Pixelated

by L.S. Murphy

Senior Year. Middle of nowhere. What's the new girl to do? For Piper Marks, the answer is simple. She's determined to have her photography rock the cover of National Geographic someday, and moving to Clarkton, Iowa for her last year of high school is not going to stop her. Even if her usual subjects have changed from bright lights and skyscrapers to fields, cows…and more fields. But when photographer at the local paper quits in a huff, she steps into his spot. Her new job keeps Piper busy capturing tackles, and zooming in on first downs and end zone dances, not to mention putting her directly in the path of varsity football star Les Williams IV. Her new friends warn her off, but she can't resist the pull she feels toward this mysterious country boy. But this small town is keeping a secret, and it's one that could destroy any chance they have to be together. It's up to Piper to decide what to do with the distorted truth. Can she risk exposing her heart? It might be worth it, 'cause Les is about to change her world from black and white to fully saturated color. Praise for "In Pixelated, L.S. Murphy weaves a complex web of secrets and lies with a 'will they or won't they' romance that kept me turning pages and holding my breath!" ~ Julie Reece, author of The Artisans and Crux "Beautifully written, with a full spectrum of emotion and complex characters, Pixelated will tug at all your heartstrings. I easily lost myself in the world L.S. Murphy created and couldn't stop reading because I needed to see how the story ended." ~ Kelly Oram, author of Cinder & Ella "L.S. Murphy brings something for every reader with romance, secrets, mystery, and a main character torn between two choices. Murphy's writing is sharp and steeped in emotions, deftly hooking her readers from the first sentence to the last." ~ Sarah Bromley, author of A Murder Of Magpies

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Teen, Romance, Realistic Fiction

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2015

About the author

L.S. Murphy lives in the Greater St. Louis area where she watches baseball, reads every book she can find, and weaves tales for teens and adults. When not doing all of the above, she tends to The Bean (aka her daughter), her husband and a menagerie of pets.

Reviews

[Julie Reece · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story! So good you guys!! :)

[Grace Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly charming, this contemporary will suck you in and leave you begging for more.

CHARACTERS

At only 226 pages, these characters were well developed and mature.

Piper Marks is our protagonist, and she just moved from St Louis to Kansas for a year. Realistic and surprisingly badass, her photography skills added delightful whimsy to her character. She was a bit of a prat here and there, but aren't we all?

Les, our love interest who plays football, was fucking adorable. I'm serious, I would marry him this instant if he was here. He was generous, kind, sweet, affectionate, and kind of territorial/protective of Piper, which made for some pretty hilarious scenes.

Piper's mom and dad were really amazing, and their whole relationship seemed just so true and down to earth. Even though it was pretty sad, I enjoyed reading about it (it didn't turn out to be a cheap way to move the plot along).

PLOT

So Piper's moved to Kansas with her mom and stepdad for a year. She has to go to school and make new friends, join new clubs, etc. And then she bumps into Les, and gets a crush on him, and he starts talking to her, and so on and so forth. That's basically the entire novel.

For such a quick and rather mediocre plotline, the entire novel did blend out well and the pace was fast enough to make things interesting. The twists were not totally 'surprising', but fun and quirky.

I have honestly not had great experiences with author-provided books lately, so I wasn't really expecting this tiny little contemporary to work out for me, but it was astonishingly good.

[Julie Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pixelated was a captivating read that stayed on my mind long after I (was forced, against my will, by actual real life and/or base needs) to set it aside.

[♡ Jeri's Book Attic ♡ Jeri the Romance Bibiliophile ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Katherine Paschal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piper's life has been thrown on it's head. Her parents divorced and now she is being forced to live with her distant mother and new step-father in the middle of nowhere Iowa instead of her beloved father who is busy. If her family life weren't enough of a mess, she now has to spend her senior year of high school at a new school as the new girl, with no friends or activities to get involved in. At least Piper has her camera to hide behind.

I will admit that I was expecting a teen mystery, where Piper gets roped into helping her mom at the paper and ends up taking a picture of a crime or something. Well, that was not at all what I got. Don't get me wrong, I liked the book, it was just not what I expected when I first started reading. This was a story about a very lost and lonely girl trying to figure out who she is, what she wants, and how far she will go to get it. Definitely a coming of age story.

I liked how Piper chose to speak her mind and be honest with everyone. Based on her internal monologue, in the past she had tried to play nice with her friends instead of speak out if she was upset. In her new town, Piper takes a bold stand to be herself no matter what and I completely respect that, even if it makes her unliked at her school. The reader goes through every hurt right along with Piper, and man were there a lot of hurts. By the end of the book I wanted to wrap Piper in bubble wrap to keep her safe, but that would not have stopped the comments from attacking her. She was such a strong person to keep her head up and face everyone even after everything that was said and done to her. The last bit about her father was even worse for me than all the rumors at school. I'm not going to lie, I totally though all the secrecy about her dad was because he was dying of cancer or something similar, but the truth was much, much worse. The journey was incredibly painful, but Piper learned who her true friends were as well as how much her mom loved her. I also loved how wrapped up in her photography Piper became, blocking out the world to wait for the perfect image to capture. It inspired me to want to take a photo.

My biggest complaint with the book was the ending. It felt so abrupt, like I was missing the last chapter or something. One issue was solved, but really there were so many more that I needed to know what happened. How did her portfolio finish, what happened to her feud with Morgan and the yearbook, what school did she get accepted to, what will happen with her father? So many big questions that the book was leading to, and yet the way the book ended was as if the story had not led to these choices and was just about a romance. Which is wrong, because the book was about life and growing up, hard choices and discovering who you are, not just a perhaps fleeting romance with a boy. It let me down a little bit. That being said, if this is the first in a series, then maybe I will get some closure, but I was under the impression this is a stand-alone book. I am not certain what will happen next, except for the fact I loved the story right up until the last few pages.

I was overall pleased by what I read and look forward to more by this author.
I received this title from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
For more reviews visit my blog at http://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

[C.J. Anaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this teen novel did a fabulous job of shying away from some major cliches that plenty of young adult novels fall victim to. There was some teenage angst for sure, but the obstacles that prevent Piper and Les from being together right away are obstacles I've never encountered before and are central to the external and internal conflict of the story.

Piper's never had great friends, and the ones she leaves behind are no exception. It is difficult for her to meet the needs of the friendships she builds in her new hometown, but I liked the fact that she was willing to see the difference between the old friendships and the new ones, recognizing that it was necessary to put forth more effort and become less self-absorbed. She doesn't take crap from anyone, including a competitive school photographer who isn't happy about Piper's talent for capturing stunning moments on film. This was an aspect of Piper's character that I found so appealing. Feisty and determined. She always remains true to her artistic nature, and it is clear that the author has a firm grasp of the nuances of photography which was something I enjoyed. I loved visualizing the scenes she created through a photographer's point of view.

Les is extremely lovable. He's the one cliche that I found in this novel, and the only one that I can tolerate because I just love a brooding, moody, mysterious guy. Fortunately, the author gives Piper and Les enough room to grow in their affections for one another instead of forcing the reader to choke down this ridiculous notion of love at first sight among high schoolers. There is more to Les than meets the eye, and don't we just love that? Nothing worse than a guy who is mysterious...and remains mysterious. Not much to work with there. There's some delicious development in this particular area, as there should be with any good romance, but you have to remain true to the age bracket and circumstance, and the author's plotting, dialogue, orchestration and mood setting really nailed it.

Sometimes you have to punish your protagonist to develop more depth and dimension to their character. Piper's journey is a prime example of this. That frustrating sense of desperately needing to understand what was going on with Les was wonderful too because it left the reader and the main character tortured and a bit beaten down before that final rallying moment when things finally came together the way they were meant to.

I almost sense a sequel coming from this. There's the issue with Les's sister and a certain high school janitor, and I honestly wanted to see the school's reaction to Les and Piper near the end. I also think that Les's ex-girlfriend could cause some major problems since there were hints that she was a bit emotionally imbalanced. I certainly see another plot in the making, and I wouldn't mind reading more about Piper and Les's journey together.

I highly recommend this novel to fans of young adult romance. Whether you're seventeen or seventy, this romance is sure to pluck at those heart strings.

