Review: Chassing Nikki by Lacey Weatherford

Chasing Nikki
By Lacey Weatherford
Release Date: February 29, 2012
Series: Chasing Nikki

Description:
Chase Walker used to be a good kid-charming, athletic, and with a bright future ahead, but that was before travesty struck his life, sinking him into deep despair. Caught up in a world of drugs and alcohol, he doesn't notice time slipping away until he's arrested for underage drinking one night. Fed up with watching her son destroy his life, Chase's mom relocates him to live in a small ranching community with his ex-military grandfather. Chase is far from happy about the situation until he meets, Nikki, the cute cheerleader who won't give football players like him the time of day. Chase enjoys a good challenge though and sets out to claim Nikki for his own. He soon discovers she's more than a pretty face-she's a balm to his troubled spirit also. But when tragedy strikes Nikki's life too, suddenly Chase finds himself put to the ultimate test. Can he trust Nikki, and all that she's taught him? Will it be enough?

Review:

Okay so we meet Chase as he's recently turned into quite the problem child after his father died (on Chase's birthday might I add, tragedy).  His mother doesn't know how to get through to him anymore so she moves him back to her hometown with her parents hoping this move and structure will help her son move on. While starting a new school he meets this girl that he just has to have, but everyone tells him she won't give him the time of day, Nikki.  She seems like a very innocent formal type of person, and I don't know if that is part of the attraction but she puts me off as a goody goody and the conversations they have together sound very cliché.  For example:

“Well, you’re wrong. I know there’s got to be a God somewhere, because he sent you to me, right when I needed you most.”
(Kindle Locations 2253-2254)

So he finally breaks down her barriers and worms his way into her heart and her into his heart and their relationship blossoms from there.  But I don't know what it is but I just can't seem to feel any connection to the characters at all and this is more than halfway through the book and I still don't feel anything. The overall story is good; I just haven't connected with the characters.  I think it's their conversation. It doesn't seem to flow freely but rehearsed.  They seem to be doing well; I can imagine them like being the golden couple in school.  They just had their homecoming dance when tragedy strikes. 

The next day as I continued to read the book I started to feel a little something for Chase, he’s been dealt a bad hand over and over and I feel bad for him.  It’s as if nothing seems to go his way or the way it should.  He’ll have a little bit of happiness and then bam something goes wrong.  So finally I had a connection with him.  It’s very sad what happens in the book but these things make you a stronger person, even if you don’t want to be.  It’s crazy how life can seriously be short and unexpected things can happen, and for that I have to say that you have to live your life to the fullest.  Don’t waste a single moment with nonsense and just try to be happy.

Overall the book was good, and a quick read with emotion in it towards the end.  This has to be one of my favorite things about this book though, the lines are perfect and something everyone should really live by:

So stop looking at the past and all the things you can’t change. They’re done and over with. Now is the time for you to look to the future, grasp it by the hand, and decide where you want to go. I told you once before, and I’ll say it again—this is your life, Chase. Only you can decide what it’s going to be like. Don’t let outside forces dictate it for you.
(Kindle Locations 3808-3811)