew up in, a month before her senior year begins. Mike goes to a party with her cousins to meet their friends, but she spends the whole night wishing she’d stayed home. That changes when a handsome cowboy unexpectedly shows up.
Dooner has been working hard every day at football practice to secure a scholarship to get out of this small town once and for all. Looking for a night out, he crashes a party, and suddenly it’s the new girl, Mikayla, who’s got his attention. She’s like a breath of fresh air compared to the girls he’s known all his life.
When Mike and Dooner meet they are attracted to each other, but will their encounter turn into something real or will it lead nowhere?
Dooner has been working hard every day at football practice to secure a scholarship to get out of this small town once and for all. Looking for a night out, he crashes a party, and suddenly it’s the new girl, Mikayla, who’s got his attention. She’s like a breath of fresh air compared to the girls he’s known all his life.
When Mike and Dooner meet they are attracted to each other, but will their encounter turn into something real or will it lead nowhere?
183 pages, ebook
First published May 27, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 9, 2017
Well that was fucking stupid.
February 13, 2013
NOWHERE quickly entices readers with the age-old hook of opposites attract, but this story is far from typical as author, Marysue G. Hobika brings the reluctant city girl, Mikayla to the country town of Railroad Mills.
The fastest way to rock a teenager’s world is to force them to pick up their action- packed city life, leave their friends in the middle of their senior year and move to a town so small there’s not even a red light! Yeah, that is exactly what Mikayla, or “Mike” as her friends called her, is forced to endure when tragedy strikes.
Mike is a feisty one and I love that about her! A tomboy at heart, she is the polar-opposite of her sister, Emma. While Mike initially resists the allure of the small town atmosphere, Emma seizes the opportunity to flaunt her stuff and “own” the school as one of the popular kids. Mike’s miserable attitude is tolerable because she is suffering a terrible loss, but her negativity was beginning to wear on me there for a minute. When she finally pulled her head out of her butt, the transformation of her mindset about “Nowhere” was a pleasure to watch as the distaste morph into adoration of the small town pleasures Railroad Mills has to offer. One of those small town pleasures just happens to be none other than the hot-bodied, faded denim clad, cowboy boot wearing James Muldoon – now THAT is something that just might be worth sticking around for!
James, also known as Dooner, is a doll! Dooner is the kid you would love for your daughter to date and the boy you would want your son to be like. He’s been in “Nowhere” his entire life and he is itching to go somewhere, anywhere other than another small podunk-town like Railroad Mills. As the local football star, he is praying for a scholarship to take him to better places – that is until he caught sight of the long-legged beauty he comes to know as “Mike.” It is obvious from the get-go that Mike is going to be a challenge, he can see the fire in her eyes and he can’t wait to feel their burn.
Growing up in a small town, I could totally relate to some of the antics these teenagers got into on a quest to entertain themselves. Marysue G. Hobika concocts a believable and entertaining story with a wonderful cast of characters in NOWHERE. It is a great story that is sure to please those who love a feel good romance, at any age.
**Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews and The Romance Reviews.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
The fastest way to rock a teenager’s world is to force them to pick up their action- packed city life, leave their friends in the middle of their senior year and move to a town so small there’s not even a red light! Yeah, that is exactly what Mikayla, or “Mike” as her friends called her, is forced to endure when tragedy strikes.
Mike is a feisty one and I love that about her! A tomboy at heart, she is the polar-opposite of her sister, Emma. While Mike initially resists the allure of the small town atmosphere, Emma seizes the opportunity to flaunt her stuff and “own” the school as one of the popular kids. Mike’s miserable attitude is tolerable because she is suffering a terrible loss, but her negativity was beginning to wear on me there for a minute. When she finally pulled her head out of her butt, the transformation of her mindset about “Nowhere” was a pleasure to watch as the distaste morph into adoration of the small town pleasures Railroad Mills has to offer. One of those small town pleasures just happens to be none other than the hot-bodied, faded denim clad, cowboy boot wearing James Muldoon – now THAT is something that just might be worth sticking around for!
James, also known as Dooner, is a doll! Dooner is the kid you would love for your daughter to date and the boy you would want your son to be like. He’s been in “Nowhere” his entire life and he is itching to go somewhere, anywhere other than another small podunk-town like Railroad Mills. As the local football star, he is praying for a scholarship to take him to better places – that is until he caught sight of the long-legged beauty he comes to know as “Mike.” It is obvious from the get-go that Mike is going to be a challenge, he can see the fire in her eyes and he can’t wait to feel their burn.
Growing up in a small town, I could totally relate to some of the antics these teenagers got into on a quest to entertain themselves. Marysue G. Hobika concocts a believable and entertaining story with a wonderful cast of characters in NOWHERE. It is a great story that is sure to please those who love a feel good romance, at any age.
**Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews and The Romance Reviews.
✳✳ Copy provided by the author/publisher for an honest review.
April 14, 2013
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Marysue Hobika.)
The last thing 17-year-old Mikayla wants is to move from the city and her friends, to the middle of nowhere to live with her grandfather, but her mother has made the decision and there’s nothing she can do about it.
Leaving her sister Emma to suck up to the cheerleaders, Mikayla instead befriends James Dooner, the one guy on the football team who isn’t really liked by the other team-members. As they spend time together, Mikayla begins to fall for James, but with her cousin Tyler warning her off of him, and everyone else seemingly trying to come between them, is there really any hope for James and Mikayla’s relationship to become something real?
This book was a sweet YA/NA contemporary romance, with some steamy (for YA) little scenes between Mikayla and James that were great!
I liked Mikayla; I liked how she tried to stand up for herself, and wasn’t afraid to go against everyone else if they were doing something she didn’t approve of. I also liked the way she was honest with people, and didn’t bend to peer pressure, even when it was difficult. I also liked the way that she wasn’t best-friends with her sister, and didn’t have a problem telling her off when she borrowed her clothes. It’s nice to come across siblings that aren’t Best Friends Forever – in real life siblings don’t always get on!
