Major Crush »

Jennifer Echols is the author of several Romantic Comedies, as well as many other young adult novels. She currently lives in Birmingham. Visit her on the web at jennifer-echols.com.

Tired of the beauty-pagean circuit, Virginia Sauter tosses her tiara, pierces her nose, and auditions for the most unlikely of roles — drum major of the high school marching band.

Virginia wins, but is forced to share the title with Drew, whose family has held the position for generations. Sure, Drew is hot, but because of his superior attitude, he and Virginia are constantly arguing. That is, until they share more than just their half-time salute...

But as the drum major's heated competition turns to sizzling romance, explosive rumors threaten everything — including the band's success. Love seemed to be a sure hit, but Virginia and Drew may be marching straight into disaster.

KLIATT

Much to her delight, 16-year-old Virginia wins a spot as drum major of her high school band, a position she has coveted. But it turns out not to be everything she had hoped. She has to be co-drum major with Drew, a boy she secretly has a crush on but spends most of her time arguing with. Nasty rumors about how Virginia won the election plague her. Some of her peers insist she slept with the band teacher, others say she won the whole election, but Drew was also given the position so people would feel less offended that a girl won. Instead of feeling powerful and proud to be the town's first-ever female drum major, she struggles to gain respect. The chasm between Drew and Virginia threatens to destroy the band, so their teacher counsels them to be honest with each other in an effort to work better together. They reveal more than just their feelings about band, but quickly find their romance at risk thanks to rumors both old and new. Major Crush is predictable and has a tendency to drag. Neither the writing nor the plot is particularly noteworthy. However, Echols still manages to create a surprisingly fun read that overcomes these negatives. Though it takes a while for readers to warm to the characters, Virginia and Drew's relationship is multifaceted enough to keep the story interesting. As the novel progresses, the storyline widens to encompass more serious issues with Virginia's parents, her best friend Allison, and Drew's home life. This is a good addition to any leisure reading collection. It won't challenge a reader much, but it will provide a few hours of light entertainment.