Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Harper Effect
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.tarynbashford.com/
CITY: Queensland
STATE:
COUNTRY: Australia
NATIONALITY: Australian
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 2018016312
Descriptive conventions:
rda
Personal name heading:
Bashford, Taryn
Found in: The Harper effect, 2018: ECIP t.p. (Taryn Bashford)
================================================================================
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AUTHORITIES
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20540
Questions? Contact: ils@loc.gov
PERSONAL
Married; husband’s name Mark; children: two.
EDUCATION:University of Exeter, graduated 1993.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and novelist. Worked as an au pair in New York, NY; then Haymarket Publishing, London, England, advertising department; then Carlton Television’s Internet Agency, London, England, CEO; than health freelancer on a food intolerance website, Queensland, Australia.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Karyn Bashford is a self-professed adrenaline junkie who grew up in England. She edited her school’s magazine and competed in numerous sports, including swimming, track and field, badminton, basketball, and hockey. After briefly working as an au pair in New York City, she studied English literature at the University of Exeter. Although she initially planned to be a journalist, a poor job market led to a career in publishing and eventually as one of the youngest CEOs in London, England as head of the Carlton Television’s Internet Agency. Bashford eventually immigrated to Sydney, Australia, where she became a full-time writer. Although Bashford wrote adult fiction for many years, she decided to turn to the young adult (YA) marketplace.
Ashford wrote the initial draft of her debut YA novel, The Harper Effect, thirty years earlier and had given it the title Proud Now Ma? The Harper Effect tells the story of Harper Hunter, an aspiring tennis professional who is heartbroken when her coach says she will never make it in the world of professional tennis. That is only one of the teen’s problems. She also has a moody doubles partner who seems to be angry at the world, and she is in love with her sister’s now ex-boyfriend.
In an interview with Tuesday Writers website contributor Melody Maysonet, Bashford noted that part of the inspiration for her book came when she was only fourteen years old and wrote the first draft after her brother had just won Nationals at Wimbledon, adding: “Further inspiration came from meeting one of the players my brother eventually ended up coaching—a 16-year-old Amelie Mauresmo.” Bashford recounted the story of sitting by Mauresmo in a Pizza Hut at Wimbledon and how Mauresmo was “being anxious about some teenage stuff and it struck me how she was a normal teenager, worrying about the same things all teenagers worry about, and yet tomorrow she’d play in Wimbledon. I loved that contrast of her being a teen struggling with average teen issues, yet at the same time being an elite athlete.”
In The Harper Effect, 16-year-old Harper has had a promising junior tennis career but is finding it much more difficult to succeed on the professional level. Her coach doubts her mental toughness and says he will no longer be her coach. Meanwhile, her older sister, Aria, has just broken up with her boyfriend, Jacob, a longtime family friend. Eventually, Jacob reveals to Harper than he is in love with her and that is why he broke up with Aria.
With the help of her father, Harper gets a new coach and ends up being paired in doubles matches with Colt Quinn, who is predicted to be a star one day. Her pairing with the driven Colt leads Harper to be more dedicated to the sport, in part to prove her old coach is wrong about her ability to compete in the pros and to keep pace with Colt. Harper, however, finds that she may want to be more than Colt’s doubles partner. As the two become closer, Harper discovers that Colt has some secrets due to a traumatic family past. “Colt and his backstory are compelling, and the revelations are skillfully handled,” wrote a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
Meanwhile, Aria finally recognizes that Jacob has romantic intentions toward Harper, which signals a potential final split between the sisters. Harper finds herself pulled in various directions and must decide what she really wants out of life. “As she walks a fine line between Colt’s secrets, her forbidden love, and a game that demands nothing but the best, Harper must decide between her past and her future and between two boys who send her head spinning,” wrote a Jess Just Reads website contributor. Cathleen Ash, writing in School Library Journal, remarked: “This sports romance will have readers asking all the right questions about growing up.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2018, review of The Harper Effect.
Publishers Weekly, April 30, 2018, review of The Harper Effect, p. 63.
School Library Journal, May, 2018. Cathleen Ash, review of The Harper Effect, p. 92.
ONLINE
Ambsreads, https://ambsreads.wordpress.com/ (January 3, 2018), review of The Harper Effect.
CYA Conference website, http://www.cyaconference.com/ (July 27, 2018), author profile.
Jess Just Reads, http://jessjustreads.com/ (January 20, 2018), review of The Harper Effect.
Kate J. Foster website, https://www.katejfoster.com/ (December 29, 2017), “Simply the Best! Meet Debut Author Taryn Bashford.”
Reading Time, http://readingtime.com.au/ (January 10, 2018), “Meet Taryn Bashford.”
Scarlet Bookkeeper, https://scarletbookkeeper.wordpress.com/ (February 14, 18), review of The Harper Effect.
Taryn Bashford website, https://www.tarynbashford.com (July 27, 2018).
Teenreads, https://www.teenreads.com/ (May 29, 2018), review of The Harper Effect; (July 27, 2018), author profile.
Tuesday Writers, http://www.tuesdaywriters.com/ (May 15, 2018), Melody Maysonet, “An Interview with Taryn Bashford, author of The Harper Effect.”
Taryn Bashford lives the typical author’s life alongside supportive husband, teen children, and characters from my latest book insisting they help make dinner. This can be disconcerting as Jacob is always sticking his fingers in the cheese sauce and Harper can’t cook.
For more on how life lead me to become a writer, click on my timeline.
Fun Fact: the first draft of The Harper Effect was originally written 30 years ago and was called Proud Now Ma?
Favorite movie: Forrest Gump.
Favorite food: brocolli. Kidding. Sushi beats everything
Project Awesome with young adult author Taryn Bashford
After many years of writing stories and adult fiction, I was intrigued by the rush of novels launching into the young adult marketplace. I have now read over 300 of these novels and the more I read the more I know this is my genre. One particular book made up my mind for me. I knew that had I read this particular book as a fifteen or sixteen year old, it would have helped the situation I was going through. It would've been a helping hand, a comfort, a source of ideas, something to relate to, a place to go and know I wasn't alone--and so much more I can't explain here. I hope my novels work on those many levels, too.
At five years old I declared I would be an author. At twenty I searched for a journalism job. At thirty I was appointed to be a media CEO—the novels took a back seat. Now I’m a full time writer going after that early goal.
The Harper Effect was the winner of the Varuna House/Pan Macmillan Publisher Introduction Program 2016 and was a finalist in Pitch Wars 2015.
I've been an English Literature Honours student, an advertising rep, a Media Sales Manager and a CEO of an internet company, but I plan to write inspiring, engaging novels until the day I can no longer type--or no-one takes me seriously (whichever comes later).
For more on how life lead me to become a writer, click on my timeline.
Fun Fact: the first draft of The Harper Effect was originally written 30 years ago and was called Proud Now Ma?
Favorite movie: Forrest Gump.
Favorite food: brocolli. Kidding. Sushi beats everything
Taryn Bashford grew up in the somewhat damp climes of England, attending St Martin’s School in Shenfield, Essex, where she enjoyed English Literature, editing the school magazine for six years and competing in many sports including swimming, track & field, cross country, badminton, basketball and hockey.
After high school Taryn worked as an au pair in New York City before studying English Literature at Exeter University in Devon. Taryn hoped to get into journalism or editorial but found the recession meant these jobs were in short supply.
She targeted publishers, none-the-less, and ended up in an advertising sales role at Haymarket Publishing. Eight short years later, at the age of 29, (having had a stint backpacking around the world including six months as a chalet chef in
Colorado, and skipping across 42 states in the USA, plus China, Egypt and Europe) she was heading up Carlton Television’s Internet Agency and was one of the youngest CEOs in London.
Having reached her career goals, Taryn decided she needed to get back to her writing. She emigrated with husband Mark, to Sydney Australia where they hoped to enjoy a more laid back lifestyle. However one recruitment business and two children later, Taryn was no further toward her goal of becoming a full time writer. The family moved to Queensland Australia to facilitate her new role as a health freelancer on a food intolerance website, and in the hope she could turn her hand to writing full time.
This finally happened in 2013 when Taryn wrote Sassy Jam (unpubished) which won Varuna House’s Writing Fellowship later that year and then in 2014, the Publishing Introduction Program with Varuna House in conjunction with Scribe Publishing. Taryn was also awarded a local art’s council grant for promising new artist. Taryn finished the three book Sassy Series (unpublished) before turning to the world of tennis and completing THE HARPER EFFECT. The Harper Effect was one of the winners in Pitch Wars USA 2015 and was short-listed for the Publishing Pathways competition run by Varuna House and in conjunction with Pan Macmillan Publishing in February 2016.
Literary Agent details:
Curtis Brown, Sydney, Australia
&
Jill Grinberg Literary Management,
New York City, USA
Publisher Details:
Pan Macmillan, Level 25, 1 Market Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61-2-9285-9100
&
Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor New York, NY 10018 UNITED STATES
Phone: : (212) 643-6816
The Harper Effect
The story of a girl who learns to win from a boy who has lost everything...
Harper Hunter doesn't know how it came to this.
Her tennis dreams are collapsing; her coach says she doesn't have what it takes to make it in the world of professional tennis.
Her new doubles partner is moody, mysterious and angry at the world. Why, and what is he hiding?
Harper's in love with Jacob, her neighbor, but he's her sister's boyfriend. Or, he was. Harper could never betray Aria with Jacob ... could she?
As her heart and dreams pull her in different directions, she has to figure out exactly what she wants. And just how hard she's willing to fight to get it.
Project
Awesome
I'm also the creator of Jeans Teen Army, a campaign to address the seemingly universal feeling teens have about themselves -- that they're not good enough. Project Awesome videos can be viewed here--click on the ball
Full bio: click here
BUY BOOK
This page wouldn't be complete without mentioning the family dog, Jack, aka Boomer in Sassy Jam (yet to be published.)
ALSO
Official Bio
Taryn Bashford grew up in the somewhat damp climes of England, attending St Martin’s School in Shenfield, Essex, where she enjoyed English Literature, editing the school magazine for six years and competing in many sports including swimming, track & field, cross country, badminton, basketball and hockey.
After high school Taryn worked as an au pair in New York City before studying English Literature at Exeter University in Devon. Taryn hoped to get into journalism or editorial but found the recession meant these jobs were in short supply.
She targeted publishers, none-the-less, and ended up in an advertising sales role at Haymarket Publishing. Eight short years later, at the age of 29, (having had a stint backpacking around the world including six months as a chalet chef in
Colorado, and skipping across 42 states in the USA, plus China, Egypt and Europe) she was heading up Carlton Television’s Internet Agency and was one of the youngest CEOs in London.
Having reached her career goals, Taryn decided she needed to get back to her writing. She emigrated with husband Mark, to Sydney Australia where they hoped to enjoy a more laid back lifestyle. However one recruitment business and two children later, Taryn was no further toward her goal of becoming a full time writer. The family moved to Queensland Australia to facilitate her new role as a health freelancer on a food intolerance website, and in the hope she could turn her hand to writing full time.
This finally happened in 2013 when Taryn wrote Sassy Jam (unpubished) which won Varuna House’s Writing Fellowship later that year and then in 2014, the Publishing Introduction Program with Varuna House in conjunction with Scribe Publishing. Taryn was also awarded a local art’s council grant for promising new artist. Taryn finished the three book Sassy Series (unpublished) before turning to the world of tennis and completing THE HARPER EFFECT. The Harper Effect was one of the winners in Pitch Wars USA 2015 and was short-listed for the Publishing Pathways competition run by Varuna House and in conjunction with Pan Macmillan Publishing in February 2016.
Literary Agent details:
Curtis Brown, Sydney, Australia
&
Jill Grinberg Literary Management,
New York City, USA
About Taryn Bashford
Work
Writer
2014 to present
Writer & Novelist
Author of novels
Education
University of Exeter
Class of 1993 · English Literature & Creative Writing · Exeter, Devon
St Martin's School
Class of 1989 · Brentwood, UK
About Taryn
Author of award-winning YA novel, The Harper Effect, published by Pan Macmillan, Australia, and SkyHorse USA.
I live the typical writer’s life with supportive husband, two teen children, and characters from my latest book insisting they help make dinner. This can be disconcerting as Jacob is always sticking his fingers in the cheese sauce and Harper can’t cook.
I'm an adrenaline junkie, training for triathlons and I want to inspire and engage readers until the day I can no longer type.
I'm a Pitch Wars Warrior and an Electric Eighteen, and a fan of Pit Mad, CYA Conference and SCBWI.
