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Texas High: Abi #1
Abi And the Boy Next Door
Could the hot boy next door ever fall for a curvy girl like me?
He’s the popular kid at school with a perfect family and tons of friends. Meanwhile, I just moved in with my grandma because my parents got busted for selling prescription painkillers. Not the best way to start your senior year.
I’m determined to have a fresh start, make friends, and stop relying on food for comfort.
And the best part is? My neighbor doesn’t care about my past. He’s become so much more than the boy next door.
I’m falling for him every day, but I can’t help but wonder… could he ever see himself as more than my friend?
He’s the popular kid at school with a perfect family and tons of friends. Meanwhile, I just moved in with my grandma because my parents got busted for selling prescription painkillers. Not the best way to start your senior year.
I’m determined to have a fresh start, make friends, and stop relying on food for comfort.
And the best part is? My neighbor doesn’t care about my past. He’s become so much more than the boy next door.
I’m falling for him every day, but I can’t help but wonder… could he ever see himself as more than my friend?
First published December 7, 2018
About the author
Kelsie Stelting
40 books1,340 followersKelsie Stelting is a body positive romance author who writes love stories with strong characters, deep feelings, and happy endings.
She currently lives in Colorado. You can often find her writing, spending time with family, and soaking up too much sun wherever she can find it.
Visit www.kelsiestelting.com to get a free story and sign up for her readers' group!
She currently lives in Colorado. You can often find her writing, spending time with family, and soaking up too much sun wherever she can find it.
Visit www.kelsiestelting.com to get a free story and sign up for her readers' group!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 158 reviews
March 9, 2019
Kind of cute.. but kind of boring.
Abi and the Boy Next Door started off with being a fat shaming book.. and continued to do that.. but then gave you some unnecessary drama as well. It's basically a YA book.
While reading this, I honestly had no favorite character. I mean I was glad that Abi was eating healthy and exercising.. but for who? I wanted to know if it was just for her.. or if it was for the people who were fat shaming her and shit. If it was for herself.. then congrats for her. If not.. then eh.
The drama was okay. It had it's fair share of mean people and people who actually cared. I felt bad for Abi because her parents sucked ass. I loved her grandma for so many reasons that I can't list them all. The friendship bonds formed along the way were cute and predictable. I could see where things weren't going to work and when they would expand to different things.
Overall, it was a cute book. It did annoy me in the beginning and I almost DNF'd it but it did get better. I liked the romance part of it even if it made zero sense for them to say, "I love you", even without dating each other.
Abi and the Boy Next Door started off with being a fat shaming book.. and continued to do that.. but then gave you some unnecessary drama as well. It's basically a YA book.
While reading this, I honestly had no favorite character. I mean I was glad that Abi was eating healthy and exercising.. but for who? I wanted to know if it was just for her.. or if it was for the people who were fat shaming her and shit. If it was for herself.. then congrats for her. If not.. then eh.
The drama was okay. It had it's fair share of mean people and people who actually cared. I felt bad for Abi because her parents sucked ass. I loved her grandma for so many reasons that I can't list them all. The friendship bonds formed along the way were cute and predictable. I could see where things weren't going to work and when they would expand to different things.
Overall, it was a cute book. It did annoy me in the beginning and I almost DNF'd it but it did get better. I liked the romance part of it even if it made zero sense for them to say, "I love you", even without dating each other.
March 1, 2022
It was cute at times, but I also got bored a lot. It was fairly short on audio so I was fine. There was drama in the book, too, which is normal. But, I do feel a little triggered on self-image/body-image while I was inside the main character's POV.
December 20, 2018
This is a darker story, but very beautiful. Full review to follow soon!
July 1, 2022
Fat shaming piece of flaming dog shit
January 22, 2019
Romance 0 ⭐️ Teen Friendship 4 ⭐️ But it’s a romance so I’m going with a weighted average of 1.25
So let me begin this review by stating I was fat in high school (175lbs on a 5’ 7” frame). I was pretty, too. You know the girl who gets those comments about what a shame because I had such a pretty face...anyway Abi weighs in at 212 so this character was significantly heavier than I was. Abi’s parents were abusive and ended up in prison. I didn’t face that so my emotional health and support system was off the charts better. But my weight depressed me and caused me to eat and couldn’t lose all the weight or keep what I lost off..but I sorta knew where she was coming from....
