Review: Highly recommended series
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 13, 2013
I am a sucker for famous/popular guy falls for the girl next door but there was so much more to this series than a simple love story. In fact, this love story was far from simple!16 year old Joy Sumner is enrolled in Ash Grove High School for Performing Arts where only the elite and talented students are taken. If it wasn't bad enough that Joy is daughter of the english teacher, everyone at the school has a clear goal as they are either budding musicians, actors, or dancers who all look like something out of Vogue.One moonlit night Joy heads to the cemetery on a dare to pick a white rose from a specific bush in the graveyard. There she meets the gorgeous, charismatic Tanner; student turned model. Or at least one layer of his varying personalities. A brief meeting that has a lasting impression, and so their story begins.Reading the Ash Grove Series has enabled me to see Amanda De Wees develop as a writer and it's great to see how as each book progresses there is so much more to offer to the reader. I believe Amanda saved most of the magic until the last in the series. There were so many twists and changes I became dizzy from the rollercoaster ride.Usually I can guess what will happen next with most stories but Amanda kept me on my toes. Just as I thought Joy and Tanner's problems had finally resolved, one technicality would change everything.Maddie has always been my favourite character in the last two books but her place at the top is now tied with Cavanaugh's ghost. The ghost was unintentionally funny.I recommend the Ash Grove Chronicles to everyone, and I look forward to reading more from Amanda's work as I suspect she has many more surprises up her sleeves!