[Rowena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pixelated is about a young girl named Piper who moved from St. Louis to small town Clarkton, Iowa for her senior year. Her Mom and Step Dad bought two newspapers in Clarkton and they’re making a go of it in the country. Piper couldn’t stay back with her father since he took a college Professor job in Kansas so off to Clarkton she went with her Mom. She’s bummed about this new change in her life because she thought she would be graduating with her friends that she’s had since elementary but now it looks like she’ll be graduating with kids who have been friends or knew each other since they were in elementary school. Trying to get through it, Piper leans heavily on her photography. When she meets Les Williams, a cute cowboy boots wearing boy from her school, she develops a crush on him and tries to get over it because he’s already got a girlfriend. She makes friends and at first, things are going great until Les starts showing interest in her and she becomes the talk of the high school gossips.

Both Les and Piper were interesting characters. Piper couldn’t help liking Les and I immediately knew that there was more to Les’ than met the eye so I didn’t trust him at first. I knew that there was a story where his girlfriend was concerned and that story low key got on my nerves. The longer he went without fessing up to everyone, the more annoyed I was with him. Because he was playing with Piper’s emotions and I got that he was in a bad place but not hurting the girlfriend hurt Piper and I wasn’t okay with that. I think it took him too long to make things right but when he finally does, I was glad. I thought Piper wasn’t the most perfect of heroines (who is?) but I understood what motivated her and even though she got on my nerves every time she snapped at those around her when she was mad (hello, you don’t talk to your Step Dad like that, little girl), I still ended up liking her.

There were parts of this book that I felt dragged a bit too long but for the most part, it’s an enjoyable contemporary YA romance with characters that I liked. I was interested in getting to know Les and Piper more and I really liked how serious she was about her photography.

This book felt real, in the sense that the kids from school reacted the way that high schoolers react to gossip, to being betrayed and everything else in their lives. They drove me crazy and they made me laugh but overall, I didn’t exactly love them. This book is a solid read but the slow bits were enough to take me out of the story from time to time and I wasn’t a fan of that. I would definitely read more by this author because her writing style is good and I’d like to see what else she’s got up her sleeve.

I’d recommend this book to fans of contemporary YA romances, the kind of romances that are light and fluffy that aren’t bogged down in teenage angst.

Grade: 3 out of 5

[Ally · Rating 3 out of 5]

NetGalley. Thanks for the copy.

Pixelated, a strange and infrequently used word, is a verb according to Dictionary.com. Apparently, it means "to blur (parts of a digital image) by creating unclear, pixel-like patches, for purposes of censorship or to maintain the anonymity of the subject." Interesting word, isn't it? It fits very well with this book, I must say. Anyway, this book stars Piper Marks, who likes photography (which is probably why the title is referring to something of a digital image) and is our friendly narrator. She moves to a small town and stirs up a lot of trouble and gossip. She distantly reminds me of The Scarlet Letter because of the way the town reacts to her.

Les Williams IV is hiding a secret. Despite that said secret, he possesses a strong attraction to Piper. On the football team, he is a nice person who first meets Piper by helping her out with a car problem. However, everything must be much more complicated. The town, the entire town, hides a terrible secret, which involves Les. He is still a troubling character, with a lot of layers hiding the real person beneath.

I fall into the world of Pixelated. Piper is understandable, and she is an interesting character. She is good with photography. She has moved to a new town. Her parents are divorced. She comes with her own problems, and she has this edge about her. She meets new people, and she is sort of like Bella Swan from Twilight. However, she isn't all that welcomed and loved. In her personal life, it is complicated. In her love life, it is way more than complicated. In her social life, it is complicated complicated. (The need to be redundant is great.)

The plot moves quickly, and there comes a lot of twists and turns. Shocking details appear, and my jaw literally drops at stunning revelations. The ending brings a sense of an unsettled stomach, because there is a certain part (character, to be specific) that doesn't fit in very well with the plot. Though the ending should be a "Happily Ever After," it doesn't end with those undertones. There are ominous clouds in the sky, Piper. Very ominous clouds. The way L.S. Murphy handled the character of Ava doesn't feel right.

Overall, Pixelated is a strange title for an entertaining book. Reminding me of The Scarlet Letter, the book has a scorching hot love interest and a main character with a gift for photography. There are some loose ends, and the book's conclusion doesn't feel like "The End" to me. (I'm 99 percent sure it is a standalone.)

