This review can also be found at BookShelfery. 
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 Wonderful story where the characters embrace imperfections, although the story isn't without its own. I'm not going to spend time describing the setting (it's contemporary) or the plot (you can get that from the synopsis). Instead I'm going to dive right in to my likes and dislikes (but not in that order). 
 Things I Didn't Like 
 I didn't like Joey's character. She was whiney, co-dependent and just a little too smartass for my tastes (which shouldn't bother me, because I'm a huge smartass). Beyond that, I felt that she was the kind of transient character who only made appearances to move the plot from point A to point B before disappearing again. She didn't often make appearances, and I simply didn't connect with her character. 
 The tragedy involving Jesse's mother didn't jive in terms of timeline. I got the feeling that Jesse became this Sway character in part because of his mother's death, which was only a year earlier. Having lost a parent at a young age myself, I don't find a year long enough to go through the grieving processes and completely manufacture yourself as a new you. I know everyone grieves differently, but the believability of this and the power he has been able to garner over others in such a short time is low. 
 Things I Liked 
 The relationships within the story are incredibly well done. It's established early on that Jesse is a Humpty Dumpty being held together by his disdain of connections with others (which saves him from being hurt again). But the magic in this story is not with Jesse, per se; it's in the supporting characters who give you an idea of who Jesse really is, based on their interactions with and perceptions of him. It shows that someone can learn to love despite the saddest circumstances, and that people are capable of cracking through your walls no matter how hard you try to keep them out. 
 Jesse's and Bridget's relationship, with all its hits and misses, is imperfect. Which makes it perfect. Jesse never expected to fall in love with anyone and she was simply another job. It's not the best beginning, and the after is messy and complicated, because hearts are messy and complicated. I really loved how Bridget inadvertently makes Jesse a better person simply by being inspiring. Some people want to change you; others don't even have to try. 
 I loved the friendships derived from Sway, but specifically with Bridget's little brother, Pete, who has cerebral palsy and is sardonic, angry at the world and looking for someone to see him as Pete, and not "perfect Bridget's imperfect brother with CP". Jesse sees him as a person, not a disability, and he doesn't cut Pete the slack he's used to receiving because of his circumstances. Their friendship felt genuine and that's what I really liked about Sway. 
 Overall 
 Sway is a diverse book, without even trying to be. I initially rated it two-stars but the more I think about it, the deeper it gets for me. 
 Narrator 4-1-1 
 I did not like Nick Podehl as a narrator. He did the main character voice very well, and he flowed nicely with the pace of the story. But his female voices were like nails on chalkboard for me. I didn't think they sounded feminine at all; they sounded like drag queens. Which is a very Sway thing to say. All of his older male characters sounded like Old World italian mafia types out of NYC or Jersey, like that's the default for older people. He's not a narrator I would personally seek out again. 
 Giveaway 
 I think most mature YA audiences will enjoy this story! So I'm giving away my CD audio copy to the winner of this giveaway! 
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 Winner has 48 hours from email send to respond with mailing address 
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 Entry 
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