Favorite Quotes
No favorite quotes to show
Favorites
Music
[Sunshine FM 104.9 Sunshine Coast]
Sunshine FM 104.9 Sunshine Coast
Books
[Queen of All She Reads]
Queen of All She Reads
Movies
[Where the Wild Things Are]
Where the Wild Things Are
Television
[Word of Mouth]
Word of Mouth
Athletes
[Arina Rodionova]
Arina Rodionova
Sports Teams
[Noosa Lions Football Club]
Noosa Lions Football Club
Other
The Transformational Storyteller, Shout my Book, Pamela Adams, Author Edwin Banks, Crooked Cat, Just Write For Kids Australia, Marcia Woolf, Writers at Sea, Suzanne Baltsar, Steve Bisley Page, Michael Mammay Author Page, Madeleine Black, San Gabriel Library, Write Kids' Books, Barnes & Noble Upper West Side, Barnes & Noble (La Mesa, CA), Skylight Books, Vroman's Bookstore, Barnes & Noble Events, The Grove, Young Adult Books Central (YABC), The BookMark Shoppe, Strand Book Store, Bookbook, Sarah's Book Blog, Books A-Brewin, JB's Book Obsession Blog, Bookworm Lisa, Debras Random Rambles, Upstate Ramblings, Paulette's Papers, Two Chicks on Books, Tressa's Wishful Endings, Pages & Puddles, She Reads With Cats, What Megan Reads, Shades of Read Books, Lattes & Paperbacks, Confessions of a YA Reader, Portrait of a Book, Book Sniffers Anonymous, Rockstar Book Tours, I Love Libraries, American Library Association, EveryLibrary, Gumbootspearlz - June Perkins, Life Skills 4 College, Victoria Piontek, Paralympic Games, Peter and Jane, Samantha M Clark, Nadia L King Author, Facebook Advertiser Support, Marianne Bayliss, Katya de Becerra, Author, Sharon Clark - illustrator, artist and children's author, Taryn Bashford, Alison Baillie Author, Julieann Wallace - Writer, Illustrator, Author, The School Magazine, Author Annie Sullivan, Barbara Hannay Author, Steven Hayward, Author, Author Jennifer Hanning, Jacqui Halpin Author, Rachel Noble - Author, Kerry Ide Illustration, T.M.Clark - Author, Maria Parenti-Baldey Writer, Nicola J Rowley, Erik Hengstrum, Kelly Van Nelson - Author, ICentre Mt Alvernia, Melbourne Writers Festival, Affordable Manuscript Assessments, Loretta Chase, Ellen Radley, Cam Neville Weddings, Keziah Hill Author, Book Links - The Centre for Children's Literature, Jen Petro-Roy - Author, Jessica Redland Writer, Karen Tayleur - Author, Dafni Ma, AdmireD, Betsy Reavley, Sunshine Coast Business Women's Network, Children's Books Daily, Queensland Writers Centre, Brisbane Writers Festival, So What Are You Reading?, Brisbane Festival, Avid Reader Bookshop, Riverbend Books, Where The Wild Things Are Bookshop, Nocturnal Book Club, Hayleyslibrary, Dymocks Melbourne, Mary Martin Bookshop - Melbourne, Australian Independent Bookseller, Robinsons Bookshop, Billie Jean King, Allison Marlow Paterson - Author, Greenleaf Press, Jack Heath, Annie's Books on Peregian, Woombye Tennis Club, Kawana Tennis Club, KT Academy, Mooloolaba Tennis Club, Mooloolaba Tennis Club, Maroochydore Tennis Club, Coolum Tennis Club, Noosa Springs Tennis, Sunshine Coast Daily, Sunshine Coast Events, Whats On? Sunshine Coast, View News Sunshine Coast, Everyday Light Warriors, Coast FM ABC Radio-90.3fm, Colaci Massimo, International Read to Me Day MARCH 19TH, Joanne Mallory, Sarah Epstein Books, The YA Room, Alice Kaltman/Author, Dimity Powell Author, Buzz Words, Dymocks Lane Cove, Alex Adsett Publishing Services, Collins Booksellers Southlands, Gold Coast Novel Writers, Tyle&Bateson Publishing, Sheryl Gwyther - Children's Author, Simon Higgins, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators QLD, Ali Stegert, Scary Mommy, The Book Fairies, Gabrielle Tozer, Mary-Lou Stephens, ABC Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast Libraries, 92.7 Mixfm, Digital Future Press, Ashleigh Barty Tennis Complex, Ailish Sinclair, Nicki Edwards - Author, Tennis Warehouse Australia, Australian Society of Authors, Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Kellie Byrnes Author, JZN McCauley, The Children's Bookshop, Varuna the Writers' House, Judy Blume, Alison Quigley Author, Sunshine Coast Literary Association, Curtis Brown Australia, Isabella Vallejo CrossFit Athlete, April Hardy Author, Karen Foxlee, Peter Carnavas Author/Illustrator, Sunshine Coast Sports Federation, Voices on the Coast, Smart Parenting, Fiona Greene, Return to Earth Yoga, Girl Life, Mary Ryan's Noosa, Shadytree Books, Momentum, Picador Australia, Hannah Kent, Theresa Smith Writes, Juliet Marillier Official Fan Page, Tony Park Author, Jesse Blackadder (Author), Megan Jacobson, Lora Inak Author, Sophie Hardcastle, Mark Smith, Author, Steph Bowe, Cath Crowley Author, Kat Colmer, Marjorie Crosby-Fairall Illustration, CYA Conference, I read YA, Aleesah Darlison Fan Page, Race Pace Coaching, Le CycloSportif, Laura Bloom
Taryn Bashford
Taryn is now a full-time author and juggles her writing with family life, a dog, and characters from her latest book insisting they help make dinner. This can be disconcerting as Jacob is always sticking his fingers in the cheese sauce and Harper can’t cook. Taryn’s been an English Literature Honours student, an advertising sales rep and a CEO of an internet company, but she plans to write inspiring, engaging novels until the day she can no longer type. Taryn is fascinated by teens that surpass the norm. This is what she likes to explore in her writing, remembering that elite teens have flaws too. Now training for triathlons, Taryn is an adrenaline junkie and during her last writer’s retreat, found herself dangling on an abseiling rope 2000m from the ground.
An Interview with Taryn Bashford, author of THE HARPER EFFECT
2 Comments May 15, 2018 Melody Maysonet
Today we’re sitting down with Taryn Bashford, author of The Harper Effect (Sky Pony Press, Pan MacMillan), which debuts on May 15, 2018. –Melody Maysonet
MM: Hi, Taryn. And welcome to TuesdayWriters.com.
Bashford: Hi Melody. And thanks for having me on TuesdayWriters.
MM: First, can you tell us a bit about your young-adult novel The Harper Effect and what inspired you to write it?
Bashford: The Harper Effect is a coming-of-age story, but it’s unusual in that it’s set in the world of professional tennis. Think Karate Kid meets the movie Wimbledon. I was inspired to write it because my brother played and coached in that world and the first draft was written when I was 14, after he had just won Nationals at Wimbledon. Further inspiration came from meeting one of the players my brother eventually ended up coaching—a 16-year-old Amelie Mauresmo. Although the book is not based on her, I found myself sitting opposite her one day in a Pizza Hut in Wimbledon. She was eating pizza and being anxious about some teenage stuff and it struck me how she was a normal teenager, worrying about the same things all teenagers worry about, and yet tomorrow she’d play in Wimbledon. I loved that contrast of her being a teen struggling with average teen issues, yet at the same time being an elite athlete. It fascinated me because it meant ANYONE can reach their goals—with a lot of hard work of course.
MM: Your protagonist, Harper, is a competitive tennis player. Do you have tennis in your background? What about the sport made you want to use it as a backdrop for a novel?
Bashford: Tennis played a big part in my family’s life due to my brother’s involvement. But more than that, I am fascinated by teens that go above and beyond the norm–not just in sport but also in music, art, academia, and other pursuits, like Abby Sunderland solo sailing the world. I have other books that are works in progress that are set in the world of solo sailing and also teen music and singing–again with teens who go above and beyond the norm.
MM: Harper is something of a celebrity in the tennis world, but you show less of the glitz and glamour associated with being in the media spotlight and more of the hard work that got her there in the first place. Can you comment on that?
Bashford: Absolutely. What I’ve learned about any public career is that behind the scenes is never glamorous. Being watched, being in the spotlight, being commented on by strangers in the news is a difficult part of being a celebrity, and even more so for a teen. Also, I don’t want readers to think it’s all glamorous and exciting because being a celebrity doesn’t drop into your lap either. You have to work for it, for years, dedicate your life to it, to get the results you need.
MM: On your Website, you say you write about teens who are “successful in their talent, but not so much in life.” Is that something you’ve seen or experienced in your real life?
Bashford: I’ve had success in my life, but more when I was older. However, I have been witness to how being a teen in itself is very challenging, but then being a household name as a teen brings many more challenges and these affect your life, your choices, your attitudes, your mindset. So I wanted to show that just because a teen is elite at something, they’re still going through all the same angsts that other teens go through (sibling fights, boyfriend issues, choices for the future), except they’re doing it on a world stage or under a media spotlight. They may be elite in their field, but they’re still learning who they are as a person and making mistakes on the road to doing that.
MM: I understand you’re something of a nomad, having been born in South Africa, raised in England, and now living in Australia. Plus, you’ve traveled the world. Would you say your globe-trotting has influenced your writing?
Taryn Bashford
Bashford: Yes, and in the most awesome way. I love to travel and have also lived in the USA for shorter stints (New York City and Colorado). I love to immerse myself in different cultures to understand mindsets and behaviors. Traveling gives me many settings to use in my books, which I think enriches the reader because they’re learning about far-flung places while reading a great story. Most importantly, the more I travel (especially alone) the more I meet amazing and [coughs] not-so-amazing people, all of whom provide rich material for characterization. I haven’t yet based a character on one person, but I certainly take bits from different people. I think travelling also exposes you to unique situations, adventures, emotions, problems, and histories, all of which can be used when writing a novel.
MM: The Harper Effect is your first published novel. Have you written others that are in a drawer somewhere? Are you working on something new?
Bashford: Yes it is my debut novel. And I’m thrilled it’s been so well received in Australia and New Zealand so far. I’m excited to see how the USA, Canada, and UK will receive it too because I’m hoping readers will want to read the companion novel to The Harper Effect, which I have already submitted for consideration to my publisher. The companion novel is Jacob’s story and is set in the world of elite teen music from indie bands to opera. While I’m waiting on the nod for that one, I’m writing something completely different. It’s too soon to give a complete synopsis, but it’s contemporary again, and it’s set in the world of fine art and street art, and there’s a hunt for gold in it too! I do have three other novels in a drawer, hoping one day to see the light of day!
MM: What was the easiest part of this novel to write? What about the hardest?
Bashford: I love writing the first draft. I’m someone who does a “vomit” draft the first time around, which means I literally spill the ideas and story onto the page in about two or three weeks, working frantically into the night. I find that at this draft stage I become very immersed in the story and then the characters take over and I have to keep up with them as they tell the story and I type–fast!
Then comes months of editing. I’d like to say, as a contrast, that this is hard, but I also love this stage. This is when I languish in layering and characterization and then I love how the novel tightens up as I cut cut cut. It feels like cooking something really special over months or attending to a precious rose garden. There really isn’t a part I find hard or that I don’t enjoy.
MM: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
Bashford: Apart from loving the characters’ journeys, I have two hopes. Firstly, I hope that the reader will be inspired to follow their dreams because Harper is just a normal teen, without any super powers, and yet she dedicated herself to a dream. This then means anyone can have their dream as long as they dedicate themselves to it and work at it and never give up. You don’t need to be born with super powers, you just need to find your fit in life, dream big, and then set smaller goals to go reach that dream. The dream doesn’t have to be sporty though–it can be in music, academics, art, business–whatever you can dream up!
Secondly, I hope that Harper will be a great new role model for teens. Rather than bombarding our teens with images of beauty and popularity to live up to, let’s give them Harpers–girls who are imperfect, confident, sporty, and successful. Sporty is the new pretty!
MM: Before I let you go, I want to ask about Project Awesome. I’ve watched some of your videos on youtube, and I have to say, I’m impressed. Can you tell us a little about Project Awesome—what it is and why you started it?
Bashford: Sure thing. A lot of schools have shown interest in Project Awesome, and it’s because low self-esteem seems to come hand in hand with puberty. Project Awesome is a series of free videos helping teens to go from feeling awful about themselves, to feeling awesome. It’s about taking steps to identify how you feel about yourself and then to change your mindset about yourself. I’m passionate about boosting self-esteem in teens. If they carry low self-esteem into their adult life, it can affect life choices as well as relationships and friendships. And as shown in The Harper Effect, if you have low self-esteem, how can you believe in yourself enough to chase your dreams? Low self-esteem can actually stop teens from setting goals and having dreams in the first place, which is terribly sad as they have the world at their feet!
You can download all the Project Awesome videos from my website for free: https://www.tarynbashford.com/video
I also talk a lot about finding your fit in life, because there’s no point dreaming of being a footballer if you can’t dribble a ball. This is part of the Jeans Teen Army because I believe finding your fit in life is much like finding the right fit in jeans. We’re all different shapes, sizes, races and genders, and as such we may like bootleg jeans over flared jeans, cut offs over ripped jeans–the point being none of the choices are wrong. If you find your fit, you can then start setting and achieving life goals. This is what Aria, Harper’s sister had to do in the novel. Once she realized music, not sport, was her fit in life, she was happier and more successful.
MM: Thank you so much for joining us, Taryn! Best of luck with the U.S. launch of The Harper Effect.
Bashford: Thank you so much for inviting me to chat with you. Your questions were really original, and I enjoyed answering them. I’ll leave you with the book trailer because I dare you not to let the music inspire you to go after your dreams! It’s like a Rocky film track!
Taryn Bashford
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tarynSmall
Date of success: Agented 2015
Book published: Late 2017/USA May 2018
Taryn lives the typical writer’s life with supportive husband, teen children, and characters from her latest book insisting they help make dinner. This can be disconcerting as Jacob is always sticking his fingers in the cheese sauce and Harper can’t cook.
Taryn’s been an English Literature Honours student, an Advertising Manager and a CEO of an internet company, but she plans to write inspiring, engaging novels until the day she can no longer type.
Taryn is from a family of athletes, musicians and academics and is fascinated by teens that surpass the norm in their field. This is what she likes to explore in her writing—remembering that elite teens have flaws too.
Currently a tri-athlete, Taryn is also an adrenaline junkie and during her last writer’s retreat, found herself dangling on an abseiling rope 2000m from the ground.
You can visit Taryn on her site: www.tarynbashford.com
WHAT CYA CONFERENCE DID FOR ME:
I’ve attended the CYA Conference every year since I decided to become more serious about my writing. For three years I gained advice, I met editors and agents and writers, and I improved my writing. The Conference was a date that was in the diary before I started each year. Finally, thanks to the CYA Conference, I met my literary agent, Tara Wynne of Curtis Brown.
I had a lot of fingers in a lot of pies, my novel The Harper Effect having recently won a couple of writing competitions (Varuna House’s Publishing Pathways and Pitch Wars USA), but Tara quickly turned my achievements into an actual two book deal with Pan Macmillan. She also found me a literary agent in New York who subsequently signed me up with a US publisher for the same novel.
The Harper Effect will be published in time for Christmas in Australia and in May 2018 in the USA and Canada.
SIMPLY THE BEST! Meet debut author Taryn Bashford
29/12/2017
0 Comments
Today, I'm delighted to welcome my lovely friend Taryn Bashford to the blog! Her debut YA contemporary novel, THE HARPER EFFECT, is out now and to help celebrate this awesomeness we're having a bit of fun with a quickfire round of questions. Here we go!
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TARYN'S BEST!
Best Book: I have a new one every year. This year, without doubt, it’s Cath Crowley’s Words in Deep Blue
Best Band: I know Adele’s not a band, but I’m still saying Adele.
Best Song: I Can’t Make You Love Me - Adele
Best Holiday: A ski season in Colorado
Best Animal: Dog
Best Item of Clothing: Handbags – you wear them right? Don’t leave me alone with a credit card in a book shop – or a leather goods shop
Best Food: Sushi – the seafood ones
Best Drink: Coconut Water. I’m addicted.
Best Alcoholic Drink: French Champagne of course!
Best Friend: My laptop. We’re very close. She’s seen me through everything.
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Best Writing Moment: Being offered a two-book deal with Pan Macmillan. My throat ached for two days from the shouting.
Best Childhood Memory: Swimming the waterfall pools with my cousin.
Best Word: I’m not sure I have a best, but I do have a ‘most-overused’ which is JUST
Best Shop: Any bookshop with coffee and sofas
Best Sport: Running. Yep. Been doing that a while now.
Best Job: Being a writer. Sitting down at my writing desk every day feels like I’m coming home.
Best Saying: This too shall pass – courtesy of my Grandma. Whenever I’m having a tough time of it, this saying makes my spine straighten again.
Best Teacher: The Deputy Head, Mrs Nichols. She inspired me to be the best I can be.
Best Time of Day: 4.30am. Writing time.
Best Room: Writing room. I feel calm and love what happens in there
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Best Day Ever: Days – because I had two children, so their births.
Best Smell: Limes
Best TV Show: Billions
Best Gadget: My Bullet for smoothies
Best Sound: Singing tenors – a bunch of them together. Heaven.
Best Restaurant: Any decent sushi train, preferably on the beach
Best Movie: Forrest Gump – I get inspired every time I watch it.
Best Time of Year: January – the start of all new things.
Best School Subject: English. Seriously. I studied it at University too. It has something to do with the books!
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The Harper Effect is in-stores today in Australia and New Zealand. If you don't feel like going out to do more shopping after the Christmas craziness, but you fancy curling up with a fab summer read, then you can also order it online right now.
This debut novel is an inspiring and heart-warming story of a girl who learns to win from a boy who has lost everything. Set in the world of international tennis, it's Million Dollar Baby meets the movie Wimbledon.
Harper can’t have happiness and the US Open.
Sixteen-year-old Harper was once a rising star on the tennis court until her coach dropped her, leaving her feeling abandoned by the sport she loved. Even worse, she now finds comfort in the arms of her sister's ex-boyfriend—a secret that could start a family war.
But when Harper is offered a chance to get back in the game by training with young tennis phenom, seventeen-year-old Colt, she throws herself back onto the court . . . and into his family’s scary world of steroids and alcoholism.
As she walks a fine line between Colt’s secrets, her forbidden love, and a game that demands nothing but the best, Harper must choose between her past and her future, two boys who tempt her heart, and whether the cost of winning will actually cost her everything.
THE HARPER EFFECT should appeal to readers of Stephanie Perkins, Cath Crowley, and Heather Demetrios.
EXCERPT...
Aria turns to switch off the music.
There’s a rap on the door. But when I open it to find Jacob on the other side I’m overwhelmed by the image of him and Aria kissing – doing it. I gulp against a pinched-up feeling inside and swing away from the newly showered, lemon smell of him, from his tousled wet hair, from his Aria-kissed lips and those eyes that seem to search for something in my face.
‘Ready for pizza?’ Aria asks, taking her earrings out and keeping her eyes in the mirror.
Jacob leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, lazy grin settling in place. ‘Does Mr Greedy need pudding?’
Meet Taryn Bashford
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By Admin on January 10, 2018 · Interviews, Older Readers
We asked Pan Macmillan if debut author Taryn Bashford would write something about girls in sport, given her first novel deals with Harper, a teenage tennis player, trying to make it into the big time. Taryn’s article, called The Princess Wears Studs is an insightful exploration of why it’s important for young adults to see a wide range of representations in fiction, using girls in sport as her example. The Harper Effect is out now, and our review will be posted shortly.
Nobody can deny that we’re still having the ‘Equality for Women in Sport’ debate, even 40 years after Billie Jean King began her campaign to secure equal pay for women. The recent Hollywood movie, ‘Battle of the Sexes’ highlights this debate. Sadly, while equality in tennis has improved thanks to King’s efforts, the same can’t be said for other sports like basketball and football.
In a country like Australia, where sport is a huge part of our culture, coverage of male sport still makes up 81% of TV sports news, compared to women at under 9%. In fact, horseracing receives more air time than women’s sport(1). Some argue there isn’t the demand for watching female teams and this depletes advertising spend, sponsorships and ticket sales which is then reflected in the money paid to female players. Others contradict this, insisting there’s still a demand for watching women in sport that isn’t being met, and if the media coverage met that demand, then interest in women’s sport would grow.
I say there’s another reason and it starts way back when women are young girls and still deciding on that first day of high school which clubs they should join. As an athlete myself, being a fast runner or being able to throw a discus further than the boys, just wasn’t cool and it certainly didn’t put me in the popular girl camp. I remember returning to the girls changing room after winning a cross country competition; instead of congratulating me, the girls had hung my bra from the water pipes that ran across the ceiling.
Yet if you were a guy track star were catapulted to the height of coolness. My brother was a tennis champ, and never was he criticised for training hard, for being sweaty after training, or for having bad hair after a Phys Ed class.
The solution is complicated because it includes issues like government funding and access to sport for girls, but a very large part of solving this comes from representing girls in sport in our literature. This is how we represent girls in sport as cool, strong, admirable and as people to aspire to. There are thousands of YA books about boys in sport, and while no-one’s put a number on it, there are maybe only a hundred YA books about girls in sport. It’s about representation. If girls can see themselves represented as successful, strong, powerful sports people, they will be more likely to join a sports team, whether it’s tennis, athletics, basketball, swimming, rowing or football. YA sport books become a supporting influence.
