We were perfect together. Until we met. MishaI can’t help but smile at the lyrics in her letter. She misses me.In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed.It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. And … agreed.
It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever…
And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us.
Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there’s one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She’s the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am.
We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it?
Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name’s Ryen, loves Gallo’s pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances?
F*ck it. I need to meet her.
I just don’t expect to hate what I find.
Ryen
He hasn’t written in three months. Something’s wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch.
Without him around, I’m going crazy. I need to know someone is listening. It’s my own fault. I should’ve gotten his phone number or picture or something.
He could be gone forever.
Or right under my nose, and I wouldn’t even know it.
*Punk 57 is a stand alone New Adult romance. It is suitable for readers 18+.
more
good read can’t put it down
I’d like to say that I hated all the drama in this book, but that would be a lie. I loved all the things in this book! It was so different and I love every drama llama minute of it.
High school drama is one of my guilty pleasures. With some authors, I can’t get enough. It’s like watching a movie playing out right in front of your eyes. I’m sitting there with a big ole tub of popcorn stuffing my face while I watch everything unfold. One minute I was all hell no towards Ryen, the next I was all down with Misha! Seriously Misha, I heart you so hard! But because this was a different story, I was rooting for them both by the 5th chapter. The epilogue was so awesome. I wanted to wrap them in a big mom hug and jump up and down with them while screaming my head off that I love them! Kudos to you for turning your stuff around. Love, love, love, loved it! *fist pumps*
I just want to keep reading more about them. I didn’t want the story to end.
Anything Penelope Douglas writes is GOLD!! This book was amazing. It was a little different than most of her books. You had the usual amazing chemistry between the main characters, but this book came with a twist and a bit of a mystery. I couldn’t put it down!!
OMG THIS WAS EVERYTHING
I loved this book so hard. Seriously. WOW! Definitely a must read book!!!
I started this book at like 11pm last night cause I couldn’t sleep and then ended up staying up till 4am reading. I finished it this afternoon and it was so so worth the loss of sleep I got last night. I couldn’t put it down. The hours I spent reading flew by because I never lifted my eyes off the book to even check the clock.
I love the way Penelope writes. You are so invested in the story you feel what they are feeling right along with the characters. You get that sucked into her writing and the emotions and the feelings just leap off the pages.
“He hurt me, and I hurt him, but shit happens and love doesn’t change. He makes me happier, he makes me stronger, and he knows everything and still wants me.”
There are so many characters I loved and then a few I didn’t like at all.
I loved the story of Misha and Ryen. They were great on their own and I get why they did what they did. Was some of it kinda shitty? I guess so but I get it. I understand and I’m ok with it all.
Dane, who is Misha’s friend, I loved him A LOT. I kinda hope he gets his own book. He’s an amazing friend and I love his sense of humor. I loved that he just never gave up and never went away.
Dane quote–> “Her mom, dude!” he bursts out. “Her mom in her light pink nightie with legs for days. And let me tell you man….Stacy’s mom has it going on!”
The three guys in the end, you’ll find out who they are. The ones that did the right thing. LOVE THEM! I hope we can see more of them.
Then there is a certain group of guys. The ones I miss terribly. The ones I can’t get enough of. Let’s call them The Four Horsemen. Well, The Three Horsemen would be more appropriate. I about flew off the chair when they popped in this book. THANK YOU PENELOPE!!! I needed that. A lot.
If we never get another book with these characters I’d be ok. This ended in a good way and I’m ok. Would I love to see more? Absolutely. But I’ll be ok if we don’t.
“Alone, Empty, Fraud, Shame, Fear,” he murmurs, holding me tighter. “Don’t you get it yet? You don’t have to be afraid or embarrassed. No one does you better than you. You can’t be replaced. Not everyone will see that, but only you need to.”
I’ve said this before and I’ve even told Penelope at the Chicago signing, I FLOVE that she puts MY music in these books. I’d almost 5 star it just for that (said that about Corrupt too). It’s so refreshing to see them pop up in the book instead of pop, country, ect.