Rating: Three out of Five

-ofpaperandwords.blogspot.com

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piper has Plans and Dreams, neither of which included moving to the middle of Nowhere, Iowa from St. Louis just in time for her senior year. But, plans often have to change as her parents’ divorce and her mother’s remarriage and relocation stepped in to take over. Initially resentful at all of the changes, this is her story of that school year.

Told in Piper’s POV, the story follows her resentful thoughts about the move, the interactions with her new schoolmates and her focus on her photography. When she is rescued from a flat tire miles from home or town by local boy Les, Piper thinks that not everything in Iowa is uninteresting.

But, Les has a girlfriend, or everyone thinks he does, so Piper’s friendship with him brings out judgments and snark from her schoolmates. There is a secret there, but it takes ages (and shame on Les) to reveal, and Piper is more isolated than ever in the meantime. But, her mother and stepfather have bought two local newspapers, and a falling out with the photographer allows Piper a chance to do what she loves: photograph. Problem is – Les is on the team, and Piper can’t seem to step away.

Descriptions of potential photographs through Piper’s eye and voice are instantly evocative of imagery and bring a real depth to her character and language. Conversations and even Piper’s voice are solidly ‘teen’, and as Piper seems to grasp one lesson or element in her life, the others blur away and lose focus, hence the wonderful tie-in to the title. Without the photographic element of the story to add unique and fresh elements, the story arc would be wholly predictable until the twist at the end: even though that predictability is captivating and wholly forgettable with the strong voice and presence of Piper. A solid teen-romance.

Possibly the only real downfall for me in this story was the lack of effort Piper put into her friendships: she saw what did and didn’t work, and was aware of her own misconceptions about ‘being a friend’, yet she seemed to not value any of the new connections enough to actually DO the work and improve her own shortcomings in that area. But, the story captivated my interest early on, and had me reading straight through to the end.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

[Stacy Sabala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review- Pixelated by L.S. Murphy

Piper is in Clarkton, Iowa. Her mom and her new husband bought two area newspapers. Her father is in Kansas working as a visiting professor. Piper has to live with her mom for the time being. She is not happy to be in the middle of nowhere. She left her friends and there is nothing to do here.
When her car gets a flat and, of course, her phone doesn’t get service, she hates the place even more. However her luck changes a little when Les Williams stops to help her with her tire and becomes the first person she meets. She is drawn to him instantly, but she tries to get passed it. Her plan is to study in New York after her senior year.
She joins the yearbook and instantly makes an enemy in Morgan. Piper’s talent in photography threatens Morgan. Piper’s mom also hires her to work on the paper photographing the high school activities among other community news. She throws herself into her work but Les is giving mixed signals. First he ignores her at school, then he starts talking to her and even helping with the articles on football she has to write. Unfortunately rumors fly as Les and Piper are seen together.
The students of the school instantly dislikes Piper because Les already has a girlfriend. Piper is torn. Her feelings for Les grow but she doesn’t feel right about breaking up another couple. She becomes an outcast at school and she knows something is going on with her dad. Everyone is turning on her and the people she trusted most are lying to her. Piper doesn’t know if her photography can get her through this one.
This YA novel was a great read. Piper was thrown into a new life with her mother. She is dealing with this as a normal teenager. She is angry and sulks. Then what happens with Les and her father’s secrets almost breaks her. I like how she doesn’t care what others think and keeps doing what she can to obtain her college goal.
She not only moved to a new place but was considered the new comer that goes after Les. Les has a girlfriend that everyone loves and feels sorry for. The author created the most heart wrenching situations for Piper and Les. His guilt is causing a lot of issues. His is so torn also about what he should do. It was a great story and I give it a 4 out of 5.