Yet even the book publishing industry is shy of taking on girls in sport books. My novel, The Harper Effect, tells the story of 16-year-old tennis champ Harper Hunter and her struggle to make it on the women’s circuit. While she’s a teen who excels at sport, she also faces the usual teen angsts, from making bad choices, falling for the wrong guy, and being afraid to grow up. I received countless rejections that boiled down to this: girls don’t want to read sport novels. Thank goodness the teams at Pan Macmillan and Sky Pony Press thought otherwise.
According to the Women’s Sport Foundation, 14-year-old girls are dropping out of sport twice as fast as boys. By seeing girls excel in sport in books, society can begin to see women playing sport, even male dominated ones, as more normal. Seeing themselves represented in books creates a sense of belonging and community. Girls then feel validated when taking part in sport. This is extremely important because girls don’t want to stand out and they feel self-conscious if they play a sport. Instead of bombarding them with images of external beauty that they should live up to, let’s bombard them with confident, athletic female role models. To prove the point, those girls who haven’t dropped sport in high school have more positive body images than non-athletes(2).
I know that when I’m training for triathlons I feel strong and confident and this makes me feel powerful and positive, yet when I’m unable to train, being physically weaker and less fit affects my self-esteem and my ability to cope with the challenges in life. The legendary Geena Davis talks about how learning to play baseball for the movie ‘A League of their Own’ was the first time she was told ‘that I had untapped athletic ability.’ She adds, ‘It changed everything about my self-esteem and my self-confidence.’(3)
Hilary Swank’s Maggie in ‘Million Dollar Baby’ represents women in sport everywhere – for Maggie everything that happened was worth it because she came from nowhere and had nothing when she started. All she wanted was ‘her shot’ at the big time. She wanted to be somebody.
The Harper Effect shows that through dreaming big, working hard, and believing in yourself, you can achieve anything. Let our teens, both boys and girls, see that women can play sport; they can be confident, they can be winners, they can be star athletes. Let them see their sister or best friend or cousin can be involved in professional women’s sport.
YA sport novels are an agent of change; let’s present girls with alternate choices for their future. Let’s empower them and help them find self-realisation. Sport can help girls to BE SOMEBODY.
References:
(1) ABC.net.au article 2015: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-12/decline-of-women-sports-coverage-in-australia-a-tragedy/6359786
(2) Sabo & Veliz’s study, Go Out and Play; Youth sport in America.
(3) Geena Davis and the LA Times 2017 article: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-geena-davis-a-league-of-their-own-25th-anniversary-interview-20170701-htmlstory.html
Thank you Taryn and Clare from Pan Macmillan.
The Harper Effect
Publishers Weekly. 265.18 (Apr. 30, 2018): p63.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Harper Effect
Taryn Bashford. Sky Pony, $16.99 (404p)
ISBN 978-1-5107-2665-9
Australian tennis player Harper turns pro when she is 16, but before her 17th birthday, she is dumped by her coach, who believes she is not "good enough to make it to the top." That isn't the only crisis occurring in Harper's life. She's fallen in love with her sister's ex-boyfriend, but to let anyone know would be a disaster. Then Harper gets a new coach on the condition that she plays doubles with Colt, an arrogant, less-privileged player. Harper can't deny her physical attraction to Colt, making her more confused and miserable than ever. There's more than one love triangle that needs to be resolved in this story about a rising star athlete. Sports fans might crave more on-the-court action, but romance buffs will revel in the book's plethora of passionate scenes and will be on the edge of their seats waiting to find out a secret that Colt is hiding. The plot is somewhat drawn out, but debut author Bashford captures the conflicting emotions of a teen facing more than her share of dilemmas. Harper's struggle to sort out priorities, understand the meaning of love, and emerge a winner will be strongly felt. Ages 14-up. Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Harper Effect." Publishers Weekly, 30 Apr. 2018, p. 63. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537852337/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=192b28e1. Accessed 14 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A537852337
Bashford, Taryn: THE HARPER EFFECT
Kirkus Reviews. (Apr. 15, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Bashford, Taryn THE HARPER EFFECT Sky Pony Press (Young Adult Fiction) $16.99 5, 15 ISBN: 978-1-5107-2665-9
An Australian teen struggles for success on and off the tennis court while trying to navigate personal relationships.
Sixteen-year-old Harper started off as a promising junior on the tennis circuit, but turning professional has been hard, and her coach drops her, calling her mentally weak. This disappointment is compounded by upheaval at home: Her older sister, Aria, and her boyfriend, Jacob, a young man who has been part of their family since they were children, have split. Her father finds a new coach who pairs her with a rising male tennis star, Colt Quinn, who harbors intriguing secrets. Meanwhile, Jacob tells Harper that his feelings for her are the real reason he ended the relationship with Aria. Harper's guilt about betraying her sister is almost too much to bear, but she concentrates on tennis and her growing relationship with Colt, gaining glimpses into his background and drive to succeed. When Aria recognizes the closeness between Harper and Jacob, the breach between the sisters seems permanent. Details about tennis and the struggles of teens on the cusp of adulthood are nicely balanced. Harper is well-characterized, and the secondary characters, including coaches and parents, ring true. Colt and his backstory are compelling, and the revelations are skillfully handled. The match action is pitch-perfect. All major characters are white.
A layered romance in a unique setting. (Sportsromance. 14-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Bashford, Taryn: THE HARPER EFFECT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A534375195/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=69cb0e45. Accessed 14 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A534375195
BASHFORD, Taryn. The Harper Effect
Cathleen Ash
School Library Journal. 64.5 (May 2018): p92.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
BASHFORD, Taryn. The Harper Effect. 336p. Sky Pony. May 2018. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781510726659.
Gr 9 Up--Harper's life has always been tennis--starting each match at love-love, where both sides have no score. At 16, though, Harper has never proceeded into the semi-finals, always clutching before her big break. Her coach says its a mental weakness and drops her. Her father finds a new coach but she'll have to play doubles with the rising star--Colt. Dark, brooding, and secretive, Colt's mood seems to slip into her life and she begins harboring secrets. She continues to train but has a hard time focusing. She seeks comfort at home through her sister Aria and their neighbor Jacob, but can't reclaim the past. As Jacob looks at her with more than friendship and her new coach puts more pressure on her, Harper has a hard time figuring out how to juggle all of it. This sports romance will have readers asking all the right questions about growing up. Fans of Simone Elkeles's Perfect Chemistry will enjoy the dialogue and bildungsroman style. VERDICT A good choice for sports fiction and romance shelves.--Cathleen Ash, Manor High School Library, TX
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Ash, Cathleen. "BASHFORD, Taryn. The Harper Effect." School Library Journal, May 2018, p. 92. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536988019/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6da5faf8. Accessed 14 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A536988019
The Harper Effect
by Taryn Bashford
[Buy this book at IndieBound]
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Ever since she went professional, Harper’s life has revolved around playing tennis. She barely has any friends, doesn’t go to school and spends most of her time training or competing in tennis matches. So when Harper’s coach refuses to coach her anymore, claiming that she doesn’t have what it takes mentally to succeed, Harper is devastated.
"A heartfelt story...THE HARPER EFFECT did not disappoint. Bashford kept me hooked from the first page."
Just when it seems as though her whole world is falling apart, Harper is approached by a new coach with an offer she can’t refuse: a new coach wants to train her and another one of his athletes, Colt, to win doubles at the world renowned Grand Slam tournament. Without warning, Harper suddenly finds herself stuck with a partner harboring dark and tortured secrets, but as the weeks of training go by, things start to look up. Colt begins to open up to her and both of them begin climbing the tennis ranks, as they improve physically and mentally. Just as Harper thinks everything in her life is finally in place, she finds herself thrust into complex love triangles involving her sister, her childhood crush and Colt. Will Harper manage to find both love and success?
A heartfelt story about perseverance, believing in yourself, family and love, THE HARPER EFFECT did not disappoint. Bashford kept me hooked from the first page. I was so engrossed, I ended up reading it in one day. This was in large part thanks to the incredibly intricate plot. I couldn’t wait to see how Harper and Colt would perform at their tennis matches and how the drama would resolve itself --- when Colt’s secrets would be revealed and how the love triangles would unfold. Throughout all this suspense building, Bashford definitely delivered; I was unable to see most of the characters’ revelations or decisions coming and was often shocked.
What I enjoyed most about THE HARPER EFFECT, though, were the characters. I was easily able to identify with Harper at the beginning of the story since it’s easy for me to feel down about myself. This made Harper’s success in surmounting her self-doubt all the more inspiring. Bashford also conveys Harper’s character so well that I found myself wondering what I would do if I were Harper even in situations I had never experienced before.
Harper’s relationship with Colt which was more developed than most boy-girl relationships. As a whole, Colt transforms Harper from a bratty, childish girl into a compassionate, thoughtful young woman. Conversely, Colt goes from a hothead who shut out everyone around him to a caring and open partner. By having Colt and Harper win their tennis tournaments together as they learn from each other, Bashford ultimately communicates a very touching message about winners not winning alone and not doing it purely based off of talent.
I would recommend this book to everyone, especially romance lovers, but I have to warn you, it might convince you to become a professional tennis player.
Reviewed by Alice D., Teen Board Member on May 29, 2018
The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford
Sixteen-year-old Harper was once a rising star on the tennis court—until her coach dropped her for being “mentally weak.” Without tennis, who is she? Her confidence at an all-time low, she secretly turns to her childhood friend, next-door neighbor Jacob—who also happens to be her sister’s very recent ex-boyfriend. If her sister finds out, it will mean a family war.
But when Harper is taken on by a new coach who wants her to train with Colt, a cold, defensive, brooding young tennis phenom, she hits the court all the harder, if only to prove Colt wrong. But as the two learn to become a team, Harper gets glimpses of the vulnerable boy beneath the surface, the boy who was deeply scarred by his family’s dark and scandalous past. The boy she could easily find herself falling for.
As she walks a fine line between Colt’s secrets, her forbidden love, and a game that demands nothing but the best, Harper must decide between her past and her future and between two boys who send her head spinning. Is the cost of winning the game is worth losing everything?
The Harper Effect is a debut YA novel by Australian author Taryn Bashford, taking the reader deep into the world of professional tennis. It’s as much a romance novel as it is a fun, sporty novel for tennis fans.
I love tennis. It’s probably one of my favourite sports. So to find a YA novel that features this much tennis was amazing. I loved all the behind-the-scenes exchanges and all the travel, and I love how this book wasn’t just about the lead up to one tournament, but several. Throughout the book, Harper and Colt perform many times together, and they learn something new about each other with each match.
Later Milo talks tactics and strategies — how we must know our opponents, when they’ve won and lost, why they’ve won and lost, how we adapt to them. ‘Winning is not only about how well you play, it’s about how well you make your opponent play badly,’ he says.
It’s so refreshing to read a young adult novel where the character’s love of sport is not just a mentioned trait, but is actually embedded in the storyline. This novel is not just about Harper’s tricky relationship with her sister’s ex-boyfriend. It’s about her love for tennis and her determination to succeed, and her efforts in learning to understand her somewhat moody — but troubled — doubles partner Colt.
Taryn Bashford does a really fantastic job of illustrating the relationship between a teen and their parent, particularly when the child has made poor choices. When Harper’s dad sees her kissing Jacob, he’s really disappointed in her, and I found this exchange to be really relatable and believable. I also think that the strong relationship that Harper has with her dad is really great to read about — I love YA novels that actually feature parents in the storyline. Absent parents can be frustrating in a YA novel.
Despite loving this novel and absolutely adoring all the tennis, I did find it rather unbelievable that two young teenagers would make it as far as they did so quickly. It’s not impossible, but Colt and Harper both make it very far for how young they are. I guess part of me felt like in real life, there’d be a lot more losses before they succeeded as well as they did. Additionally, the book is filled with metaphors and similes that are a bit redundant and could’ve been cut from the book.
“When we arrive for training I’m in the mood to wrap the tennis net around the throat of the first person who speaks to me. I march onto the court and throw my bag at the ground.”
I felt that Jacob’s character seemed to escalate at a really fast rate. Towards the end of the novel, his behaviour seems a little too extreme, and I thought his antagonistic attitude could’ve been reduced a bit.
This is great summer read, perfect for lounging by the pool or the beach and enjoying the story — I read this over my summer holiday and thought it was really fun. I’m a huge fan of tennis though, and it’s the Australian Open, after all. Perfect timing!
Thank you to the publishers for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review
Review: The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford
14th February 2018 Shanayah @ The Scarlet Bookkeeper
The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford
Published December 27th 2017 by Pan Macmillan
RRP AUD $18.99
★
Sixteen-year-old Harper was once a rising star on the tennis court—until her coach dropped her for being “mentally weak.” Without tennis, who is she? Her confidence at an all-time low, she secretly turns to her childhood friend, next-door neighbor Jacob—who also happens to be her sister’s very recent ex-boyfriend. If her sister finds out, it will mean a family war.
But when Harper is taken on by a new coach who wants her to train with Colt, a cold, defensive, brooding young tennis phenom, she hits the court all the harder, if only to prove Colt wrong. But as the two learn to become a team, Harper gets glimpses of the vulnerable boy beneath the surface, the boy who was deeply scarred by his family’s dark and scandalous past. The boy she could easily find herself falling for.
As she walks a fine line between Colt’s secrets, her forbidden love, and a game that demands nothing but the best, Harper must decide between her past and her future and between two boys who send her head spinning. Is the cost of winning the game is worth losing everything?
A sizzling tennis romance perfect for the summer months, The Harper Effect, will be a grand slam for fans of Kasie West, Miranda Kinneally and Simone Ekeles.
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You might want to get comfy, this is going to be a long one. Oh, and there may be some spoilers, sorry (but not really because I don’t recommend you read this).
So, I try not to read into reviews or anything too much before I begin a book just to make sure how I feel about the book isn’t influenced by anything, but when I went to add this book to my Goodreads ‘Currently Reading’ list, I saw that The Harper Effect had an average rating of 2.73 stars, so of course I was like ???? why and curiosity got the better of me, so I skimmed Jeann’s review (Happy Indulgence), hehe. I hadn’t heard of the author before and the synopsis sounded like your typical contemporary, and because this is the author’s debut novel, I didn’t have any expectations.