So it’s a given, Abi is in a dark place. She wouldn’t be able to lose the weight without some serious therapy, a good/healthy diet and exercise plan, and serious emotional support....which I didn’t see. Honestly, this aspect of the book offended me because it isn’t that easy to lose weight and you’d think Abi shrugged off her problems and weight like a coat...we won’t even talk about the streaking. Fat high school girls do not strip naked in front of a group of other teenagers (boys and girls) to run around in a public space. Many girls with healthy bodies and egos would need liquid encouragement for that, but I digress.
Because Abi’s past is so dark, the events in this YA romance are so fantastical I snickered in shocked disbelief even though I’m a middle aged woman. I know teens haven’t changed that much since I was one. Spoilers ahead (if there’s such a thing with a formulaic romance).
We begin with an extremely overweight Abi getting on a school bus to go to new school her senior year of high school. She ends up sitting next to gorgeous, popular track star Jon. Jon has a car in the shop. When I was in school, if your car was in the shop, a friend would let you ride with them or a parent would drop you off (particularly if you were in sports because there’s no bus after practice)...so Jon on the bus...not believable. Jon lives a few blocks away and his mom and Abi’s grandmother are friends...never explains how or why with them not close neighbors or even near in age. Jon is very friendly and nice to Abi and she like the reader is suspicious. Actually, Jon seems to have no faults. Abi is befriended on the first day by a girl named Stormy and ends up meeting her little clique of friends. And it is this group and their real friendship with Abi that this book gets 4 ⭐️.
Abi begins to work at turning her life around. Her biology teacher begins providing free tutoring twice per week...um sorry. Why would he do this?🤷♀️ And he’s like yoda. Always with life affirming inspiration quotes. 😒I’m not even sure why that’s in there. I know during all my school years, teachers didn’t give hours every week to tutoring a lone student. They have hundreds of students and often have other school responsibilities not to mention a life (some with children). Usually, they assigned a study buddy. This was so atypical I kept expecting him to door say something inappropriate... so yes another angelic and really unrealistic character.
Abi loses a significant 47 pounds in a few months by never eating sugar and suddenly eating healthy and walking/running twice per day during the fall semester. Okay this may be possible (she goes from 212 to 165 from I’m guessing August to Dec...guess she never hit a plateau) but highly unlikely. Did I mention I would yo-yo diet...lose maybe 20 pounds and then something would trigger me and I’d gain it back. None of Abi’s friends ate healthy or exercised (naturally thin?) and granny bought junk food and her daughter/Abi’s mom ate junk at the visit— another mess of epic proportions that was shrugged off. So I found it highly unlikely Abi knew how to eat healthy. It’s is unrealistic to think that in response to her unrequited love with perfect Jon (you see I had one of those high school crushes too) would get up every day like an athlete even on cold days and run for 30 minutes before a shower without a workout buddy. Nope weirdly as unhealthy as it would be, it would justify negative thoughts and cause her to binge. Someone who grew up eating junk food and zero exercise is not going to suddenly know what to do and have the perseverance to do it. Maybe a thin person who got fat temporarily but not an emotionally damaged kid who isn’t in therapy. Jon starts running with her after she loses weight...you never see him with his friends and he and Abi never hang with her friends.
Then after she loses some weight (ie becomes a bit more socially acceptable) Evan shyly asks her out and they go out. He is nice to her but she still pines for Jon who starts dating Denise, a pretty girl who runs track like he does, but of course Denise is awful. 🙄
Of course in the end, that biology teacher aids Ali into good grades (apparently his help just enabled her with all classes) —she went from failing to As and Bs. The teacher has been chatting with grandma and conveniently has a spare car to sell and sells it to her grandmother for Abi. And the day they pick it up he provides free driving lessons on a stick shift and now he’s not needed conveniently moves away. Abi loses weight, starts running track in the last semester of her senior year and is scouted by a college track (by the same coach scouting Jon 🙄 —don’t they usually have different coaches.). Jon breaks up with Denise and Evan also conveniently seems to realize Abi is crushing on Jon with no hurt feelings and starts dating another girl to free up Abi to date Jon...WTF? Abi ends up with a fairytale ending...a group of friends, a hot prom date (she gets the popular boy she was crushing on who just so happens has wanted her all along...of course he did 🤦♀️), potential college scholarship at the same college as Jon because squee everyone goes to college with their high school hottie...sarcasm here...just Whiplash moments. No, just no.
So let me begin this review by stating I was fat in high school (175lbs on a 5’ 7” frame). I was pretty, too. You know the girl who gets those comments about what a shame because I had such a pretty face...anyway Abi weighs in at 212 so this character was significantly heavier than I was. Abi’s parents were abusive and ended up in prison. I didn’t face that so my emotional health and support system was off the charts better. But my weight depressed me and caused me to eat and couldn’t lose all the weight or keep what I lost off..but I sorta knew where she was coming from....
So it’s a given, Abi is in a dark place. She wouldn’t be able to lose the weight without some serious therapy, a good/healthy diet and exercise plan, and serious emotional support....which I didn’t see. Honestly, this aspect of the book offended me because it isn’t that easy to lose weight and you’d think Abi shrugged off her problems and weight like a coat...we won’t even talk about the streaking. Fat high school girls do not strip naked in front of a group of other teenagers (boys and girls) to run around in a public space. Many girls with healthy bodies and egos would need liquid encouragement for that, but I digress.
Because Abi’s past is so dark, the events in this YA romance are so fantastical I snickered in shocked disbelief even though I’m a middle aged woman. I know teens haven’t changed that much since I was one. Spoilers ahead (if there’s such a thing with a formulaic romance).
We begin with an extremely overweight Abi getting on a school bus to go to new school her senior year of high school. She ends up sitting next to gorgeous, popular track star Jon. Jon has a car in the shop. When I was in school, if your car was in the shop, a friend would let you ride with them or a parent would drop you off (particularly if you were in sports because there’s no bus after practice)...so Jon on the bus...not believable. Jon lives a few blocks away and his mom and Abi’s grandmother are friends...never explains how or why with them not close neighbors or even near in age. Jon is very friendly and nice to Abi and she like the reader is suspicious. Actually, Jon seems to have no faults. Abi is befriended on the first day by a girl named Stormy and ends up meeting her little clique of friends. And it is this group and their real friendship with Abi that this book gets 4 ⭐️.
Abi begins to work at turning her life around. Her biology teacher begins providing free tutoring twice per week...um sorry. Why would he do this?🤷♀️ And he’s like yoda. Always with life affirming inspiration quotes. 😒I’m not even sure why that’s in there. I know during all my school years, teachers didn’t give hours every week to tutoring a lone student. They have hundreds of students and often have other school responsibilities not to mention a life (some with children). Usually, they assigned a study buddy. This was so atypical I kept expecting him to door say something inappropriate... so yes another angelic and really unrealistic character.
Abi loses a significant 47 pounds in a few months by never eating sugar and suddenly eating healthy and walking/running twice per day during the fall semester. Okay this may be possible (she goes from 212 to 165 from I’m guessing August to Dec...guess she never hit a plateau) but highly unlikely. Did I mention I would yo-yo diet...lose maybe 20 pounds and then something would trigger me and I’d gain it back. None of Abi’s friends ate healthy or exercised (naturally thin?) and granny bought junk food and her daughter/Abi’s mom ate junk at the visit— another mess of epic proportions that was shrugged off. So I found it highly unlikely Abi knew how to eat healthy. It’s is unrealistic to think that in response to her unrequited love with perfect Jon (you see I had one of those high school crushes too) would get up every day like an athlete even on cold days and run for 30 minutes before a shower without a workout buddy. Nope weirdly as unhealthy as it would be, it would justify negative thoughts and cause her to binge. Someone who grew up eating junk food and zero exercise is not going to suddenly know what to do and have the perseverance to do it. Maybe a thin person who got fat temporarily but not an emotionally damaged kid who isn’t in therapy. Jon starts running with her after she loses weight...you never see him with his friends and he and Abi never hang with her friends.
Then after she loses some weight (ie becomes a bit more socially acceptable) Evan shyly asks her out and they go out. He is nice to her but she still pines for Jon who starts dating Denise, a pretty girl who runs track like he does, but of course Denise is awful. 🙄
Of course in the end, that biology teacher aids Ali into good grades (apparently his help just enabled her with all classes) —she went from failing to As and Bs. The teacher has been chatting with grandma and conveniently has a spare car to sell and sells it to her grandmother for Abi. And the day they pick it up he provides free driving lessons on a stick shift and now he’s not needed conveniently moves away. Abi loses weight, starts running track in the last semester of her senior year and is scouted by a college track (by the same coach scouting Jon 🙄 —don’t they usually have different coaches.). Jon breaks up with Denise and Evan also conveniently seems to realize Abi is crushing on Jon with no hurt feelings and starts dating another girl to free up Abi to date Jon...WTF? Abi ends up with a fairytale ending...a group of friends, a hot prom date (she gets the popular boy she was crushing on who just so happens has wanted her all along...of course he did 🤦♀️), potential college scholarship at the same college as Jon because squee everyone goes to college with their high school hottie...sarcasm here...just Whiplash moments. No, just no.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2021
My heart was crying out for this girl, I can’t believe she had to go through what she did at home.
The back story will pull at your heart strings.
I liked that she wasn’t completely broken from it she was strong in other ways, and she learned to be strong of soul throughout the book.
Jon was a good distraction in the book, I don’t know that I saw the connection right away but I really did enjoy listening.
Great narration too. On to the next.
The back story will pull at your heart strings.
I liked that she wasn’t completely broken from it she was strong in other ways, and she learned to be strong of soul throughout the book.
Jon was a good distraction in the book, I don’t know that I saw the connection right away but I really did enjoy listening.
Great narration too. On to the next.
June 22, 2020
I was very excited for this book, but unfortunately it fell a bit short.
First of all, that's a very curious cover for a boom with a plus size protagonist. Did they run out of the plus sized models???
Abi, the main character weights 212lbs and hates it. She wants to lose weight. She also fancies a boy that's fit and she doesnt think she looks good enough for him. So she starts running and starving herself. She drinks black coffee as a meal. It'd be fine if this was discussed later on and if she switched these unhealthy habits for better ones - healthy meals, well balanced diet. But it's not. She skips meals, refuses sugar or fat in any form and runs runs and runs.
It's not a healthy message and I refuse to give this book more than a one star because of it.
It's ok to love your body. It's ok to try to change it if you don't feel comfortable in it. It's not ok to starve yourself.
First of all, that's a very curious cover for a boom with a plus size protagonist. Did they run out of the plus sized models???
Abi, the main character weights 212lbs and hates it. She wants to lose weight. She also fancies a boy that's fit and she doesnt think she looks good enough for him. So she starts running and starving herself. She drinks black coffee as a meal. It'd be fine if this was discussed later on and if she switched these unhealthy habits for better ones - healthy meals, well balanced diet. But it's not. She skips meals, refuses sugar or fat in any form and runs runs and runs.
It's not a healthy message and I refuse to give this book more than a one star because of it.
It's ok to love your body. It's ok to try to change it if you don't feel comfortable in it. It's not ok to starve yourself.
June 29, 2022
2.5 stars
Fair warning I'm going to have a rant.
I have read a book series by Kelsie before. They were super cute though had a few characters who fat-shamed. I am not opposed to some characters fat-shaming due to people in real life fat shame. So it stays realistic to me. What I don’t like is when an author fat-shames and makes it a point to do so.
I don’t know if it’s just the two small-town schools I went to in my life or if fiction is just exaggerated. I feel like in most books there seems to only be one plus-sized person in the school. Sorry but that wasn’t how it was at either of the schools I went to. Also, our jocks had some big boys. They weren’t all 6 feet and muscles for days. Just saying.
And while I am ranting, if you are not where you want to be with weight, no matter how much you weigh, please don’t starve yourself. Also, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and managing weight won’t be done in a week. Please give yourself some time. I am having to remind myself of this because I’m not back to where I was before JB. I have to remember that JB is only six months. While some women can bounce back after a baby, I’m not them and my body needs time.