James was a total sweetie, and I loved how much he loved Mikayla, and how open he was with her about his feelings. The romance between them was lovely, and there were a few steamy moments that got my heart racing with excitement, even though there was nothing graphic. This book does mention sex on several occasions though so this is probably more suited to an older teen audience.
I liked the storyline in this book, and although I wasn’t quite as interested in the football side of things, the romance element made up for this. There were a few events that I didn’t see coming, and the way that people kept trying to mess up Mikayla and James’ relationship certainly had me wanting to know what happened next!
Overall; a good YA contemporary romance.
7 out of 10.
The last thing 17-year-old Mikayla wants is to move from the city and her friends, to the middle of nowhere to live with her grandfather, but her mother has made the decision and there’s nothing she can do about it.
Leaving her sister Emma to suck up to the cheerleaders, Mikayla instead befriends James Dooner, the one guy on the football team who isn’t really liked by the other team-members. As they spend time together, Mikayla begins to fall for James, but with her cousin Tyler warning her off of him, and everyone else seemingly trying to come between them, is there really any hope for James and Mikayla’s relationship to become something real?
This book was a sweet YA/NA contemporary romance, with some steamy (for YA) little scenes between Mikayla and James that were great!
I liked Mikayla; I liked how she tried to stand up for herself, and wasn’t afraid to go against everyone else if they were doing something she didn’t approve of. I also liked the way she was honest with people, and didn’t bend to peer pressure, even when it was difficult. I also liked the way that she wasn’t best-friends with her sister, and didn’t have a problem telling her off when she borrowed her clothes. It’s nice to come across siblings that aren’t Best Friends Forever – in real life siblings don’t always get on!
James was a total sweetie, and I loved how much he loved Mikayla, and how open he was with her about his feelings. The romance between them was lovely, and there were a few steamy moments that got my heart racing with excitement, even though there was nothing graphic. This book does mention sex on several occasions though so this is probably more suited to an older teen audience.
I liked the storyline in this book, and although I wasn’t quite as interested in the football side of things, the romance element made up for this. There were a few events that I didn’t see coming, and the way that people kept trying to mess up Mikayla and James’ relationship certainly had me wanting to know what happened next!
Overall; a good YA contemporary romance.
7 out of 10.
October 7, 2012
Seventeen year old Mike (Mikayla) is angry that her mom made her family move from lively San Francisco to Railroad Mills, New York, or as Mike calls it, Nowhere—a town that was “established before electricity”. Mike is about the grumpiest teen I’ve ever encountered in a book, and I wasn’t sure I liked her at all in the beginning, but you soon see that underneath that grouchy exterior is a lonely and hurting girl. I don’t want to spoil the story, but I will say that a romance quickly takes off not only with a boy but with her new home as well. The story has a down home feel to it with every day situations and regular kids. I’m sure teens can relate. All in all, it was an enjoyable read! Reads a lot like "Alive and Well in Prague N.Y." by Daphne Benedis-Grab.
June 12, 2012
Of course I loved this book. It's mine. The setting resembles the small quaint town I grew up in :)
December 23, 2012
*I received this ebook from the author in exchange for a review*
Nowhere truly impressed me. I was struck by how different and yet similar this book was to her other, The Perfect Prom Date. I must say, I was instantly hooked with the characters and setting from the first page.
Nowhere is a delightful romance about two people who need each other desperately, but don't realize it until the moment they meet. Once they do, it is clear that they are the others' true love. <3 The premise of the story is every girl's dream: The rugged country boy meets girl from out of town and it's love at first sight. *swoon* I've always wanted this to happen to me but reading about it is the next best thing, I guess!
*WARNING 1: The order in which I bring things up will be in a really weird order because I wrote out all my thoughts in a note, in a completely random order, so I'm just kind of writing them out here in that order.
WARNING 2: Quotes may contain spoilers that are not contained within HTML*
GOOD/LIKES:
I have always liked books about changing lifestyles or moves. So when I started this book out and read she was moving cross country from the city to the country, I was already starting to imagine in my mind any number of plots.
I liked how Mike was so angry and dead-set against moving to Nowhere. It made the story more interesting and hooked you faster. It also made it all the more better when However, at the beginning her snotty and snarky attitude got annoying. I personally am not one of those people who holds an attitude against a character if they have a good reason. Mike had a good reason: her dad had died, she was going to have a fun and dream-fulfilling senior year, and now she is moving to the middle of nowhere on the other side of the country along with her b****y sister. Yeah, I would be pretty pissed if I was her, and acting WAY worse.
Another reason I really liked this book was the country life and the simplicity of sentence structure and words the author used when talking about/describing it that made the country setting really come out. I've always loved the country, so I, in turn, loved this book's simple country life, happy moments, and good times.
Some quote examples of the simple, flowing writing about country life or just the simplistic relationship between Mike and James and Mike's grandpa:
1. “You look good, Pops.” I smiled. It was true; he seemed younger than he did that first day. We quickly finished everything on our plates. “That tasted awesome,” I declared. “It sure did. Thanks for asking me to join you young folk.” Pops’ eyes were bright with appreciation. “You’re welcome,” James and I said in unison, making us all laugh.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
2. “Once inside, we raided the fridge. Finding ground beef, I quickly turned it into burgers. James went out to the garden and picked a zucchini and yellow squash to add to the grill. There was nothing better than a cookout.
Pops was in the living room, watching baseball. I poked my head in. “Hey, Pops, James and I are making dinner.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
I really admire how she is very assured about who she is and what she values and does.
Mike is a very strong character with a lot of depth and she is pretty relatable. I was very surprised about her complexity because Josie in The Perfect Prom Date was not very complex or had depth and was kind of one level. I think the nickname Mike fits her because it has a tomboy-ish ring to it. Once you read the book, it will just fit her character/personality in your mind.
James. Nice. Well-mannered. Good values. Smart. Strong. Mature. Kind-hearted. I could go on and on . He is a wonderful love interest for the story. Every girl reader will be drooling over James. Definitely another awesome main character in this story with a lot of depth and complexity to him. ;) And I, like Mike, refuse to call him Dooner. What a ridiculous name. James is much, much better. I just wish it would say James instead of DOONER at the top of the chapter for the perspective.
As for Tyler and his friends, they're a bunch of raucous jerks and the girls are a bunch of bimbos. I thought it was interesting that Tyler was a jerk and the arrogant football star. Normally an author writes about how nice the family is or the family will be stereotypical and complacent but it's a new twist to have the cousin in the goody-goody small town be the bad boy jerk on the football team. I liked that unexpected take on the character. Tyler is spoiled, arrogant, rude, and entitled.
Emma is a total popular b****. At least that's what I thought at first. Over time, you see she's not that bad. She is definitely nicer than Ellie in The Perfect Prom Date. Emma is a cheerleader, friends with the biggest slum *cough cough* (I think you know what I'm getting at) in school.
James' parents. I don't even know where to start. Let me just talk about them as a couple first. I find it interesting how the author actually brings in the element of James' parents when they were younger, and mostly talks about them in terms of their mistakes when they were younger. She doesn't just refer to them as "parents", you know, the ones without a past like in every book. Now onto each individually. James' mom is really a nice woman. I feel bad for her. She's a popular girl who has aged and now suffers the consequences of a fab high school life. She would always defend James' dad because he is, after all, her husband. However, she is not a bad person at all, means well, and loves James a lot. Now, now, now, onto James' dad . Of all of the low down alcoholics. He is a classic example of an alcoholic, scoundrel, abusive father. He is so horrible. I mean, I can't say he's evil. I'm sure, deep down, he means well, he is just so misguided after all of his alcoholism that he is a terrible person now. Like his wife, he is suffering the consequences of being a popular, carefree, "YOLO" if you will, guy in high school. Being the Tyler of his time. Just from his attitude at the beginning I instantly knew that He just has a super weird values system. I feel bad that James' mom had to give up the rest of her life, and now James' dad blames her for it. Like she had a choice in getting pregnant. I have a feeling he pressured her into it anyway. And then he claims she "tricked him". Creep. As you can see, I am quite disgusted by his behavior.
Mike's Grandpa, Mr. Jenkins, A.K.A. Pops or Pop-Pops. He is such a nice guy! He's a great matchmaker too! ;) ;) (If you know what I'm saying.) Although I prefer my own grandpa (I'm lucky that way), I would still like to have Pops as an uncle or something. I'm glad that Mike, her mom, and Emma coming has helped Pops. I hate when elderly people's health deteriorates because their relatives won't help them.
In this book, the author writes different takes on familial positions, e.g. Emma, James' parents, Tyler....
The author writes some of the prettiest, best quotes and lets us look into Mike's mind, thoughts, and personality the most when she writes about what Mike is thinking while she's drawing.
Examples:
1. "I didn’t think while I drew. The pencil flew across the page making marks, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Often times I didn’t know what it was going to be until it was completed. The cemetery was still with only a few birds calling off in the distance from time to time. When I finished I was not at all surprised by what had taken form on my paper. It was a portrait of my dad. He was sitting behind the tombstone, using it as a desk, his laptop open in front of him. He wore a peaceful smile. I smiled, too, as another tear fell.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
-On top of the fact that this is an amazing, beautiful, heartfelt, wonderfully written quote, I just LOVE it. I recommend reading this quote when coping with death.
2. “I concentrated on his eyes and his facial expression. Those said a lot about a person. I’d noticed that his eyes changed color based on his mood. Right now they were a true clear green, which meant he was happy. When his eyes turned cloudy with a mix of gray, he was angry. But my favorite shade was clear dark green, the color of his eyes when he’d just kissed me. Eyes only told part of the story. Drawing a portrait could be like looking at a person’s soul, when done right.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
-How romantic! *swoon*
The two perspectives that the story was told from made the plot development really interesting. When it's such a small town, you get two completely different perspectives on all of the characters (as well as sometimes three or four perspectives, e.g. .
I really loved the cute, simple, understated, loving repartee between James and Mike. It was well written and really represented their peaceful love. <3 This example is kind of more just about the very simple writing at first. It's not really that great of an example, but it's the best I got right now.
Examples:
1. “The place was jamming for a Sunday afternoon. We waited to sit down, hanging out on the outdoor patio, watching the motorcycles come and go. Finally we were called and the hostess led us to a table inside. The smell of barbecue made my mouth water.
“What do you usually order?” Mikalya asked me while poring over the menu.
“I have lots of favorites. Sometimes I get the pulled pork sandwich, the beef brisket, or the ribs.”
“I love ribs. Do you want to get the sweetheart deal for two? It says it comes with a full rack of ribs and four sides to share. You can pick two sides that you like and I can pick two that I like.”
“Sounds great.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
I love how Mike defends herself against Tyler and won't take crap from him. She puts him in his place. This reminds me of what I do with my guy cousins every single time they can get a bit...controlling like they have control over me just because I'm their girl cousin. Mike just tells it like it is with no restraints. I can connect with Mike in this way.
Something I really love about James is how he is better than his dad. His dad is like the bully and James proves that he won't sink to his dad's level and that he is better than his dad. I find that really admirable. It just proves how mature James is. ;)
Example:
“Then a calm came over me as I realized I no longer cared what my dad thought. “You’re a pathetic drunk,” I stated, shrugging. I turned to leave. I took half a step when I was yanked roughly back by my shirt. I spun around and faced him.
“Just where do you think you’re going, Jimmy?”
“I don’t know yet, but anywhere’s better than here.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” My dad shook his head.
“You can’t stop me.” I was bigger than my dad and I had been for a while now.
“Sure I can.” My dad lifted his hand and punched me hard in the gut.
I didn’t flinch. I’d anticipated he’d try something like that. It wasn’t the first time my dad had used force. Only difference was I wasn’t ten years old anymore. I suspected it hurt him more than it had hurt me. He rubbed his knuckles. “Let’s see what you got, boy,” he taunted.
“I’m not going to fight you,” I said. I refused to be like him.
“You’re a pussy,” he slurred.
“No. You’re just not worth it.” His eyes took on a dangerous look. His face contorted with rage.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
This might be sort of off-topic, but The Perfect Prom Date and Nowhere both have two sisters in high school, and the main character is an upperclassmen and the younger sister is an underclass men who is popular and snotty. She can sometimes be a bully to the main character. I just think it's interesting how the characters between the two novels were similar, however they were in completely different plots and the main characters were different in terms of personality.
This is sort of off-topic too, but I'm a giant history nerd, so the thing about the graveyard next to the farm having all of her ancestors there would be so cool! I would just die if I could live there. I would probably end up going to the graveyard every day. I believe you can get a kind of peace by trying to learn more about your ancestors and grow closer to them. I know I have.
The cover. Now, that is not at all what Old Faithful looks like, but I'll overlook that. Mike is so pretty and meets my standards. Now James...that's not really how I pictured him but at least he's not ugly. *shrugs shoulders*
BAD/DISLIKES:
However, even though I would not like this to happen, the author made a conflict but quickly resolved it. For instance, I could see the conflict and the reader crying their eyes out as it began to unfold and then *record scratches* it stops and everything is all right. I'm starting to think the author has a hard time writing conflicts, especially after reading The Perfect Prom Date. Maybe just because she read a lot of books where the conflict is so hard to deal with and not just scream at the characters (Hunger Games, anyone?). I mean I'm not saying that I love conflict. It just helps the story.
It was mentioned that James has a sister:
“It wasn’t a secret that my parents got married because my mom was pregnant with my older sister.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
What I'm wondering is...what happened to her? This doesn't exactly qualify as bad , but I kind of thought it was weird how she was only mentioned once in the story. I wonder what James' dad did to her....
The story kind of ended abruptly. I was like, "Wait, that's it?!" I mean, once I adjusted to that I was like, "Oh...okay." But it just felt sort of...cut off and short.
OVERALL:
This was a great YA romance that I enjoyed immensely. I would recommend it to lovers of sweet YA romances and country/small town books. I would like to thank the author for giving this book to me, because it was a very good read.
Nowhere truly impressed me. I was struck by how different and yet similar this book was to her other, The Perfect Prom Date. I must say, I was instantly hooked with the characters and setting from the first page.
Nowhere is a delightful romance about two people who need each other desperately, but don't realize it until the moment they meet. Once they do, it is clear that they are the others' true love. <3 The premise of the story is every girl's dream: The rugged country boy meets girl from out of town and it's love at first sight. *swoon* I've always wanted this to happen to me but reading about it is the next best thing, I guess!
*WARNING 1: The order in which I bring things up will be in a really weird order because I wrote out all my thoughts in a note, in a completely random order, so I'm just kind of writing them out here in that order.
WARNING 2: Quotes may contain spoilers that are not contained within HTML*
GOOD/LIKES:
I have always liked books about changing lifestyles or moves. So when I started this book out and read she was moving cross country from the city to the country, I was already starting to imagine in my mind any number of plots.
I liked how Mike was so angry and dead-set against moving to Nowhere. It made the story more interesting and hooked you faster. It also made it all the more better when However, at the beginning her snotty and snarky attitude got annoying. I personally am not one of those people who holds an attitude against a character if they have a good reason. Mike had a good reason: her dad had died, she was going to have a fun and dream-fulfilling senior year, and now she is moving to the middle of nowhere on the other side of the country along with her b****y sister. Yeah, I would be pretty pissed if I was her, and acting WAY worse.
Another reason I really liked this book was the country life and the simplicity of sentence structure and words the author used when talking about/describing it that made the country setting really come out. I've always loved the country, so I, in turn, loved this book's simple country life, happy moments, and good times.
Some quote examples of the simple, flowing writing about country life or just the simplistic relationship between Mike and James and Mike's grandpa:
1. “You look good, Pops.” I smiled. It was true; he seemed younger than he did that first day. We quickly finished everything on our plates. “That tasted awesome,” I declared. “It sure did. Thanks for asking me to join you young folk.” Pops’ eyes were bright with appreciation. “You’re welcome,” James and I said in unison, making us all laugh.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
2. “Once inside, we raided the fridge. Finding ground beef, I quickly turned it into burgers. James went out to the garden and picked a zucchini and yellow squash to add to the grill. There was nothing better than a cookout.
Pops was in the living room, watching baseball. I poked my head in. “Hey, Pops, James and I are making dinner.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
I really admire how she is very assured about who she is and what she values and does.
Mike is a very strong character with a lot of depth and she is pretty relatable. I was very surprised about her complexity because Josie in The Perfect Prom Date was not very complex or had depth and was kind of one level. I think the nickname Mike fits her because it has a tomboy-ish ring to it. Once you read the book, it will just fit her character/personality in your mind.
James. Nice. Well-mannered. Good values. Smart. Strong. Mature. Kind-hearted. I could go on and on . He is a wonderful love interest for the story. Every girl reader will be drooling over James. Definitely another awesome main character in this story with a lot of depth and complexity to him. ;) And I, like Mike, refuse to call him Dooner. What a ridiculous name. James is much, much better. I just wish it would say James instead of DOONER at the top of the chapter for the perspective.
As for Tyler and his friends, they're a bunch of raucous jerks and the girls are a bunch of bimbos. I thought it was interesting that Tyler was a jerk and the arrogant football star. Normally an author writes about how nice the family is or the family will be stereotypical and complacent but it's a new twist to have the cousin in the goody-goody small town be the bad boy jerk on the football team. I liked that unexpected take on the character. Tyler is spoiled, arrogant, rude, and entitled.