The plot was alright, like it showcased the dedication it takes to achieve your dreams, but the execution was kind of meh. Some of the things in the story were questionable, to say the least (lightning fast mood swings?? Complete lack of trust?? Blaming being drunk for physical assault??????????). The characters in general weren’t terribly complex, but they also weren’t shallow. The author had a strong intention to include beautiful descriptions, but they just sounded a little bit odd to me, take this gem for example:
“He smooths a hand over his perfectly round shaved head, no freckle or bump daring to blemish it.” – Page 1
One thing I noticed was that the author was constantly telling, not showing and that annoyed me. The pacing was consistently off – everything moved too quickly or too slowly. I can’t count the number of times I had to go back a few lines and re-read them because I was just so confused. Honestly, I found the story quite difficult to read, and although there were a few good scenes, there weren’t a lot. Oh, and it probably didn’t help that I hated the main character ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
Harper irritated me so much, and her character came off as such a spoiled brat – she’s dramatic, a serial liar and thinks the world revolves around her. She feels entitled to almost everything – the boy, boy #2, every single detail of boy #2’s life, a good relationship with her sister (even though she’s literally lying to her face) etc. Harper is so self-centred, and there’s a paragraph where she tries to justify her actions, saying that Aria was selfish for ‘taking Jacob for herself’ like????????????? PLEASE. STOP. Oh, and I forgot to mention Harper is a stalker and the story attempted to romanticise it??? Please stop. If someone did what Harper did to me, I’d run for the hills. There weren’t a lot of characters I actually liked, but I did like Aria and Colt for the most part.
The only character in this story I hated more than Harper was Jacob. He literally did not contribute positively to the plot AT ALL. After the first time we meet him, I hated him. It’s one thing to have a failed relationship, it’s another thing to break it off with a girl and then attempt to start a relationship with her sister. ESPECIALLY if you three were best friends growing up. I actually detest him for coming in between 2 sisters. Also, Jacob is lazy, entitled and ungrateful AND he doesn’t have boundaries.
The romance aspects were slightly better, I suppose. I did kind of ship them together, BUT I absolutely hated the love triangle. Honestly, the romance would’ve been so much better if there was no love triangle. ESPECIALLY when one part of the triangle shouldn’t even be there.
So yeah, if you’ve made it this far you can tell I’m not a huge fan of this book to say the least. I’m not recommending this to anyone.
TL;DR: Shallow (and hateable) characters, odd descriptions, questionable morals. Do not recommend at all.
I received a review copy from the publisher
The Harper Effect by Taryn Bashford | Review
January 3, 2018 ambsreads1 Comment
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| Book Depository | Booktopia |
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Release Date: AUS December 27th, 2017. US May 1st, 2018
Trigger Warnings: alcohol, abuse
Pages: 375
Publisher: Pan Macmillian
Goodreads Review: here
Goodreads blurb:
Seventeen-year-old Harper was once a rising star on the tennis court—until her coach dropped her for being “mentally weak.” Without tennis, who is she? Her confidence at an all-time low, she secretly turns to her childhood friend, next-door neighbor Jacob—who also happens to be her sister’s very recent ex-boyfriend. If her sister finds out, it will mean a family war.
But when Harper is taken on by a new coach who wants her to train with Colt, a cold, defensive, brooding young tennis phenom, she hits the court all the harder, if only to prove Colt wrong. But as the two learn to become a team, Harper gets glimpses of the vulnerable boy beneath the surface, the boy who was deeply scarred by his family’s dark and scandalous past. The boy she could easily find herself falling for.
As she walks a fine line between Colt’s secrets, her forbidden love, and a game that demands nothing but the best, Harper must decide between her past and her future and between two boys who send her head spinning. Is the cost of winning the game is worth losing everything?
A sizzling tennis romance perfect for the summer months, The Harper Effect, will be a grand slam for fans of Kasie West, Miranda Kinneally and Simone Ekeles.
R E V I E W
Since I read this book in 2017 and this is a review coming in 2018 I just want to quickly mention that this was my 200th read of 2018.
Anyway, The Harper Effect was a contemporary I was excited to read. When my mum was younger she played tennis competitively and was aiming for Wimbledon when her coach passed away and she fell away from the sport. To this day, I don’t think you’ll find someone who talks about tennis as passionately as my mum. So, when I got the opportunity to receive this book and saw tennis in the blurb I jumped on it.
I forgot how romance filled YA books can be and The Harper Effect is full of romance. Very messy romance. The romance took up maybe around 80% of the book, with family dramas taking another 15% and the 5% being tennis. Which, left me in this messy spot or do I keep reading for the tennis? I did.
The tennis parts are good. The characters are good. But, the romance undercuts this and makes the story feel cheap in some parts. Particularly with the fact the main character is pursuing her sister’s ex-boyfriend. Even if you don’t believe in the girl code (which you should) this is so wrong. The fact that he wasn’t even supporting either sister (which made him a pretty shitty person, and he really was) really frustrated me. Especially since he got such a spotlight in The Harper Effect.
Obviously, these kids are in their late teens so they have hormones and all that, but I didn’t feel as if it added much to the story. I feel Harper would have done better with better friends and building a relationship with her sister instead of destroying it.
I did like Colt though, who is Harper’s mixed (mum said the mixed is very important here) doubles parter. He had a backstory that was something I could relate to parts of. He was passionate and a fighter and some of his conversations are ones I have had with people in my life. I truly appreciated the inclusion of his character but in some places, I feel it was dealt with incorrectly, especially the ending of this book.
The Harper Effect was a solid four star for me until all the messy contemporary drama unfolded on the page. I was struggling to keep myself reading it, which is never how it should be in my opinion.
Harper herself was a tad annoying. She was entitled and never really tried to understand Colt’s story or what he was going through, which was really annoying. The guy had to fight for his ranking and she had the best of the best to help carry her through. It just really annoyed me that she never tried. She simply tried to bring Colt into her life without taking in consideration how strange it may be for him.
It was great to read a book set in Australia with places I understood what looked like. It was also great to be able to support an Australian author.
Overall, The Harper Effect was an enjoyable read. I would have prefered it to have more familial relationships rather than romantic but that wasn’t the case, unfortunately for me. I’m definitely not a hater of this book but I am not blown away. I would still recommend it if you’re looking for a fluffy but serious book set in Australia. This would probably be a great book for that female athlete in your life who isn’t a reader.
E D I T
I have since changed my review rating on Goodreads to a one star. The author threatened legal action on a reviewer on Goodreads, stating the reviewer had a personal vendetta against her. Goodreads is a safe place for reviewers to share their opinions, not everyone is always going to agree with your book or the content involved. I feel the inappropriate actions of the author cancel out every good thing I have said here. Keep that in mind when you decide whether to support this author.