[C.L. Ogilvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Piper Marks is forced to move to Clarkton, Iowa for her last year of high school, her usual photography subjects change from bright lights and skyscrapers to fields, cows…and more fields. Fortunately, her new job keeps at the local newspaper keeps Piper busy capturing tackles and end zone dances, not to mention putting her directly in the path of varsity football star Les Williams IV. Her new friends warn her off, but she can’t resist this mysterious country boy. But this small town is keeping a secret, one that could destroy any chance they have to be together…

The first thing that drew me into this story was the realistic depiction of high school in a small town. There were only 66 students in my graduating class, and it was like living in a fish bowl. Weekends spent driving around looking for something to do, dealing with dial-up internet connections, the horrible feeling that you’re living under a microscope—that was my high school experience. The characters are extremely relatable and feel painfully human. Despite the questionable choices made, I couldn’t swear that I wouldn’t have reacted the same when I was seventeen. Murphy does an excellent job of capturing Piper’s discomfort and boredom with her new surroundings, as well as her homesickness for St. Louis. I loved how Piper used her passion for photography to combat these difficulties and the attention to detail in the photography scenes was great. Murphy does an excellent job of capturing Piper’s discomfort and boredom with her new surroundings. The author often used light and shadow to describe what Piper was seeing, as if she was constantly viewing the world through her camera lens. Les, at first glance, is the typical Golden Boy every small town seems to have, but he has a vulnerability that adds depth and compassion to the character. Even Morgan is revealed to be more than a necessary Mean Girl, her unfriendly behaviour laced with vulnerability. Murphy portrays the insecurity and uncertainty of adolescence perfectly, especially with the bittersweet ending of Piper’s story. Piper gets her happy ending, but it’s not without consequences. And that is something everyone who has ever survived high school can relate to.

[Bailey Riddle · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

For me, Pixelated is one of those books that just caught my attention from the beginning and kept me all the way until the end, to the point where I stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish it. And yes, while I found a lot of the story to be predictable, I still wanted to keep reading on to see if I was right, which doesn’t always happen in those situations.

The main character, Piper, is less than pleased when she has to relocate from St. Louis, MO to a small town in Iowa for her senior year of high school, leaving everything she loves behind. Not too long after moving to Iowa, Piper blows a tire on her way home, about halfway down the barren 10 mile stretch of road between her home and the main part of town.

Miraculously enough, someone comes along and is able to help Piper change her tire, and as luck would have it, her savior, Les, is incredibly handsome. Piper immediately falls for this guy, who she later learns has a girlfriend—sort of. The only problem is, no one really knows the truth, so everyone starts to label Piper as a home-wrecker and a slut.

One thing that I particularly loved about the book was the amount of detail that was given to the things that Piper enjoys as hobbies. For example, Piper loves photography, so whenever it is brought up that Piper is taking photos, the descriptions that are given are very similar to the actual thoughts that might be running through a photographer’s mind while they are working. Another example would be that Piper knows absolutely nothing about football when the book begins, but is required to learn about it by her mother for work, so after Piper has had some assistance (from Les!) with learning about football, her descriptions of the game become more vivid and actually use football terminology to describe plays.

The ending of the book was definitely a little bit of a surprise to me, but I won’t spoil it. At first things seemed to be pointing to one conclusion, but then everything was shaken up and I didn’t know what to expect anymore, which I really enjoyed. I give Pixelated 4/5 stars.

[Jina · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I will try to avoid spoilers.

Pixelated by L.S. Murphy

Piper Marks had hoped to graduate with her friends in St. Louis, Missouri. Her mother divorced her father, quit her job and decided to move them to small town Clarkton, Iowa with her new husband.

Piper was in for a shock, adjusting from a big city to small town life. She barely had internet, her cell service was poor and there was little to do.

Piper was homesick, but the one thing she loved that could go anywhere with her was her love of photography.

Her mother and stepfather owned two newspapers. One day, when Piper walks in, she is told her mother is in her office having a heated conversation with the photographer.

When the photographer leaves the paper in a bind her mother enlists her help.

Her first assignment was taking photos of the football team.

Piper has her sights zoomed in on one player in particular, tight end, Les Williams.

People who live in small towns usually know everyone and their business.

When she is told that Les has a girlfriend, she is disappointed. However, when Les starts paying attention to her, she cannot write him off.

Being new in any school is difficult but being new in Clarkton is like trudging along in thick, muddy water.

Everyone has grown up together.

Where does Piper fit in?

I REALLY enjoyed this book! This book was well written. I felt like I was right there with her as the story unfolded and not as a reader enjoying a book.

