Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Title: Where I Belong

Author: Gwendolyn Heasley

Pages: 304

Genre: YA/Teen

Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City—shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .

When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.—before the recession—was as perfect as it seemed. [via GoodReads]

I love this type of story... instead of it being a rags to riches one, it's a riches to rags tale.  Where the mean, snobby, rich girl learns that there's more to life than just money.  I love this type of story because you will always find great character development.  And that is exactly the type of character Corinne is.  At first, you don't truly like her.  She's spoiled, obnoxious and quite frankly annoying when it comes to her selfishness.  But when her lifestyle takes a nosedive after her father loses his job and she ends up living in small town Texas with her grandparents - she'll learn that not everything revolves around her wants and needs, where she'll make true friendships, learn the importance of family and enjoy the stirrings of a new love.

I enjoyed seeing the many changes in Corrine.  Her internal diaglogues were very entertaining and you fully and believably grasp the strenuous situation she believes herself to be in once she realizes that she has no money.  I found it funny that in the first pages you are forewarned about what an unlikeable character she is but to give her a chance because she just might grow on you... and that she does.  I found myself taken in by the story.  I loved reading of the town of Broken Spoke and its quirky residents. 

All in all, Where I Belong is a fun and quick read - a sweet contemporary YA story of one girl's path to self-discovery.  It definitely made me want go out and buy me my own set of boots and cowboy hat.

My Rating: