REVIEW: What A Boy Needs by Nyrae Dawn

Title: What A Boy Needs
Author: Nyrae Dawn - Website || Twitter
Published: June 7, 2012
Format: Kindle ebook, 164 pages
Rating: 5/5 (if I could give this more stars I would)

Jaden Sinclair knows he'll never amount to anything...so why would he deserve a girl like Priscilla Mendoza?
Since last summer, things have been screwed up between Jaden and Pris. He knows it's his fault, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting to go a few rounds with her new boyfriend. He also knows he’s the loser his dad calls him, but it doesn’t stop him from wanting her.

After getting a huge bomb dropped on him, Jaden lashes out and lands himself in jail. Everything in his chaotic life is turned upside down and to make it worse, his mom kicks him out in order to side with his dad. Yeah, he’s totally a prize for a girl like Pris.

Sebastian, Aspen, and Pris are all going places in their lives...and he knows he can't keep tagging along for the ride.

The group has one last chance for The Epic Adventure they've been looking for: a road trip to New York, where Jaden's friends will be going to college. Unfortunately, the more time Jaden hangs around Pris, the harder it is to keep the carefully constructed walls between them so she doesn't find out what a train wreck he really is.

When the trip ends, Jaden has to decide if he's ready to say goodbye to his friends, and the girl he loves. He knows what he needs, but will he be man enough to go for it?

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My thoughts, feelings & reactions

What A Boy Needs by Nyrae Dawn was simply stunning. I didn’t think I could love this book more than I did with What A Boy Wants. I didn’t think my heart was big enough to fit in Jaden since it had already been claimed by Bastian, but I was so wrong. Somehow, Nyrae Dawn was able to allow me to open my heart for Jaden, to love him in and out all the way. Diving back into this story with Jaden, Pris, Aspen and Bastian was like a breathing in a breath of fresh air that I have been holding for so long and only these four were able to give me the oxygen I so desperately needed. I didn’t truly realize how much I missed them until I read the first page.


Nyrae Dawn’s writing is exceptional.


• I don’t think I’ve ever encountered an author who can write in a male POV so well. Nyrae Dawn just knows boys. Their voice, their actions, their ways, everything. It’s all evident in WABN. PLUS, Nyrae can write one (or maybe two or three) hell of a kissing scene. Her writing is vivid, imaginative, descriptive and all kinds of addicting. I came to know Jaden in What A Boy Wants, but Nyrae brought his character to life in this book. He was alive and more real that I could have ever imagined. I’ve never felt so close to a character before. And with the way Nyrae uses words to create Jaden’s story? Sheer perfection. I was entranced, hypnotized and dazzled beyond belief.


The storyline was brilliantly thought out.


• Nyrae Dawn really knows how to tell a story, and tell it well. The pacing was excellent and the the development of the story was realistic and true. WABN really hits home for me. Jaden’s story really tugs at the heart strings and it’s extremely emotional. It was hard to read what happens when Jaden is at home. I couldn’t help but feel anger and resentment towards certain characters. Compared to WABW, the plot of this book is slightly more serious and intense. It deals with issues that will certainly affect any reader.


Jaden is and was and will always be amazing.


• I love Jaden, so hard. I adore him and probably worship him to bits. Right from the start Jaden had this powerful voice that hit every part of my soul. He was funny and snarky, and of course, a good guy at heart. I knew he was struggling with his own inner demons in WABW, so I was so glad I was able to get to know him better in WABN. If I thought I loved Bastian so much, I epically loved Jaden more. He was just so deep, so thoughtful, so damn extraordinary in all aspects. I’ve always seen Jaden as cocky and as arrogant as Bastian, but Jaden was also vulnerable, full of emotion. I sensed his fear, felt his pain and brokenness. I also saw his strength and determination, along with his selflessness. He’s definitely got a sweet and soft side with an unforgettable personality to match. It’s not hard to fall in love Jaden at all. You don’t know how much I ached for him in this book and how much I was able to relate to him. I know what it’s like to feel unworthy, To feel like nothing and to feel like you’ll never be good enough. He broke my heart every time he thought this way because Jaden was good enough. He was everything. He was worthy of all things. He could be anyone, anything and I’d still love him. And if I could tell Jaden one thing, I would tell him that he does matter. So much.

Over all, Nyrae Dawn blew me away with What A Boy Needs. She wowed me to the end. She made me smile, she made me laugh, she brought tears to my eyes and she moved me with Jaden’s story. It’s always a little bittersweet because it’s the end, but I’ll never forget it. I’ll never say goodbye to Jaden, Sebastian, Pris and Aspen because for me, they weren’t just characters in a book. They’re my friends.

Check out my review for What A Boy Wants also by Nyrae Dawn