Review of Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Atria Books

Beautiful Disaster
by Jamie McGuire
4 Scribbles

First let me say that I read this novel months ago and have been sitting on my review because I am very torn about the story.

Abby Abernathy is a good girl, or let’s say a reformed bad girl, however you want to look at it—but she planned on making her life at Eastern the fresh slate she always dreamed of, away from her tarnished beginnings in Las Vegas. At Eastern she will date the right people and make only the best choices. Travis Maddox is the quintessential bad boy; he’s muscled, tatted up, drinks heavily, street brawls for cash, and goes through women like a chubby girl through a box of zebra cakes (based on personal experience.) When the lives of these two intersect, which is inevitable since Abby’s BFF is dating Travis’s cousin, sparks ignite; initially these sparks begin with the constant bickering between the two, who become fast “friends” and then later…well, you know. 

Reading this book was like watching a train wreck or the news about a natural disaster. So in that regard, McGuire’s title is spot-on. I couldn’t put the novel down, but not because I loved the characters and was invested in their future, it was because I was so disgusted with them. Perhaps the disgust I felt had a lot to do with the fact that many aspects of the novel are spot-on in regards to the college experience for many who live on campus. In my recollection, there was a lot of drinking, a ton of profanity, a lot of partying, a lot of sex (or talk of sex) and a general feeling that these events were an important part of the college experience. Most times, there was very little respect for the individual. I have a very dated VHS which documents my own experience and that of my friends, and I confess, there is a great deal of toasting and slurring going on in this video. That being said, it seems like Abby and Travis always seem to be where the action is and the studying thing between them is thrown in to show that yes, indeed they can party all the time and do very well in school!  A debatable point at best. I could have possibly gotten past the egregious use of alcohol and casual sex, but I was so very disappointed, outrageously disappointed, when Abby and Travis eventually hook up and realize they can’t live without one another. For one thing, Travis’s treatment of women, and of Abby is abhorrent—I don’t even want to get started on what an absolute dog he is. And Abby, is she really so weak-minded as to fall for his BS? At one point Abby’s roommate points out that the relationship between Abby and Travis is co-dependent and unhealthy. I remember praising this insightful character (although a complete moron could have seen this) and thinking that surely, surely the author was going to direct the ending to this conclusion and allow these two individuals to see the light….wow, was I surprised. Here’s the thing though despite my disgust, my chagrin, my disappointment, and my general anger at the novel, I cannot criticize it for being unrealistic or overly dramatic…sadly it smacks of truth. How many of us hooked up with the wrong guy when we were young, the bad boy we wanted to fix? Don’t answer that. At any rate, I have to, against every urge not to, give this novel 4 scribbles. I do this under protest. I would love to hear what others have to say, because I’m all torn up over this one. Am I going to read the sequel, Walking Disaster? Of course, eventually…but I need a breather before I witness what I expect from the title promises to be an even greater train wreck.

Review of Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman

Little Brown Books for
Young Readers

Why We Broke Up
by Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman
5 Stars

Walk into any high school in America and you can find a couple who really don’t seem to “fit” with one another. Min and Ed Slaterton are like this; Min is an artistic film fanatic, and Ed a handsome and athletic football God.  Everyone is shocked when these two hook up. But when the two start dating they fall hard for one another, and despite their differences it works. It really seems like Ed and Min will make it. That is, until they break up. Now Min is ready to return the box of mementos she’s kept during her relationship with Ed, and with that box, she’s writing him a letter. Once he reads it he won’t have any questions about just exactly why they broke up.

In the past I’ve had reservations about reading a book by two authors. Lately, books like this one have completely changed my mind. Min’s character is so relatable and loveable. She’s your sister, your cousin, your best friend; and, while you can see that perhaps she might be wading into treacherous waters with Ed, you want her to be happy and so you cheer her on, hoping against hope that the splashing motions she’s making after diving in the water aren’t the signs of her drowning. And although I have to say that Min’s constant allusions to vintage films are a bit annoying at times, I completely get Min’s personality and I love her for her quirkiness. Perhaps that’s what Ed feels about Min too—all the way to the bitter, bitter end. This is a realistic story about a girl, who like so many of us girls, sees the best in everyone, or perhaps wants to see the best in everyone, or maybe just wants to see an inner character that matches outer beauty. This is a cautionary tale about sexuality, about passion, about emotion, and about sex. Every girl who has even considered giving her virginity to a boy should read this book. This is a happy tale about friendship, kindness, and about what a boy who loves you is really supposed to be. Perhaps most importantly, it’s a story about what true friends do when they see you drowning—they might go down with you—but they still jump in to save you.  This is perhaps the finest novel about teenaged relationships I’ve read this decade. Read it—and maybe you won’t get caught flailing alone in the deep end.

To share your break up story, check out Why We Broke Up Project here: http://whywebrokeupproject.tumblr.com/share-your-breakup

Review of 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues

Simon Pulse

34 Pieces of You

by Carmen Rodrigues

4 Scribbles

To be released September 4, 2012

This novel reads like The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chobsky meets Looking for Alaska by John Green. Told in the alternating voices of Jake, Sarah and Jessie, the aftermath of Ellie's drug overdose is explored. Is Ellie’s death an accident, or did she commit suicide? When Jessie discovers a box with 34 scraps of paper hidden under Ellie’s bed she hopes it may hold the secrets Ellie could not share, and help to reveal the reason for her death.

It becomes clear early on that Ellie has been sexually abused, and this mistreatment has permanently scarred her young psyche. Yet, Ellie is not the only character riddled with scars; through the lens of Ellie's death the reader witnesses a kaleidoscope of coming-of-age experiences that accurately reflect the confusing and volatile emotions teens often face. The author expertly explores the murky and edgy waters of teen sexuality, drugs, broken families and the nature of love in this fast-moving work. Readers will applaud this somber work's realistic characters. Those who have experienced crushing grief over early death will connect to the narrative, and those who haven't will understand this grief more fully.