Emma is a total popular b****. At least that's what I thought at first. Over time, you see she's not that bad. She is definitely nicer than Ellie in The Perfect Prom Date. Emma is a cheerleader, friends with the biggest slum *cough cough* (I think you know what I'm getting at) in school.
James' parents. I don't even know where to start. Let me just talk about them as a couple first. I find it interesting how the author actually brings in the element of James' parents when they were younger, and mostly talks about them in terms of their mistakes when they were younger. She doesn't just refer to them as "parents", you know, the ones without a past like in every book. Now onto each individually. James' mom is really a nice woman. I feel bad for her. She's a popular girl who has aged and now suffers the consequences of a fab high school life. She would always defend James' dad because he is, after all, her husband. However, she is not a bad person at all, means well, and loves James a lot. Now, now, now, onto James' dad . Of all of the low down alcoholics. He is a classic example of an alcoholic, scoundrel, abusive father. He is so horrible. I mean, I can't say he's evil. I'm sure, deep down, he means well, he is just so misguided after all of his alcoholism that he is a terrible person now. Like his wife, he is suffering the consequences of being a popular, carefree, "YOLO" if you will, guy in high school. Being the Tyler of his time. Just from his attitude at the beginning I instantly knew that He just has a super weird values system. I feel bad that James' mom had to give up the rest of her life, and now James' dad blames her for it. Like she had a choice in getting pregnant. I have a feeling he pressured her into it anyway. And then he claims she "tricked him". Creep. As you can see, I am quite disgusted by his behavior.
Mike's Grandpa, Mr. Jenkins, A.K.A. Pops or Pop-Pops. He is such a nice guy! He's a great matchmaker too! ;) ;) (If you know what I'm saying.) Although I prefer my own grandpa (I'm lucky that way), I would still like to have Pops as an uncle or something. I'm glad that Mike, her mom, and Emma coming has helped Pops. I hate when elderly people's health deteriorates because their relatives won't help them.
In this book, the author writes different takes on familial positions, e.g. Emma, James' parents, Tyler....
The author writes some of the prettiest, best quotes and lets us look into Mike's mind, thoughts, and personality the most when she writes about what Mike is thinking while she's drawing.
Examples:
1. "I didn’t think while I drew. The pencil flew across the page making marks, almost as if it had a mind of its own. Often times I didn’t know what it was going to be until it was completed. The cemetery was still with only a few birds calling off in the distance from time to time. When I finished I was not at all surprised by what had taken form on my paper. It was a portrait of my dad. He was sitting behind the tombstone, using it as a desk, his laptop open in front of him. He wore a peaceful smile. I smiled, too, as another tear fell.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
-On top of the fact that this is an amazing, beautiful, heartfelt, wonderfully written quote, I just LOVE it. I recommend reading this quote when coping with death.
2. “I concentrated on his eyes and his facial expression. Those said a lot about a person. I’d noticed that his eyes changed color based on his mood. Right now they were a true clear green, which meant he was happy. When his eyes turned cloudy with a mix of gray, he was angry. But my favorite shade was clear dark green, the color of his eyes when he’d just kissed me. Eyes only told part of the story. Drawing a portrait could be like looking at a person’s soul, when done right.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
-How romantic! *swoon*
The two perspectives that the story was told from made the plot development really interesting. When it's such a small town, you get two completely different perspectives on all of the characters (as well as sometimes three or four perspectives, e.g. .
I really loved the cute, simple, understated, loving repartee between James and Mike. It was well written and really represented their peaceful love. <3 This example is kind of more just about the very simple writing at first. It's not really that great of an example, but it's the best I got right now.
Examples:
1. “The place was jamming for a Sunday afternoon. We waited to sit down, hanging out on the outdoor patio, watching the motorcycles come and go. Finally we were called and the hostess led us to a table inside. The smell of barbecue made my mouth water.
“What do you usually order?” Mikalya asked me while poring over the menu.
“I have lots of favorites. Sometimes I get the pulled pork sandwich, the beef brisket, or the ribs.”
“I love ribs. Do you want to get the sweetheart deal for two? It says it comes with a full rack of ribs and four sides to share. You can pick two sides that you like and I can pick two that I like.”
“Sounds great.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
I love how Mike defends herself against Tyler and won't take crap from him. She puts him in his place. This reminds me of what I do with my guy cousins every single time they can get a bit...controlling like they have control over me just because I'm their girl cousin. Mike just tells it like it is with no restraints. I can connect with Mike in this way.
Something I really love about James is how he is better than his dad. His dad is like the bully and James proves that he won't sink to his dad's level and that he is better than his dad. I find that really admirable. It just proves how mature James is. ;)
Example:
“Then a calm came over me as I realized I no longer cared what my dad thought. “You’re a pathetic drunk,” I stated, shrugging. I turned to leave. I took half a step when I was yanked roughly back by my shirt. I spun around and faced him.
“Just where do you think you’re going, Jimmy?”
“I don’t know yet, but anywhere’s better than here.”
“You’re not going anywhere.” My dad shook his head.
“You can’t stop me.” I was bigger than my dad and I had been for a while now.
“Sure I can.” My dad lifted his hand and punched me hard in the gut.
I didn’t flinch. I’d anticipated he’d try something like that. It wasn’t the first time my dad had used force. Only difference was I wasn’t ten years old anymore. I suspected it hurt him more than it had hurt me. He rubbed his knuckles. “Let’s see what you got, boy,” he taunted.
“I’m not going to fight you,” I said. I refused to be like him.
“You’re a pussy,” he slurred.
“No. You’re just not worth it.” His eyes took on a dangerous look. His face contorted with rage.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
This might be sort of off-topic, but The Perfect Prom Date and Nowhere both have two sisters in high school, and the main character is an upperclassmen and the younger sister is an underclass men who is popular and snotty. She can sometimes be a bully to the main character. I just think it's interesting how the characters between the two novels were similar, however they were in completely different plots and the main characters were different in terms of personality.
This is sort of off-topic too, but I'm a giant history nerd, so the thing about the graveyard next to the farm having all of her ancestors there would be so cool! I would just die if I could live there. I would probably end up going to the graveyard every day. I believe you can get a kind of peace by trying to learn more about your ancestors and grow closer to them. I know I have.
The cover. Now, that is not at all what Old Faithful looks like, but I'll overlook that. Mike is so pretty and meets my standards. Now James...that's not really how I pictured him but at least he's not ugly. *shrugs shoulders*
BAD/DISLIKES:
However, even though I would not like this to happen, the author made a conflict but quickly resolved it. For instance, I could see the conflict and the reader crying their eyes out as it began to unfold and then *record scratches* it stops and everything is all right. I'm starting to think the author has a hard time writing conflicts, especially after reading The Perfect Prom Date. Maybe just because she read a lot of books where the conflict is so hard to deal with and not just scream at the characters (Hunger Games, anyone?). I mean I'm not saying that I love conflict. It just helps the story.
It was mentioned that James has a sister:
“It wasn’t a secret that my parents got married because my mom was pregnant with my older sister.”
Excerpt From: Marysue G. Hobika. “Nowhere.” MuseItUp Publishing, 2012-06-08. iBooks. This material may be protected by copyright.
What I'm wondering is...what happened to her? This doesn't exactly qualify as bad , but I kind of thought it was weird how she was only mentioned once in the story. I wonder what James' dad did to her....
The story kind of ended abruptly. I was like, "Wait, that's it?!" I mean, once I adjusted to that I was like, "Oh...okay." But it just felt sort of...cut off and short.
OVERALL:
This was a great YA romance that I enjoyed immensely. I would recommend it to lovers of sweet YA romances and country/small town books. I would like to thank the author for giving this book to me, because it was a very good read.
August 10, 2013
Review coming soon!
December 30, 2018
Just bad! 👎💤
June 14, 2021
A little to fast to forgive and forget and they fell tooo fast. BTW I have never read book with a nude guy.
May 8, 2013
I'd like to thank the author, Marysue G. Hobika for giving me a copy in exchange for a honest review.
It's a city girl meets country boy story. And it begins with Mikayla or Mike ( as she like to be called. ) together with her sister and Mom relocated to a small town after her Dad died. Of course , Mike, having to leave her friends and life in the city behind is super bummed. All throughout the trip she is bitching about how she deserved to be thrown to such a "Nowhere" town.
She thinks its the end of the world .. until she met James or Dooner . First meeting, she cannot believe her eyes!
“The hottest guy I’d ever seen hopped out and confidently strutted over to where we were all standing. My gaze moved upward from his dusty cowboy boots to his strikingly handsome face. I gasped, in pleasant surprise. I hadn't thought it possible for such a combination of good looks and perfect body to exist anywhere, let alone in Nowhere."
And I forgot to mention , he got these gorgeous green eyes! Uhmm, my weakness! :p Well, the feeling is mutual as Donner first laid his eyes on Mike... he saw the most striking, beautiful girl he had ever seen! Attraction? Definitely. There's something about Mikayla , the confidence, the no non sense attitude and she is way different from the girls he has known... he can't take his eyes and mind off her. It's insta-crush and insta-love rolled into one!
And I love the little romantic escapades they shared, though a little cliche but it's swoony ...and I can feel the intensity of those moments as written by Ms. Hobika. Not to mention that both James and Mike are very likable characters in their own ways.
Then as they spend time together, they realized and quite surprised that they are more comfortable with each other.. That there is an instant connection. But Both of them have baggages to carry. Mike begun to talk about her Dad. But Dooner seems to be tense and tight lipped about his father. Mike begun to wonder if there's something deep down James that he is not telling .
As the story goes on, both their walls are pulled down. They have ups and downs but did not take a while before they resolve it. I'm waiting for like a big conflict or some revelation that will somewhat be a major turning point in the story... but unfortunately there isn't. I think there should be more...
Overall, it's still a good story about finding true love in an unexpected place that you consider "Nowhere" ...and finally calling it your home just like Mikayla felt.
It's a city girl meets country boy story. And it begins with Mikayla or Mike ( as she like to be called. ) together with her sister and Mom relocated to a small town after her Dad died. Of course , Mike, having to leave her friends and life in the city behind is super bummed. All throughout the trip she is bitching about how she deserved to be thrown to such a "Nowhere" town.
She thinks its the end of the world .. until she met James or Dooner . First meeting, she cannot believe her eyes!
“The hottest guy I’d ever seen hopped out and confidently strutted over to where we were all standing. My gaze moved upward from his dusty cowboy boots to his strikingly handsome face. I gasped, in pleasant surprise. I hadn't thought it possible for such a combination of good looks and perfect body to exist anywhere, let alone in Nowhere."
And I forgot to mention , he got these gorgeous green eyes! Uhmm, my weakness! :p Well, the feeling is mutual as Donner first laid his eyes on Mike... he saw the most striking, beautiful girl he had ever seen! Attraction? Definitely. There's something about Mikayla , the confidence, the no non sense attitude and she is way different from the girls he has known... he can't take his eyes and mind off her. It's insta-crush and insta-love rolled into one!
And I love the little romantic escapades they shared, though a little cliche but it's swoony ...and I can feel the intensity of those moments as written by Ms. Hobika. Not to mention that both James and Mike are very likable characters in their own ways.
Then as they spend time together, they realized and quite surprised that they are more comfortable with each other.. That there is an instant connection. But Both of them have baggages to carry. Mike begun to talk about her Dad. But Dooner seems to be tense and tight lipped about his father. Mike begun to wonder if there's something deep down James that he is not telling .
As the story goes on, both their walls are pulled down. They have ups and downs but did not take a while before they resolve it. I'm waiting for like a big conflict or some revelation that will somewhat be a major turning point in the story... but unfortunately there isn't. I think there should be more...
