Review: Way to Grow, Girl!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 30, 2013
**4.5 Stars**Ginger, you had me in tears at the dedication of this book. I'm making it my new mantra. :) Epic is a great ending to Jordi's story - although I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of these characters.Epic is the culmination of all Jordi's been through thus far, plus a few additional hurdles fate has put in her path. We watch as Jordi looks for her birth mother, tries to fit all the pieces of herself together, and ultimately grows into the fierce young woman we knew she could be. At times, I got a little irritated with Jordi. She has a tendency to be overly melodramatic. But then I'd remind myself, she's only 19. Also, she tears herself down repeatedly. She can rationalize her thoughts and habits, but can't seem to steer herself away from that destructive behavior. But I know this is something all girls/women do - I do it. Maybe that's why it was painful to read. One aspect where Jordi's maturity really showed was in the way she put others first. Jordi has always tried to take care of and protect those she cares more for. However, she didn't go about it in the most logical ways. In Epic, she matures enough to realize the right way to care for her loved ones.Jace isn't as present in Epic and although I understand why - Jordi needed to learn she could stand on her own - it still made me sad. He was busy with this new album and preparing for his tour, but he is always there when he is needed most. *sigh* He is always the voice of reason with Jordi and in this way, he's very much a balancing force. And the yin to Jordi's yang.We are introduced to some new characters in Epic, and I'm hoping for more from them. Guitarist, Griffin Slade, is instrumental in part of Jordi's emotional growth, and I admit to falling for him...just a little bit. ;) There's also Maya and Diego Palermo, who are pieces of Jordi's puzzle. It was a pleasure to see how they filled in holes in Jordi's soul. And there's a new girl-power band, Unapologetic B!tches! I do hope to see more of them.Of course, Jordi's journey couldn't be complete without closure between herself and Shelby and Eddie. I was so proud of Jordi for accepting responsibility for her actions where Shelby was concerned - and of course, this included Eddie as well. Eddie - y'all know I think he's a narcissistic butthead. Ms. Voight gives him a fitting comeuppance, and I have to say I didn't see that coming. ;)There is a political bent to Epic but it fit in well with the story and was done tastefully. Shelby's dad, Coy Goddard, is running for a Senate seat. I delighted in the commentary on relevant issues and the spin Ms. Voight put on this element of Jordi's story.I did feel like things tied up a little too quickly at the end. I would have appreciated being witness to the resolutions Jordi arrived at rather than being told they happened.I think I liked Jordi's story even more than that in the Groupie trilogy. I think the reason is that I identify and relate to Jordi in a way I didn't with Andy. I also think Jordi grew more over the course of the series. And I reveled in seeing all Jordi's dreams come to fruition.**Complimentary copy provided by the author for an honest review.**