Anyway sorry for the rant. On to the actual review. Abi is living with her grandma after her abusive parents are put in jail. Abi lives down the street from Jon. She makes friends with a girl named Stormy on the first day. Abi is a plus-sized girl who hates herself and her weight.
I love that even though Abi hates herself, she does seem to work to better herself. She isn’t a heroine that the author made to self-pity herself or to try and get attention. I love when characters try to better themselves. It makes me not want to smack them.
Now Jon and Abi… I don’t see the attraction she has for him. He hasn’t really done anything to get the almost stalker vibe from her. I just don’t get what she sees in him. While I am glad Abi tries to better herself, I don’t like the thoughts she has about herself.
Porker dead, choked on pork.
She isn’t nice to herself. And that makes me a bit mad. I understand she doesn’t like her weight but that doesn’t mean she has the right to dig on herself. I also understand that with the way her mom was that it’s ingrained in her brain to think the worst of herself. So I guess I can let that slide.
I don’t know if I will put the second book on my TBR. I wasn’t too thrilled with the book.
Fair warning I'm going to have a rant.
I have read a book series by Kelsie before. They were super cute though had a few characters who fat-shamed. I am not opposed to some characters fat-shaming due to people in real life fat shame. So it stays realistic to me. What I don’t like is when an author fat-shames and makes it a point to do so.
I don’t know if it’s just the two small-town schools I went to in my life or if fiction is just exaggerated. I feel like in most books there seems to only be one plus-sized person in the school. Sorry but that wasn’t how it was at either of the schools I went to. Also, our jocks had some big boys. They weren’t all 6 feet and muscles for days. Just saying.
And while I am ranting, if you are not where you want to be with weight, no matter how much you weigh, please don’t starve yourself. Also, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and managing weight won’t be done in a week. Please give yourself some time. I am having to remind myself of this because I’m not back to where I was before JB. I have to remember that JB is only six months. While some women can bounce back after a baby, I’m not them and my body needs time.
Anyway sorry for the rant. On to the actual review. Abi is living with her grandma after her abusive parents are put in jail. Abi lives down the street from Jon. She makes friends with a girl named Stormy on the first day. Abi is a plus-sized girl who hates herself and her weight.
I love that even though Abi hates herself, she does seem to work to better herself. She isn’t a heroine that the author made to self-pity herself or to try and get attention. I love when characters try to better themselves. It makes me not want to smack them.
Now Jon and Abi… I don’t see the attraction she has for him. He hasn’t really done anything to get the almost stalker vibe from her. I just don’t get what she sees in him. While I am glad Abi tries to better herself, I don’t like the thoughts she has about herself.
Porker dead, choked on pork.
She isn’t nice to herself. And that makes me a bit mad. I understand she doesn’t like her weight but that doesn’t mean she has the right to dig on herself. I also understand that with the way her mom was that it’s ingrained in her brain to think the worst of herself. So I guess I can let that slide.
I don’t know if I will put the second book on my TBR. I wasn’t too thrilled with the book.
December 11, 2018
Abi and the Boy Next Door - Loving Skye is my favorite, but Abi is a close second. Another clean, heartwarming story about a high school girl with a troubled background. She has her loving grandmother to show her a different life. The neighbors and some classmates open their hearts to her and show her more of a loving, accepting world. Of course, there's her new best friend, the neighbor's son. The storylines are interesting, the characters lovable and the growth the young woman experiences in her life are intriguing. Skye appears several times since Abi goes to school with Andrew, so it was fun to see Loving Skye from a different angle.
Ms. Stelting does a wonderful job with her young characters giving them a maturity level and dignity that are often missing in today's repeatedly used stupid formula plots. With each book, the author shows her growth with her craft and each new book is a joy to read. YA is not my typical genre, too much stupidity and drama, but I will read every book Ms. Stelting writes. Well written and edited, this is a good read for all ages, especially YA. I contacted the author to review her books. 5*
Lonesome Skye #1 - I usually don't read much about this age group, but this is an excellent story about a high school junior and her trials. This is a well written, intriguing story filled with a gamut of emotions that keeps the reader rooting for the main character. All the characters are developing through out the story and I find their dialog realistic and mature instead of moronic. I didn't like the way the book ended, but I assume there's more to the story coming. It's not a cliffhanger, but I did want to keep following her story. I'm interested in reading more by this writer; plus she understands and practices proper editing. I do wish I had read this book before All The Things He Left Behind, since one is past and the other future in some of these characters' lives. 5*
Becoming Skye #2 - Starts right after Skye gets out of the hospital and she's in her junior year of high school. Again, I don't care too much for this age group, but I love what Ms. Stelting can do with the written word. Her vivid descriptions, her characters and their dramas, and how things are handle with a bit of maturity, instead of the usual stupidity so common today for characters of many ages. This story is clean and with no sexual misbehavior, just young soon-to-be adults trying to make the best of their situations and lives. Skye is determined to succeed and even when the cards are stacked against her, she doesn't fold and give in. She suffers the blow but comes back more determined and with new plans that she puts into action. Ms. Stelting also manages to edit her books with only a few errors, in this case, three words that should have been uppercase. 5*
Loving Skye #3 - This is my favorite of the Skye series. Well written and clean, full of fun and drama but still heartwarming for a person this young to continue on when things are bad. Skye is an interesting character and she does handle things better than her age group usually does. She makes mistakes and sometimes doing the right thing slaps her upside the head. She has a good supporting friend, actually more than one, and the rest of characters are human, too. Ms. Stelting does a good job with all her books. 5*
Ms. Stelting does a wonderful job with her young characters giving them a maturity level and dignity that are often missing in today's repeatedly used stupid formula plots. With each book, the author shows her growth with her craft and each new book is a joy to read. YA is not my typical genre, too much stupidity and drama, but I will read every book Ms. Stelting writes. Well written and edited, this is a good read for all ages, especially YA. I contacted the author to review her books. 5*
Lonesome Skye #1 - I usually don't read much about this age group, but this is an excellent story about a high school junior and her trials. This is a well written, intriguing story filled with a gamut of emotions that keeps the reader rooting for the main character. All the characters are developing through out the story and I find their dialog realistic and mature instead of moronic. I didn't like the way the book ended, but I assume there's more to the story coming. It's not a cliffhanger, but I did want to keep following her story. I'm interested in reading more by this writer; plus she understands and practices proper editing. I do wish I had read this book before All The Things He Left Behind, since one is past and the other future in some of these characters' lives. 5*
Becoming Skye #2 - Starts right after Skye gets out of the hospital and she's in her junior year of high school. Again, I don't care too much for this age group, but I love what Ms. Stelting can do with the written word. Her vivid descriptions, her characters and their dramas, and how things are handle with a bit of maturity, instead of the usual stupidity so common today for characters of many ages. This story is clean and with no sexual misbehavior, just young soon-to-be adults trying to make the best of their situations and lives. Skye is determined to succeed and even when the cards are stacked against her, she doesn't fold and give in. She suffers the blow but comes back more determined and with new plans that she puts into action. Ms. Stelting also manages to edit her books with only a few errors, in this case, three words that should have been uppercase. 5*
Loving Skye #3 - This is my favorite of the Skye series. Well written and clean, full of fun and drama but still heartwarming for a person this young to continue on when things are bad. Skye is an interesting character and she does handle things better than her age group usually does. She makes mistakes and sometimes doing the right thing slaps her upside the head. She has a good supporting friend, actually more than one, and the rest of characters are human, too. Ms. Stelting does a good job with all her books. 5*
April 21, 2022
It was a nice read.
Heroine moves in with her grandmother after her parents are found beating her.
On a bus ride to school, Abi meets a boy who becomes her friend.
Heroine moves in with her grandmother after her parents are found beating her.
On a bus ride to school, Abi meets a boy who becomes her friend.
December 9, 2021
DNF-More boring than cute. I couldn’t get over all the fat shaming that occurred in this book. It was upsetting. Abi was the embodiment of a pity party, I just wish she at least had a tiny bit of confidence. While I liked that she wanted to lose weight and eat healthy I would have like it if she did so for herself rather than for others. There was no way I could have finished this one. Not my cup of tea.
December 31, 2019
Beautiful story of a teenage girl coming to terms with her physical and mental abuse. It’s a story of friendship and young love. The story is inspiring to young girls that with hard work and dedication you can change anything you want to in your life. It tells of beauty is not just skin deep. Well written. I enjoyed this story.
December 8, 2018
Wonderful story of a teenage girl learning to turn off the negative voices in her head and finding the truth. I cheered Abi on each step she took, especially when she beat her on time. I highly recommend this book if you like clean stories with heart.
December 13, 2018
I liked it. Pretty dark and dramatic but good. Some swearing. No sex. Light on the romance.
March 19, 2023
Kelsie Stelting has a wonderful way with words that brings her characters to life and make them so relatable. She also writes adult romance under the name Kelsie Hoss - highly recommend!
Abi and the Boy Next Door touches upon so many thoughts that I, as a fellow plus-size female, have struggled with. The only thing anyone could possibly think when they look at me is that I'm disgusting - because if I can't see anything else, how could anyone else, right? As a teenager transferring to a new school partway through her senior year, Abi has to start over with the "where to sit on the bus/ at lunch/ in class" concerns. Her low self-esteem and main causes of it play a large role in the story.
Favorite Quote: “You, Abigail Johnson, are a special fish. I can tell.” He smiled. “We just need to figure out what your ocean is.”
Abi and the Boy Next Door touches upon so many thoughts that I, as a fellow plus-size female, have struggled with. The only thing anyone could possibly think when they look at me is that I'm disgusting - because if I can't see anything else, how could anyone else, right? As a teenager transferring to a new school partway through her senior year, Abi has to start over with the "where to sit on the bus/ at lunch/ in class" concerns. Her low self-esteem and main causes of it play a large role in the story.
Favorite Quote: “You, Abigail Johnson, are a special fish. I can tell.” He smiled. “We just need to figure out what your ocean is.”
October 10, 2020
This book is so much more than high school girl and the boy next door. Admittely I didn't read the blurb so I was going off of the cover (which I thought was awesome) and title.
Ms. Stelting deals with weight loss issues, parental issues, drugs, etc. I had to keep on reading to find out what would happen to Abi and of course, what would happen with her and the boy next door.
This was a great read and I loved the depth and I will definitely read more of Ms. Stelting.
Ms. Stelting deals with weight loss issues, parental issues, drugs, etc. I had to keep on reading to find out what would happen to Abi and of course, what would happen with her and the boy next door.
This was a great read and I loved the depth and I will definitely read more of Ms. Stelting.
December 13, 2018
Being the new girl in school is hard. It’s even harder when you transferred during your senior year and are overweight. But when a boy on the bus offers you the seat next to him, things start to look a little brighter for Abi. When two strangers find out they are neighbors, their lives become entwined as they stumble through the ups and downs of teenage life.
The author has a way of writing that pulls you into the lives of the characters. Reading her books brings back memories of high school drama and all the roller coaster of emotions that happens when growing up as a teenager. I love how the characters in the author’s books all flow together. It was nice having Skye and Andrew (from the Texas Star series) mixed in this book. I love how strong Abi is. With determination she sets goals for herself, and even though things get tough & she wants to quit, she doesn’t lose her focus. Another great read from Ms. Kelsie! Looking forward to which character she will be writing about next!
The author has a way of writing that pulls you into the lives of the characters. Reading her books brings back memories of high school drama and all the roller coaster of emotions that happens when growing up as a teenager. I love how the characters in the author’s books all flow together. It was nice having Skye and Andrew (from the Texas Star series) mixed in this book. I love how strong Abi is. With determination she sets goals for herself, and even though things get tough & she wants to quit, she doesn’t lose her focus. Another great read from Ms. Kelsie! Looking forward to which character she will be writing about next!
January 30, 2019
Jon and Abi
A clean and sweet high school romance. But what stands out more than the romance are the friendships/relationships that Abi gained with Jon's parents, her friends, her teacher, Jon and most especially, her grandmother. This was what she needed. Love from others especially those who knew her without knowing her past. Loved this story.
