A coming-of-age romance inspired by Great ExpectationsMy life was irrevocably changed the moment I stepped foot inside Elena Alderman’s grand front doors. A lifeless tomb on the edge of Chicago’s Southside, the Alderman home sat in one of the city’s oldest and wealthiest neighborhoods, and Elena Alderman was the queen. She was also mad. Not the kind of madness that’s readily apparent. No, her … readily apparent. No, her psychopathy was far more surgical—more…insidious. She was surrounded by beautiful things—most notably her grand piano and her adopted son, Henry.
I fell in love with both.
My gift blossomed when my fingers touched her black and white keys. But my life began when I became haunted by the boy. Henry Alderman was a handsome blend of arrogance and seduction, and as we grew up together, I found it more and more impossible to separate him from my thoughts. I envied his life. I imagined how my name—Lily—would look with his. I became his closest friend…and more. I gave him my kiss, locked away his secrets, and loved him even when it was hard to.
But we were just a game. Elena Alderman made the rules. And when she decided to change them, she broke everything.
Almost.
more
Miss Havisham would curtsy upon finishing Bred. She would contemplate her response and in the end her disgust and punched face would say it all. Ginger Scott nailed it!
I have to be honest. I was equally intrigued and terrified. I loved Great Expectations and hated it at the same time. It was a novel that has stuck with me since freshman year in highschool. I have never done a reread because it’s so damn bleak but I always, always admired the hopeless romantic edge. I, myself, am a hopeless romantic and therefore despite my fears needed to read Bred.
I am so glad I did. Ginger Scott tells a story that to the core is everything to a fan. Bred is a Jimmy Choo to Great Expectations Manolo Blanik. It is NOT a Target brand knockoff. It is NOT a NYC city vendor version. Ginger Scott has captured the emotions and feels of Great Expectations. I think the master would be proud.
Is it wrong to say I like these characters better than the originals!?! SHhh! I won’t say it then. I just felt like they were easier to relate to. Almost like they had more soul! It’s probably terrible to admit but I wasn’t a fan of the soulless wench in GE and I’m not talking about Miss Havisham. I feel like Ginger have them a second life. A chance at happily ever after.
Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood
I have said it before, but I will say it louder for the people in the back.
Ginger Scott writes the most wonderful coming of age,falling in love stories! I would read her grocery list! No, I am serious lol
Most of Ginger’s stories center around sports but I had no doubt in my mind that she would nail this one too! BRED was a coming of age and falling in love type of story
Kudos to author Ginger Scott for stepping out of her comfort zone to deliver a story straight from her heart and born out of her love for a Dickens classic.
Boasting an updated spin with her own unique take, this modern version of Great Expectations showcases the full magnitude of this author’s talent.
I love that Ginger took a risk, and I love even more that she successfully pulled it off!
So, if you’re like me, and crave something a little outside the box, then look no further than “Bred.” It’s a twisted and compelling tale, with a slow burning romance you’re not likely to forget.
As someone who haven’t read the classic book”Great Expectations” and even watched any adaptations, I definitely went in blind as I read this story. It’s the story of the famous rich boy and the poor girl from the other side of the tracks who met and fell in love but was controlled by the person who has the power to dictate and control their lives. The story started a bit slow but when it picked up, I was glued in to my e-reader and couldn’t stop until I got to the end. I felt the angst all the my soul and I couldn’t breathe with it. It certainly touched all of my feels with this baby. A must read for the classic fans out there.