Overall, it's still a good story about finding true love in an unexpected place that you consider "Nowhere" ...and finally calling it your home just like Mikayla felt.
May 2, 2013
Though the book is titled Nowhere, it definitely goes somewhere. And that somewhere is a very good read.
I truly loved how the author portrayed different relationships within one family. It wasn't always love, but it certainly wasn't abusive or hateful either. All too common, writers fall into the trap of making everyone in the main character's family extremely lovable or just downright abusive and mean. Marysue Hobika finds a nice balance in terms of how family is portrayed, and for me, that made the story all the more relatable. These are characters you can easily imagine at a family picnic or reunion. I particularly loved the relationship between Pops and Mike. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t get to know my grandfathers, but there was something really special about how their bond developed over time. It wasn’t forced. It made me wish for something I don’t have.
The main character, Mikayla, is one of my new favorite leading ladies. Mikayla, or Mike for short, doesn't need to be rescued. She doesn't follow the crowd. Furthermore, I appreciated that there weren't pages dedicated to how Mike thinks she's okay looking, but everyone else sees her as the most beautiful girl in town. A strong female characters is a must have in a good book for me, and Mike easily surpasses that hurdle with her wit and strength.
In the end, I loved how all of the characters were either directly connected or subtly connected to each storyline. It's a lovely reminder of how we all affect one another whether we mean to or not. It was a smooth and pleasant ride to Nowhere. It's a great YA read. Perfect for the beach. Perfect for when you are headed to large family gatherings.
I truly loved how the author portrayed different relationships within one family. It wasn't always love, but it certainly wasn't abusive or hateful either. All too common, writers fall into the trap of making everyone in the main character's family extremely lovable or just downright abusive and mean. Marysue Hobika finds a nice balance in terms of how family is portrayed, and for me, that made the story all the more relatable. These are characters you can easily imagine at a family picnic or reunion. I particularly loved the relationship between Pops and Mike. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t get to know my grandfathers, but there was something really special about how their bond developed over time. It wasn’t forced. It made me wish for something I don’t have.
The main character, Mikayla, is one of my new favorite leading ladies. Mikayla, or Mike for short, doesn't need to be rescued. She doesn't follow the crowd. Furthermore, I appreciated that there weren't pages dedicated to how Mike thinks she's okay looking, but everyone else sees her as the most beautiful girl in town. A strong female characters is a must have in a good book for me, and Mike easily surpasses that hurdle with her wit and strength.
In the end, I loved how all of the characters were either directly connected or subtly connected to each storyline. It's a lovely reminder of how we all affect one another whether we mean to or not. It was a smooth and pleasant ride to Nowhere. It's a great YA read. Perfect for the beach. Perfect for when you are headed to large family gatherings.
May 7, 2013
if you are looking for a deep meaningful read you have come to the wrong place BUT if you were looking for a sweet, cute, trashy book to lighten up your day Nowhere just might be exactly what you are looking for. In the classic story of opposites attract city girl Mike and Country boy Dooner bond almost immediately (a little bit too insta-love for my tastes) and the rest of the story comes just as abruptly while this is full to the brim with those romantic little moments any big moments in the story i feel were rushed just a little too much (particularly the case in the end). There were also so many areas that could have been explored that much more. despite the fact that she was introduced we never actually meet Mike's best friend, and we never fully work out what will be happening when they go to collage. it almost feels that this book was the first in the series but the author changed her mind half way through. the book is only a short read at 162 pages but it feels like there was enough material to be spread out over a much larger book. that being said i love the chemistry between Mike and Dooner (or should i say James) and those sweet little romantic moments were just adorable. The other thing i loved in this book despite how pathetic it is was all the "nowhere" puns. the author really managed to capture a good family dynamic particularly between Mike and her sister, they were all over the place (which is just what siblings are like) and i loved how unlike most new adult novels this gave the story a fresh take on the theme.
May 10, 2013
*This book was provided for free from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Wow, so the synopsis of this book made me thing it would be right up my alley and I'm so glad I decided to take advantage of this book being available. I loved this book. I loved Mike and her tough girl attitude and how she tried to be so tough. I loved Dooner and I thought he was so sweet and smart. He also sounded absolutely delicious and I loved that Mike thought so too! I loved Pops and I thought that he was like the best side character in this story. I adored his grouchy but loving mannerisms and those crossword puzzles! I did like that Mike was so willing to forgive misunderstandings, sometimes that's my biggest issue with books is it drags out too far and this book definitely didn't do that. There were only a few things that kept this from being a 5 star book. One: I'm glad they didn't have sex right away but I didn't feel like it was a hardship, I was told that it was hard but I didn't really feel like it was. Two: The book just ended abruptly, and that was my biggest beef with it, I mean yes technically all the loose ends were wrapped up but it just felt like it came really fast. It might be nice to get a glimpse into the future because we all want the characters to live happily ever after together and I just felt like that for the moment things were wrapped up but I'm not sure about there future. Overall 4 stars, I really enjoyed it!
Wow, so the synopsis of this book made me thing it would be right up my alley and I'm so glad I decided to take advantage of this book being available. I loved this book. I loved Mike and her tough girl attitude and how she tried to be so tough. I loved Dooner and I thought he was so sweet and smart. He also sounded absolutely delicious and I loved that Mike thought so too! I loved Pops and I thought that he was like the best side character in this story. I adored his grouchy but loving mannerisms and those crossword puzzles! I did like that Mike was so willing to forgive misunderstandings, sometimes that's my biggest issue with books is it drags out too far and this book definitely didn't do that. There were only a few things that kept this from being a 5 star book. One: I'm glad they didn't have sex right away but I didn't feel like it was a hardship, I was told that it was hard but I didn't really feel like it was. Two: The book just ended abruptly, and that was my biggest beef with it, I mean yes technically all the loose ends were wrapped up but it just felt like it came really fast. It might be nice to get a glimpse into the future because we all want the characters to live happily ever after together and I just felt like that for the moment things were wrapped up but I'm not sure about there future. Overall 4 stars, I really enjoyed it!