A clean and sweet high school romance. But what stands out more than the romance are the friendships/relationships that Abi gained with Jon's parents, her friends, her teacher, Jon and most especially, her grandmother. This was what she needed. Love from others especially those who knew her without knowing her past. Loved this story.
March 20, 2019
This book wasn't easy to rate or review for me.
The story touches on some serious issues, and the way Abi deals with her share of problems might not always be relatable for me.
That being said, this is still a Kelsie Stelting book which means it's well written, I generally like the main characters - and the supporting cast has some really great moments!
I adore Abi's grandma, and I'm glad Abi finds her posse who stick with her through thick and thin (ha!).
The story touches on some serious issues, and the way Abi deals with her share of problems might not always be relatable for me.
That being said, this is still a Kelsie Stelting book which means it's well written, I generally like the main characters - and the supporting cast has some really great moments!
I adore Abi's grandma, and I'm glad Abi finds her posse who stick with her through thick and thin (ha!).
December 19, 2018
Read This Book
Five star rating for me. I loves the characters and how Abi grew. It is a young romance but really that plays in thw back ground. I dont typically like for the heroine to change herself but for this book and this character it worked.
Five star rating for me. I loves the characters and how Abi grew. It is a young romance but really that plays in thw back ground. I dont typically like for the heroine to change herself but for this book and this character it worked.
January 1, 2019
Not what I was expecting
This book shows so much truth. You can't judge a book by its cover without reading it because it could be completely different than what you think. So glad I took a chance on reading this as it was so worth it.
This book shows so much truth. You can't judge a book by its cover without reading it because it could be completely different than what you think. So glad I took a chance on reading this as it was so worth it.
December 20, 2018
So good!
Abi!!! I literally felt like I was her in high school (minus the parents and all). I loved her fight, her drive, her brokenness, her friends and her GROWTH! Omg, that ending? And Jon? Such a good, refreshing read. So glad I came across this book! Love, love, love it!
Abi!!! I literally felt like I was her in high school (minus the parents and all). I loved her fight, her drive, her brokenness, her friends and her GROWTH! Omg, that ending? And Jon? Such a good, refreshing read. So glad I came across this book! Love, love, love it!
December 27, 2018
Eh it would of been cute but the main character was way over dramatic. For one she acted like she was 300 lbs. good thing it was a short read lol
January 30, 2019
Wonderful story of hope
A beautiful story about a girl in her senior year as she discovers letting others love her and more importantly loving herself.
A beautiful story about a girl in her senior year as she discovers letting others love her and more importantly loving herself.
December 14, 2018
I loved Abi. She has suffered so much. Grandma was such a caring woman who loved Abi. Her mom was a piece of work. Jon frustrated me a little. He was a good friend to Abi but didn't really like how he treated his girlfriend or Abi really. He did redeem himself toward the end. I liked how the author showed the growth and change in Abi through the book. She had some funny/crazy friends. This book made me think - I don't usually read or enjoy YA books but really enjoyed this one. I even discussed it (especially my frustration with Jon) with my 23 year old daughter. She gave me a different prospective - which helped me with my opinion. The ending was awesome.
December 27, 2018
Loved this book! I loved the meaning and I absolutely love Abi’s determination to overcome everything she had been through. High school is hard. I like that she holds her own and what a beautiful journey.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
January 16, 2019
3.5 Stars
December 22, 2018
Great book!
This is such an inspiring find yourself book. The story is told through the eyes of a "broken" teen girl. It is a journey I am glad I took!
This is such an inspiring find yourself book. The story is told through the eyes of a "broken" teen girl. It is a journey I am glad I took!
March 16, 2019
This book is for those who enjoy a good laugh..I really appreciate the author for choosing a girl who doeant fit the standard beauty norms and is beautiful in her own way..but I wonder why the cover is different from the said girl.Really enjoyable read
December 12, 2018
This book is so sweet! I didn’t want to put it down after the reading the first chapter. I think everyone can relate to this book in some way and I love that! I think that the author created a very real and honest visual of what young girls go through. This was a very enjoyable read, I defiantly recommend this book!
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