Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

Title: The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Publisher: Balzar & Bray
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Source: ARC
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

My Thoughts: 

Wren works at her parents reception hall where she is a waitress during weddings and other big events.  During a wedding reception she saves a teenage boy from chocking on a pig in a blanket and cuteness follows throughout the of The Promise of Amazing.  

A lot of people are saying that they didn't like The Promise of Amazing because it has a bad case of insta-love. While I can see why there are a lot of harsh reviews with insta-love running rampant in YA right now, I'm willing to let this slide.  There are a few other things that bothered me about this book. 

So we have the usual story of the plain girl with the beautiful best friends but of course the hottest guy inexplicably wants her. His friends don't really want to be friends with him anymore because he's acting all different and doesn't really want to party like he used to.  They don't want him to get too serious with this girl because they know that she will make him a better person.  

Wren was kind of annoying and she doesn't listen when people tell her that Grayson is bad news.  Of course she looks the other way when he confesses his academic crimes that were worthy of expulsion.  Wren starts by forgiving the little things in the beginning which makes it easier for her to forgive the big things when the shit hits the fan.  And the whole thing about how she calls Grayson Gray right off the bat without him even telling her it was okay for her to call him that.  For some reason that really bothered me. I guess I know a lot of people who don't like nicknames.  

I consider Wren to be a very big person for being able to give Grayson a second chance after she finds out what he was really doing with this friends.  If I was in her position I don't think I could do it, but hey, she saved his life and apparently she loves him.

Overall, The Promise of Amazing was an okay contemporary read.  It kept my attention and I wanted to know how everything was going to play out.  I give The Promise of Amazing 3 starts for being enjoyable.