May 14, 2013
I got copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Ms. Hobika!
Nowhere is the story of first love and finding home. For Mikayla, or Mike as her friends call her, that home always had been big city until she was yanked out of her life and moved to middle of nowhere. I liked her instantly because of similar experiences and found her character realistic. Sometimes little over dramatic, but I enjoyed watching her attitude change after meeting James. (I refuse to call him Dooner.)
James is local football star, but not the jerky, popular type. Nope, he is a loner, hard working good kid. Until he meets Mike, his only dream is to get the hell out of Nowhere. Honestly, James and Mike's meeting seemed little superficial. No not little actually a lot, I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath couple of times. I would have liked it more if they had gotten to know each other before the sparks. I don't know maybe it's just me but their meeting and conversation felt weird. Though, after that it got really fiery. ;) I liked it!
This story has some realistic characters and it's nice to see their interactions. My favorite character was Pops. I loved that old grumpy matchmaker man!! If you are searching for hot, sweetly romantic NA story this book is exactly what you are looking for!
Happy reading!
Nowhere is the story of first love and finding home. For Mikayla, or Mike as her friends call her, that home always had been big city until she was yanked out of her life and moved to middle of nowhere. I liked her instantly because of similar experiences and found her character realistic. Sometimes little over dramatic, but I enjoyed watching her attitude change after meeting James. (I refuse to call him Dooner.)
James is local football star, but not the jerky, popular type. Nope, he is a loner, hard working good kid. Until he meets Mike, his only dream is to get the hell out of Nowhere. Honestly, James and Mike's meeting seemed little superficial. No not little actually a lot, I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath couple of times. I would have liked it more if they had gotten to know each other before the sparks. I don't know maybe it's just me but their meeting and conversation felt weird. Though, after that it got really fiery. ;) I liked it!
This story has some realistic characters and it's nice to see their interactions. My favorite character was Pops. I loved that old grumpy matchmaker man!! If you are searching for hot, sweetly romantic NA story this book is exactly what you are looking for!
Happy reading!
May 1, 2013
I received a free copy of Nowhere in exchange for an honest review. Thank you giving me the opportunity to read this book. I can honestly say that it was a good book and I'm glad that I read it. Marysue Hobika has a way of writing that is immediately engaging. I was pulled into the character's dilemmas from the first chapter and throughout the book.
The story is one of Mikayla (Mike) and Dooner (James). Mike and her family moves from California to the middle of corn fields on the East Coast in her senior year and she isn't happy about it. James, a farm boy and star football player, has secrets that he's trying to hide which has made him sort of a social outcast. When they meet, sparks fly and they are instantly drawn to each other. The chemistry is palpable and it is really a sweet story of young love. First love.
Like I said, the story is engaging. It was a quick and easy read, and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed seeing the changes in Mike from the angry teen to someone lovable. However, I thought the ended came a little too quickly. I wasn't prepared for it - I would have liked a little more closure, but otherwise, thought the book was very enjoyable. Thank you!
The story is one of Mikayla (Mike) and Dooner (James). Mike and her family moves from California to the middle of corn fields on the East Coast in her senior year and she isn't happy about it. James, a farm boy and star football player, has secrets that he's trying to hide which has made him sort of a social outcast. When they meet, sparks fly and they are instantly drawn to each other. The chemistry is palpable and it is really a sweet story of young love. First love.
Like I said, the story is engaging. It was a quick and easy read, and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed seeing the changes in Mike from the angry teen to someone lovable. However, I thought the ended came a little too quickly. I wasn't prepared for it - I would have liked a little more closure, but otherwise, thought the book was very enjoyable. Thank you!
June 25, 2013
I love me some country boys, but this time around it was the leading lady that captured my attention (I mean that in a NON perverted way.) "No, I'm not the athletic type," I answered proudly. "I prefer charcoal pencils and sketchpads to back flips and pom-poms." I love when the ladies stand proud of being different. "No, I don't drink. It smells repulsive and undoubtedly kills brain cells." And Dooner that boy you have to love him he's like a big giant teddy bear, all protective and ready to kick a**, "no big deal? That idiot almost knocked you to the ground. Cousin or not, he had no right." I really liked this book and I hope to see Emma's story next.
February 9, 2016
This was a great book about two people completely opposite in their ways finding love in the most unexpected place. Mikayla has moved to a small town that she instantly dislikes. James is a hometown boy that keeps his feelings private. When these two run into each other the fireworks start and love begins to bloom. Each one is guarding their hearts but slowly begin to let each other in. This was a sweet romance with a little angst thrown in to keep you guessing. I liked this couple and the small town feel to the story.
November 20, 2014
This was probably more of a 2 stars for me, but I didn't want to bring the books overall rating down.
This was sweet and it was pretty spot on about moving to a small town (I moved from Denver to Smalltown, ND in high school)
James and Mikayla were a cute couple, the drama was minimal and the ending was happy. (Although, I felt it could have been even happier)
I love the cover, it's perfect for the book
This was sweet and it was pretty spot on about moving to a small town (I moved from Denver to Smalltown, ND in high school)
James and Mikayla were a cute couple, the drama was minimal and the ending was happy. (Although, I felt it could have been even happier)
I love the cover, it's perfect for the book
July 1, 2013
I enjoyed this book and read it in a single sitting. Mike and Dooner captured my attention quickly, and I liked them as the main characters of this book. Although I enjoyed the story, there could still be more depth added to the book. There was major conflicts occurring, and the next thing you know there's only like 10 pages left but somehow everything gets solved.
I'd love to see a continuation of this book to see how they deal with college and being apart.
I'd love to see a continuation of this book to see how they deal with college and being apart.
May 16, 2015
I love the cover, it’s perfect for the book. Read the full review at Alpha Fangirl book blog.
http://www.alphafangirl.com/young-adu...
November 25, 2014
Loved it!!! Full review to come this week! :)
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