Unlovable (Port Fare, #1) in Goodreads Self Published Authors

Jun 28, 2011 Cindy C Bennett rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I found Maggie's story very enjoyably readable. This poor girl lives in horrible circumstances, trying to maintain some normalcy, while being contantly told how unlovable she is. Then she meets Seth, who to her seems too good to be true - and he is to a degree, but not in the he's-so-perfect-he-can't-be-real kind of way. He just isn't what he professes to be. He's not a high school senior at all, but rather an undercover DEA agent. He's assigned to Maggie, and finds himself falling for her rathe I found Maggie's story very enjoyably readable. This poor girl lives in horrible circumstances, trying to maintain some normalcy, while being contantly told how unlovable she is. Then she meets Seth, who to her seems too good to be true - and he is to a degree, but not in the he's-so-perfect-he-can't-be-real kind of way. He just isn't what he professes to be. He's not a high school senior at all, but rather an undercover DEA agent. He's assigned to Maggie, and finds himself falling for her rather than maintaining a professional distance.

I've read some of the reviews, and some people complained of Seth being too perfect. I didn't get that impression at all. During Maggie's narration, we have to remember we are seeing him through her eyes, and of course she's going to think he's perfect. During his narration, I think Gammon does a great job of showing his humanity, how he struggles with his job vs his personal feelings. There were also some mentions of predictability, and though that's true in certain areas - though not annoyingly predictable, I have to say - there are also many places where Gammon completely throws the reader for a loop. I won't give details, but the story with Maggie and her mother definitely do not go according to happily-ever-after. There was also talk of Maggie making foolish choices. Um, hello, the girl is 17. Who of us did not make foolish choices when we were that age? Teens believe they are invincible, which is a huge part of their charm, and Maggie is just behaving as a typical girl her age might.

As to the love scenes - or lack thereof - I'm grateful to Gammon for keeping it clean. I think the whole world is well aware of the raging hormones of teens, but I don't think it's necessary to write books where they have no self-control. I happen to think there are a great many teens who do have control over their actions, and understand the consequences of giving in to urges. So while Seth holds back because of his upbringing, I applaud Gammon for showing that a young couple can have a hot, loving, sweet relationship without being physical. I did not find the story lacking at all in that area. I applaud ALL authors who write YA books that are appropriate for teens, rather than writing an adult book disguised as YA, but full of adult matter/content. Gammon is absolutely on the right track in that area.

I definitely recommend this book for ages 14-90. There is some violence, and some of the death scenes are fairly graphic, so it might not be appropriate for a younger crowd. Overall, you're going to enjoy this book, as I did.

Oh, and excellent cover! Perfectly catches Maggie's struggle. ...more

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Aug 26, 2011 Camelia Skiba rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The other day I began reading “Unlovable” and I was impressed not only with the strong voice of the author, but with the entire plot. At first the cover grabbed my attention, then the more I read, the more I got sucked in until I finished the book.
As any YA novel, I looked for the message it sends to our teenagers and quite frankly I liked it, not only because it teaches young adults to stand up for themselves, but it shows if someone wants something bad enough, it’s within ourselves to find the ...more

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Jun 27, 2011 ILoveBooks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This novel has one of the best premises a reader can come across for a love story packed with action. The main character, Maggie, struggles to maintain normalcy in her life. She is stuck in a bad home situation with few friends and only school to keep her sane. When she meets Seth, the love interest of the novel, she thinks she finally found something good in life. Seth is actually an undercover agent...however, he finds himself slowly falling for Maggie. Seth has his problems too, he isn't perf ...more

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