*Checkout & follow my blog:
http://wicked-blogs.blogspot.com

[Juli · Rating 4 out of 5]

PIXELATED by L.S. Murphy has all the right ingredients that make it a perfect YA read!

The main character, Piper, has moved to a new town and is starting her senior year at a new school when she runs into Les, a local hottie. There is potential for a relationship, with a catch, of course. High school isn't always that simple. There are pitfalls in every friendship, especially new ones, and the stakes are high when you feel you don't quite fit in. Despite all Piper's skill as a budding photographer, she has blurred vision when it comes to Les. Piper must realize that she needs to come out from behind the camera if she's going to solve her problems at school, at home and with Les.

PIXELATED is all about getting the “right” picture even when the image isn't clear. Throughout the book, the MC, Piper's judgement is clouded by mixed messages from those she trusts.

I really enjoyed this book for it's honest voice, raw emotions and the author's portray of the difficulties teens often face as they struggle to maintain lasting friendships in high school.

L.S. Murphy has masterfully honed-in on the ups and downs of relationships in high school. I can't wait to share this one with the 13-19 y.o.readers I know. Also, PIXELATED would be a fantastic pick for a YA reading group. It's twists and turns are bound to spark a great discussion!

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the rest of the review with spoilers go to http://bookplusheart.weebly.com/conte...
I received an ARC for an honest review. Let me tell you, I was so excited to read this book. I really liked Piper. She was young and naive, but at the same time strong and independent. She knew she was nerdy with her photography obsession, but it was a constructive attribute of hers. There were something’s I didn't see coming; especially, with her parents.

The male protagonist Les, yeah that is his name, brought a positive balance to the book. I think his mid-western hospitality and gentlemanly ways helped Piper with being more comfortable in the new town. I love the first scene when they meet, because her car gets a flat-tire. Than here comes down the road her knight and shining armor to the rescue.

TOTALLY WORTH THE READ! The book gave me a "Friday Night Lights" Season 1 vibe. When you read it you will see why.

[OddCloud · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rating: 1.5/5
DNF: 54%

I simply can't go on and read this crap. Really. The writing isn't really that bad in the beginning. The preview on Amazon made me think Piper is a sarcastic, quirky and smart girl. Instead, we get a whiny, stuck-up, dense teenager. (screams)

And really. What's up with that school? I get that there's drama in high schools, even more so in American high schools (apparently), but why is everyone so quick to judge and point fingers and snarl and... just... ugh! There are no relationships what so ever in this book. Just stuck-up people and wanna-be-brooding guys (that are just stupid bastards).

I fell bad for rating this book even though I haven't finished it. But it's so bad that I can't just... do nothing. My advice: keep away. If you feel masochistic, go ahead :)

[T.A. Maclagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoorah for sexy cowboys and sweet romances! I found Pixelated utterly charming. Piper was a no nonsense, strong female lead with just enough vulnerabilities to make her realistic. As a midwestern girl, I can say that Murphy perfectly captured both small, town Iowa and the sexy farm boys that live there! Les was the perfect cowboy. Swoon!

[Brandy Wilkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

If a book makes you think of JJ Watt, it has to be a great book! This was a fun read! Lots of drama, romance, football and cute boys!

http://shotsofbrandy2004.blogspot.com...

[Kimberly Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Pixelated! It totally made me want to be a better photographer. And I adored Les and the tension between him and Piper--steamy and adorable. This was fun read that also tackled some heavy issues, making it a very well rounded book. One you don't want to miss.

[Estelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this!

[Lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piper was realistic in her confusion about her parents divorce, and her romance with football star Les was well plotted.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the mash-up of big-city dreams with the small-town feel, especially when there's football (and hot football players) involved!

[Jen Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swoon, swoon, swoon!!! Loved Les!!

[Lynndell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read and review Pixelated by L.S. Murphy! Piper lives in Clarkton, Iowa and she just moved in with her mother and stepfather while her father takes a new job in Kansas. Piper had to leave all she's familiar with and start her senior year of high school as the new kid in this very small town. Her mother works for the local paper, Clarkton Gazette, and has Piper help as a photographer, since that is her talent and career choice. Piper becomes part of the yearbook staff, thanks to the teacher and despite the yearbook editor, Morgan, who is immediately threatened by Piper. Small town gossip and assumptions make her life miserable. Piper feels as though everyone close to her has been lying to her and she's devastated when she walks straight into her father's lie. Her life is spiraling downward and she feels like she has absolutely no control over anything. A realistic fiction story with all the relationship struggles of real life. 5 stars for this intense book full of angst and clever characters!

[Giselle Flores · Rating 2 out of 5]

So I first received this book over summer break and finally was able to read it over winter break and am now finally reviewing it. The reason I said I would review this book was because I was starting my senior year I could relate with the book a lot better. There are a lot of great qualities about the book that I really enjoyed but I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped nor was it as good as I wanted it to be,

First things first: the problems I had with the book. For me it moved slowly at first and didn't really pick up until close to the end of the novel. In fact once it was over I couldn't really believe it was over. The pacing was sporadic and not in a good way. That being said there were parts where I just had to keep reading and find out what happened, but for a large part of the novel I just felt a little bored. My only real issue with the romance is that it's kinda a insta-lovey situation. It wasn't a classic case of insta love, but it did start off that way. There were parts of the romance I enjoyed but it was also really cheesy, sometimes the good kind sometimes the bad kind. This novel is really cheesy and it made it really hard to relate to Piper because a lot of things felt fake. It was hard for me to see genuineness in her friends (past and present) and in her school troubles. In fact the only really developed character is Piper. The writing style was good for the most part, the only issue I had and I think is the cause of the cheesiness, is that it feels like it's trying too hard. Like it can't quite capture the teenager of it all so it goes overboard a little.

Now for the things I did like about the novel. It was surprisingly funny. Piper is kind of hilarious and her internal monologues and rants are pretty similar to mine, now that I come to think of it. The humor is spot on and one of my favorite parts of the novel. I also really liked how the author portrayed Piper's family life. Her parents were somewhat realistic, but I think the little plot twist at the end made the characters more likable and respectable. Looking back on it, the parents and family situation were portrayed really well and I think that it was woven into the story line rather well. That being said, while i'm not a big fan of the romance, there were many moments I thought were cute. While the initial start of it was too insta love for me, the relationship did develop in a cute and good way. Lastly, the plot was good, It was developed pretty well despite the slow start. The plot, while centers around the romance, does a good job of incorporating other things.

Overall, the book was decent. It's not my favorite but I did have fun reading it. There were a few issues but if cheesy novels are your thing then this is a good option for you.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Pixelated was suppose to be a sweet YA romance that left me feeling lighthearted. In some ways it was, but as I began to write my review it got me thinking way too hard about what should have been a fluffy read for a sleepy afternoon. Piper is a narrative voice that most teens will appreciate, with the blend of insecurity and assurance that plagues most young adults. She has a life change that makes her question her place in the world, despite the fact that she has a true sense of herself. This is a universal experience. Just when you think you have it all planned out, something can come along and take that feeling away. I think it was important that she retains enough of herself to weather the storm and come out on the other side without anything she really has to be ashamed of. In that sense, I enjoyed her journey and her resolution. Then came the deep thoughts. This book does perpetuate the myth that if you just stick around long enough, his love will eventually get him to break up with her for you. I hate that myth, and the fact that a YA book empowers it, even if I don't think that was the author's intention. Also, the romantic interest, Les, is a toad. Even hot, sensitive guys that you are attracted to and feel a soul connection to can be toads, and he is one. Trust me. Finally, I felt that some important themes lost their way in the course of the book. The question of friendship is raised several times, but ultimately it fails to leave a clear mark on Piper. She learns that her ideas of friendship aren't what they should be, but she never makes the investment in those relationships like she should have. Her new "friends" are still doing all the work with little reward, even at the end. This holds true in her relationship with her parents, which still feel glossed over for the purpose of resolution. Ultimately, I think this is a book that can be appreciated for its simple, predictable road to a happy ending. It just didn't work that way for me. Language and situations are appropriate for grades 9+.

[Brooke · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. It's just not grabbing me.

[Mandiann · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Jenny Koch]

DNF @ pg 117

I'm tired of reading about the hot but oh so mysterious love interest. The teen angst is driving me insane.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, had the right mix of teenage angst, sass, and growth from the mc. Read this in a couple days.