Misha Lare and Ryen Trevarrow have been pen pals since the fifth grade. They were paired up by accident. Both teachers incorrectly guessed their genders. One thought Misha was a girl and one thought Ryen was a boy. What started out as a school assignment turned into a genuine friendship and continued long after the assignment was done. For the past seven years, they have been writing letters back and forth sharing with each other their life stories. The things they’re passionate about. The things they dislike. Their true selves. They hid nothing from each other…at least they thought they didn’t.
Misha Lare has never met his muse. “Seven years I’ve known her name, but I’ve never seen her face.” –Misha. He knows her address, knows her name. He could easily go to her house to meet her, but he respects that she doesn’t want to meet face to face because of fear that it’ll “ruin what they have”. But after a fluke happenstance, he bumps into her at his bands scavenger fundraiser….the only thing is, she has no idea who he is. He is instantly drawn to her feistiness. Her fire. He didn’t expect that from her. He had an idea of who she was from the letters, but he likes what he sees even more in person. Until he learns her true colors…
Ryen Trevarrow is a fake. She only shows the world and her so-called“friends” what she thinks they want to see. “I learned a long time ago that you don’t need to reveal everything inside of you to the people around you. They like to judge, and I’m happier when they don’t. Some things stay hidden.” –Ryen. The only person she can be real with, is Misha. She uses her words and letters to him as her way to stand apart because she didn’t have the courage to in her everyday life. Ever since she was little, she was always the odd one out and one day in elementary, after being invisible for years, she decided that she was going to change herself. Become just what the popular kids need her to be to like her. “I changed, because I didn’t think what I brought to the table was worthy enough. I let them make me believe that…” –Ryen. As the years go on, she begins to get weighed down by the fakeness. She fakes who she is, who she likes/dislikes, everything about herself and for what reason, to be liked? To be popular? Well, she learns quickly, that being feared doesn’t equal respect. Being pretty on the outside, doesn’t mean you are on the inside. Being popular, doesn’t mean you have friends. “The emptiness is getting bigger and wider and deeper…” –Ryen. But as she is beginning to realize that being in the “in crowd” isn’t necessarily all it’s hyped up to be, Misha stops writing…she’s all alone again…
“We’re all ugly, Ryen. The only difference is, some of us hide it and some wear it.” –Misha.
What a powerful and telling story! I absolutely love stories like this! Stories that twist and turn and have the reader trying to figure out where the author is going to go next, but you just can’t. Stories that have the ability to take you back in time and make you reevaluate your choices. Stories that have a deeper meaning. “You reap what you sow.” Translation: you eventually have to face up to the consequences of your actions. Ryen Trevarrow is reaping what she sowed in PUNK 57. She is not your typical heroine and I applaud Penelope Douglas for writing her character in all her flawed glory. She is a very complex and bratty character and yet very relatable. You will love and hate her all in the same breath. I know I did. And I LOVED her counterpart, Misha. He was her perfect match. “He makes me happier, he makes me stronger…” –Ryen. He pushes her to become the true “Ryen”…”his Ryen”, the one in the letters. He knows what she is capable of and helps her see it too. I can admit, I could’ve easily been her in high school, but I found my “Misha” before that could happen and I like to call him my hubby now I believe there’s tons of others in the world who can relate to this book, whether they are the Ryen, the Misha, or even the Lyla (because we all know there’s “Lyla’s” out there) in this book. You can stand alone. There is nothing wrong with that.
This book is packed full of mystery, intrigue, and secrets. It has the perfect dose of romance. And it was completely addictive! I am a mother of 3 under the age of 5 and I was staying up past midnight to read and read and read. Coffee was my friend during the day. *lol* There is SO MUCH more I could say about this book, but I am refraining because I want you to just pick it up and experience it yourself. I cannot say it enough, I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK! Another thing, I will definitely not look at a lip ring quite the same *fans self*.
PUNK 57 is considered a standalone…BUT…if you’ve read Pen’s book, CORRUPT, then you may get a little treat from some of the horsemen in this book *wink* (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve read CORRUPT). I won’t give any more details than that.
10+ stars!
It follows the classic recipe of Penelope Douglas books. Damaged characters, great sex scenes, angst etc etc. But hey! If it ain’t broken right? Cause this book is as good as the rest of her books. I loved the characters, the plot, the ending… everything.
Funny thing, I think ANY of Penelope Douglas books would be an amazing romantic movie.