Beautiful words and spectacular characters. That’s what I’ve come to expect from this fabulous author and that’s what I got in this rich boy/poor girl story that gets a new face on an old theme. The story has a timeless quality and had me hanging on every word as this beautiful love story unfolds at its own pace. I fell in love with Henry and Lily from the first introduction and by the end I knew these two would live in my heart forever. A young love so sweet and hard fought for especially with evil Elena’s trickery. What a villainess in Elena! I loved hating her as much as Henry did. Elena’s plans were to crush any compassion or humanity out of sweet boy Henry so he would be like her…cold and powerful. He was bred for more than the mundane and common of the world. But throwing poor girl Lily in his path as a learning tool backfired. Elena failed to see the wonders of Lily and the draw her goodness would be to her son. There were a few surprises in the story and one “oh no she didn’t” twist. I loved the message that one small kindness can change the course of your life as it did in Lily’s case. So much emotion in the story and, of course, some teenage angst but it’s not overpowering. I truly felt for both of these young teens as they navigated the cruelties that life can toss your way and the hope of love. There are a lot of great secondary characters in this story from Lily’s parental person, Collin, to all the terrific school friends of Lily and Henry’s. Something about the ending left me hanging. I guess I was hoping for a five to ten year epilogue to see how these two teens grew into adulthood and if they survived together. Ms. Scott your stories strike at my heartstrings and are truly wonderful. I can’t wait for the next one. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
This book started out a little slow. I think that was in part due to how young Lily and Henry were but it did pick up as we get further into it. I liked the dash of darkness in it and the book was a bit twisty and I enjoyed those aspects. I also loved to hate Elena, she was crazy as hell. There was a lot of drama, secrets and betrayal mixed in throughout the story and a good amount of angst. Overall it was a good read and a nice twist on Dickens classic, I enjoyed it.
4 Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Bred by Ginger Scott is wonderful rendition of the Great Expectations story. This author has outdone herself with this book. It is a well-written coming of age story that has so much more to it than you think. The piece the author wants you to read pulls you in. Once you start reading it, you will be pulling an all-nighter to finish. The depth, heartbreak, love, friendship, and family found in unlikely places are just the tip of the iceberg.
Lily’s life is not turning out how she expects it to be. At age thirteen she is dealing with stuff that no one wants or should deal with. But when she walks into Elena Alderman’s grand entrance, she is pulled to the piano and to the boy in the corner.
Henry is living in the grand life. He is the richest of the rich living with his adoptive mother. When Lily walks into his house, his world tilts on its axle.
Through the years and as time goes by, life isn’t easy for them to be together. The push and pull is stronger then I have ever read in a story. The want and what’s expected, the love to hate and hate to love you, I’m waiting but not waiting.
Great rendition, easy to read, wonderful flow and is simply captivating.
3.5 Stars
Another wonderful coming of age YA book written by the talented Gingers Scott. She brings us two young characters from opposite ends of the social status. I fell for Lily and her blind innocents, I had moments that I hated Henry but he does redeem himself. This is based on the classic “Great Expectations” by Dickens, which I have not read.
Lily has suffered the loss of her parents at a very young age. She finds herself living with her adult cousin and spouse. They get by with the day to day but there is really little emotion in her current existence. Throughout the story she grow exponentially but she is still slightly naïve in her ways.
Henry has everything he could ever want for. Sure that hasn’t always been the case but since he was taken in by Elena. However, as much as she wanted and looked after Henry there is little heart involved in their relationship. I fact she does anything she can to discourage the love that the heart desires.
An unexpected friends leads they through the teen years and to the end of high school. Against the odds, Lily and Henry managed to stay close. Will Henry stay true to the Bred he has been lead to know or will he let his heart get involved? Will they continue to stay close or will the growing they do as they age, pull them apart?
This book was full of angst, loneliness, innocent feelings of the heart, secrets and lies. A full emotional read.
*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***
Ginger Scott delivers Bred, a new contemporary romance, inspired by Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. This story is about Lily and Henry, how they meet, and how Elena plays into their lives over the years. This story is a very good surprise, I always enjoy Ginger Scott writing and was a bit expectant about this one as I loved Great Expectations, I enjoyed every page, even though it started a bit slow it built to a very fluent reading.
Ginger Scott reimagines a classic tale in this young adult novel. Her ability to craft scenes so vividly brings a realistic innocence to her characters in a beautiful (and sometimes heart-breaking) way. This coming of age story has it all: drama, angst, and love.
This, ladies and gentlemen, books like this are exactly the reason why I read.
This is such an amazing story. There is so much emotion and depth. I love it when books make me feel so deeply while reading, and Bred absolutely accomplished that. I can’t even fully describe all of my feelings, but I’m going to try for this review lol.
“I’m the girl in Henry Alderman’s arms dancing as the sun sets, welcoming four years of a future I’ve dreamed of in a place I somehow was lucky enough to come”
Let me start off by saying I’ve never read Great Expectations, but in no way did that lessen the reading experience for me. Even though inspired by it, you can definitely read Bred without having read Great Expectations.
This is such a beautiful story about love, heartache, and the struggle of growing up with so much pressure and so much expected of you from parents or those around you.
“This place is for secrets. And this shall be mine”
I absolutely loved this book, even when it made me want to throw my kindle at times. The frustration is part of the fun though. 😉
These characters and the journey that they go through together, growing up together, discovering love together, navigating family issues, and so much more. It just melts your heart and you can’t help but love them both.
Both Lily and Henry are very strong and resilient. And both for different reasons. I loved Getting to watch them evolve and grow over time.
I found myself not wanting to put this one down, and every time I had to, I found myself continuously thinking about these characters and wanting to get back to them.
In fact I wrote this review at 4am right after finishing it because I needed to get my words and feeling about this book out.
Another thing I really enjoyed was where it’s set, Chicago. Chicago is a beautiful city, one that i’ve actually been lucky enough to visit and was able to visualize while reading made it all the better.
I love Ginger Scott’s writing, I have loved everything I’ve read of hers and this one has just become my favorite. Her books aways have a way of captivating me, and this one was no different.
“I don’t know how to care about anybody but myself, Lily” The heat from his breath warms my face and my mouth aches to meet his. “That isn’t true, Henry. I know it isnt because you care about me”, I say, and his body shakes under my grip. I slide my palms up his chest to his neck, finding his jawline and running my thumbs along the edge. He turns his head enough to kiss the inside of my wrist, and my eyes fall shut at the feeling.”
*I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy from Word Smith Publicity and the author Ginger Scott, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.*
The amazing Ginger Scott. Is there anything this author cannot do? Love her writing and story telling. Highly recommend.
Ginger Scott does it again. In spades. This wondrously complex story quite possibly could be my favorite Ginger Scott to date. Taking on a such a beloved classic is a beast but Scott fearlessly executed her story and provided something familiar yet wholly unique. She delves into the raw, gritty, most uncomfortable parts of a beloved, classic tale and then exploits those most vulnerable parts in creating her own fresh, honest, coming-of-age tale that’s impossible to put down.
Loves abounds as betrayals and deception flourish through Scott’s glorious story telling and re-imagining. Her deep, sensitive, yet direct writing creates a true kinship between story and reader illuminating the best and worst sides of her polarizing characters. Characters for whom are so perfectly juxtaposed to be pitted against each other because of where they come from, the prince and the pauper so to speak, that break all the rules and find ways to truly dig deep into their own hearts. The entangling of all the characters lives producing such an invigorating plot is relentless in it’s pursuit. Constantly moving forward with characters being held back because of circumstance makes it’s truly enjoyable to read. It’s soft romance and delicious angst for sure but even more so it’s continuous growth, immaculate strength, and lasting perseverance proving first to be a beautifully written coming-of-age Young Adult book.
Whether you are a fan of the Young Adult genre or the classics, you’ll love Bred by Ginger Scott. Her re-envisioning of the Dickens classic, Great Expectations is amazing!
As a teen, the assigned classics were more likely to be Conrad, Bradbury, and Orwell rather than Dickens, Bronte or Wilde. I read more Victorian-era classics when my children were in school than I did as a teen. The more modern classics were easier to read, but they lacked robust drama. If more of the classics were re-imagined with modern language and technologies, young adults would be more inclined to read them out of choice rather than assignment. Ms. Scott is well known for her YA romances, and she has demonstrated her writing talents again in her latest novel. Bred is more coming-of -age than romance. There is all the longing of the typical YA romance, but the angst comes more from the classic wealthy and powerful Victorian antagonist rather than silly teenaged behavior.
Set in modern-day Chicago, the tension is present from the first page. “Aunt” Alice, in desperate need of a job, stresses over making her orphaned “charge”, Lily, presentable since she must go with her on her job interview. The gothically gloomy home of Elena Havisham is the perfect setting, and it foreshadows the ugly, bitter games to come. The haughtiness and power of Ms. Havisham is present in every scene. The cause of her black heart is revealed only at the story’s zenith. Until that point, her every action seems to be merely an exercise of power for her entertainment.
The story is deliciously complex. Every action and reaction has classic Victorian ripple effects for not only the main characters, but also the secondary characters. The rich entwining of the myriad of characters and storylines creates a highly engrossing novel that I found difficult to put down. I predict that Ms. Scott’s Bred will not only captivate readers, but also inspire them to give Charles Dickens a try as well.
They were friends by circumstance. They formed a bond based on mutual respect, but they were destined to become more.
Henry is trapped in a life that has been completely planned out for him. He’s been taught to take whatever he wants without feelings. Feelings are for the weak.
Lily hasn’t had much of a life since her parents died. Forced to live with a distant relation, she was nothing more than an obligation. But she always had hope.
Lily and Henry meet when her caregiver gets a job working for Henry’s guardian. Life is about to change…for both of them.
This story takes place over several years. The author builds on Lily and Henry’s friendship and has us watching their relationship grow and change. Their story took some turns that I didn’t expect. You will get to feel the angst. It’s more than just a story of young love. It’s a story of loss, rebellion, family, betrayal and deceit. It’s Lily and Henry’s story of overcoming obstacles so that they can both grow into the people they are meant to be.
You know those authors that could write a grocery list and you’d read it – that’s Ginger Scott for me. I finished this book a few days ago & was waiting to write my review as I needed to get my head around how much I enjoyed it.
Inspired by Great Expectations it’s one heck of a read.
Jam packed with heart ache, loneliness and deception it had me powering through the pages and getting annoyed when I was interrupted as I NEEDED to know what was coming next. I yelled. I teared up and I smiled during this one. Henry and Lily are EVERYTHING!!! And the supporting characters make this a truly rich reading experience. LOVED it!!!
This book knocked my socks off. It was twisted, dark, and made my heart ache. But in all of the dark drama, it is an incredibly beautiful tale. And for those who love the classics, I believe Scott truly did the characters justice. She paid homage to an incredible tale, yet breathed a different life into Lily, Henry, Elena, and all of the other secondary characters.
YA is currently my preferred genre. She handled this tale in this genre with grace. Never making the characters overstep their age, while still giving them an unfortunate clarity into the adult mind. The setting and interactions were done with such clear imagery that I could almost picture myself attending Satis with them or felt the dust on the curtains of Elena’s house.
If you’re not already a fan of Scott’s, I believe this book will win you over. Be warned it’s a bit dark, but that is to be expected. Beautifully done. Kudos!
“Friends are enemies in disguise.”
Henry Alderman and Lily Ames two lost souls. They are so similar in some ways and yet so far apart in others. Circumstances bring them together and tear them apart. We watch them grow both physically and emotionally.
“Be careful with your heart, Lily.” Henry has been bred to win…with room for very little else.
…”You’re playing a game you aren’t bred to win.”
Bred is a coming-of-age romance inspired by Great Expectations. I have never read Great Expectations so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Ginger Scott is at her finest! Her writing is phenomenal. Bred is full of angst, emotions, innocence, heartbreak, loneliness and a bit of mystery. The “feels” will have your heart racing and your stomach dropping! Also a few, I-never-saw-that-coming, moments as well!
The storytelling is steady as it weaves all of the complications that come with being a teen. Bred is YA, but has a more mature feel. There is a familiarity that reminds me of Ginger Scott’s – Waiting on the Sidelines – full of emotion and angst. I very much enjoyed Bred and as always look forward to what will come next!
5 stars
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