Book Review: Becoming Nikki

Becoming Nikki by Ashley Elliot 

Disclaimer: I received this book as an advance review copy. However, the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Cross my hearts.

Recommended For: Ages 10 to Adult (interest and reading level)

Rating: G

What would you do if you were given the opportunity to rebuild a broken relationship?

Alec and Nikki Scott are the perfect ice dancing duo, executing flawless technique and brilliant performance abilities each time they compete. No one doubts their camaraderie, not even their closest friends.

But looks can be deceiving. Off the ice, their relationship is in shambles. Ice dancing is the only thing they have in common anymore... and Alec wants to quit.

Just as Nikki feels like their relationship can't get any worse, an unexpected tragedy crashes into her life. She's left struggling with a difficult choice as her opinion of her brother slowly starts to change.

Whatever she decides, she knows her life will never be the same.  

This book is AWESOME!
Seriously! I admit, it wasn't quite what I was expecting, but I loved it all the same. Nikki was so likable and interesting, and so was Alec. Well, I didn't like Alec in the beginning, but later, he got...and SPOILERS. I don't read much contemporary fiction (for the reason I Don't Know Why), but I made an exception for this and am so glad I did. But I should probably get to my review.

Writing: 5/5
I must admit, the writing style was a little hard to get used to. But once I got used to it, it was great. And interesting. There weren't any technical issues as far as I can remember, except for a few typos, which should hopefully be fixed in the very final version. One thing I liked a lot would be the pop culture references, especially the Doctor Who ones. They were refreshing and light-hearted.

Setting: 5/5
This book is set somewhere in the United States in the modern times. The setting was very well done. There is a lot of ice skating stuff and ice skating places in it (DUH), which I am not very familiar with, but, from what I've read in books and seen on TV, it seemed pretty accurate.

Plot: 5/5
The plot in this book was done in a very unique way (because I can't say the concept is very unique. It's not.). SPOILER ALERT Most amnesia stories in books and on TV aren't done well and/or are cheesy. HOWEVER. This book was far from cheesy. And it was a lot more realistic than the bonk-on-the-head-and-you-have-amnesia, bonk-on-the-head-and-it's-gone stuff (thank goodness). That stuff is good for comedy, but not much else. This amnesia story, however....(AWESOME!!!) Very well done. END SPOILER ALERT I loved the plot and the way it was done. And it is something interesting to think about, as well.

Character Development: 5/5
Let me just say. The characters. (The most awesome part.) They were REALLY cool. Nikki's rollercoaster emotions at the beginning were a little hard to get to. But once I did (either that or they stopped being so rollercoastery), it was great. I ended up loving Nikki. And Alec. And I also liked: Dylan, Natalie, Sam, Bennet, Liam, Kate, and Nikki's dad (among others I may have forgotten). I didn't like Allie, or Alec (yes, the same Alec I loved. He's sometimes a jerk). The minor characters fulfilled their roles as minor characters correctly. And such.

You should really get this book and read it. It's good. You will not regret your choice.

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Find the rest of the Becoming Nikki blog tour here.

Ashley Elliott is a writer, reader, musician, photographer, tree-climber, and Leaguette. She speaks fluently in movie quotes and spends most of her time fangirling over her latest obsession. In her free time, she enjoys laughing with her friends, laughing over Christian indie films (but secretly loving them), and laughing with her five crazy siblings. Ashley is a homeschool graduate and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Humanities through CollegePlus. She lives in Georgia with her parents and siblings, and doesn't have any pets.