The Trouble with Destiny

by Lauren Morrill

Overview

"I absolutely loved this book. I never wanted this journey to end!" says Morgan Matson, New York Times bestselling author of The Unexpected Everything, of this fun and irresistible contemporary YA about high school romance & mischief on the high seas.
 
With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize.

Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.

But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.

***

“All aboard for hijinks, crushes, and a sweet story of banding together.” —Emery Lord, author of Open Road Summer

"I adored this fun and heartfelt book. It's a pleasure cruise from start to finish, with plenty of waves along the way!" —Leila Howland, author of Nantucket Blue

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780553497977
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	12/08/2015
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)
Lexile:	990L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Lauren Morrill is the author of MEANT TO BE, BEING SLOANE JACOBS, THE TROUBLE WITH DESTINY, and MY UNSCRIPTED LIFE. She grew up in Maryville, Tennessee, where she was a short-term Girl Scout, a (not-so) proud member of the marching band, and a troublemaking editor for the school newspaper. She lives in Macon, Georgia, with her family, and when she’s not writing, she spends a lot of hours on the track getting knocked around playing roller derby. 
 
laurenmorrill.com 
Follow @LaurenEMorrill on Twitter and @laurenmorrill on Instagram.

Editorial Reviews

09/28/2015
Band geeks and those who love them are a natural audience for this lighthearted romantic comedy from Morrill (Being Sloane Jacobs), which takes place on a cruise ship full of high school students participating in a performing arts competition. The ship, Destiny, proves an ideal setting for both romantic and performing-arts-related high jinks, and high-energy, high-strung drum major Liza Sanders is a cheerful, can-do narrator, whose investment in her leadership role is amusing and endearing. Liza is determined to save her school’s band from folding due to budget cuts by winning the competition’s $25,000 grand prize, even as she spars with rivals (Liza’s ex-friend Demi leads up a competing school’s dance team), juggles multiple crushes, and tries to manage her bandmates’ antics. Well-chosen details of the surreal nature of life aboard a cruise ship (not to mention as a member of a high school band) add authenticity to an upbeat story about underdogs, saving something worthwhile, mending fences with old friends, and finding love in unexpected places. A Paper Lantern Lit property. Ages 12–up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

[A] romantic adventure for fans of Stephanie Perkins’s Anna and the French Kiss . . . readers looking for a light, romantic adventure will eat up Morrill’s fast-paced plot and fun writing style.”—School Library Journal

"Enjoyable . . .  a cotton-candy read." —Kirkus Reviews

"An upbeat story about underdogs, saving something worthwhile, mending fences with old friends, and finding love in unexpected places." —Publishers Weekly 

"Contemporary romance packed with comical implausibilities and the stuff of band-geek daydreams." —Booklist

From the Publisher

11/01/2015
Gr 8 Up—A campy romantic adventure for fans of Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss (Dutton, 2010), the TV show Glee, and the film Mean Girls. Lisa loves the camaraderie and overall fun of being part of Holland High School's Style Marchers. Then she overhears that her beloved band will be defunded next year to make room for a bigger athletic program and, of all things, a new student parking lot. Lisa knows she will do anything to keep her friends playing their beloved instruments and by luck, she finds the perfect plan to make everything all okay—a talent show on a cruise ship with a first place prize that can save the music program. As drum major, she is confident winning will be a breeze and she will never have to tell any band members about the Style Marchers' very possible imminent demise. However, with multiple competitors and the unexpected arrival of a crush from her past, Lisa struggles to keep her focus on the competition and hopes her chances at winning don't go down like a sinking ship. Readers looking for a light, romantic adventure will eat up Morrill's fast-paced plot and fun writing style. While character development remains shallow, the protagonists' over-the-top nature and high jinks will keep teens interested. Minor plot twists will keep pages turning despite the predictable narrative, but brief mentions of drinking and some steamy scenes may alienate some readers. VERDICT A recommended purchase for collections where contemporary romances with nerdy, fun characters reign.—DeHanza Kwong, Wahiawa Public Library, Hawaii

School Library Journal

2015-08-31
Liza and her school marching band enter a contest on a cruise ship, but only drum-major Liza knows that they will fall to school budget cuts unless they can win the $25,000 first prize. This light farcical romance depends on Liza's misunderstandings and misadventures, which happen often enough to keep readers laughing. Her main rival, Demi, leader of an excellent dance troupe, is her former best friend and has no trouble fighting dirty. As soon as Liza boards the boat, she runs into childhood friend Lenny, who has turned into quite the hottie. Almost worse than Demi is quarterback-turned-band's errand-boy Russ, who is distinguished by his incompetence. The band's rehearsals, when they manage to have them, are near disasters, especially when Liza yields to the pressure and yells at her musicians. And then there's that dropped bowling ball….More and more, she's forced to rely on the help of the patient Russ, with results that will surprise only Liza. Morrill keeps her story light and almost fluffy as Liza flails about, both while leading her band and while pursuing romance. The rules of a rom-com prevail, but the ride is a pretty enjoyable one. Slapstick and romance make for a cotton-candy read. (Romance. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews