The Language of Flowers: A Panoramic Review (Adult/New Adult)

"A mesmerizing, moving, and elegantly written debut novel, The Language of Flowers beautifully weaves past and present, creating a vivid portrait of an unforgettable woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past.

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey romantic expressions: honeysuckle for devotion, asters for patience, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it’s been more useful in communicating grief, mistrust, and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster-care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.

Now eighteen and emancipated from the system, Victoria has nowhere to go and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. Soon a local florist discovers her talents, and Victoria realizes she has a gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But a mysterious vendor at the flower market has her questioning what’s been missing in her life, and when she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, she must decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness." (from Goodreads)

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

My reaction: I felt really conflicted about this book. I found the main character very difficult to relate to and understand, as she's come from a background that's so different from mine. Having been switched from foster home to foster home and lacking stability in her life, Victoria is very distrusting of everybody. She's aloof, holding herself distant from most people; she appreciates her solitude and doesn't like to let others in very often. (In fact, apparently when she was younger she would throw up when touched by strangers!) 

There were so many times that I wanted to shake Victoria and make her see reason, because she kept thrusting away everyone who cared for her. It's frustrating because it takes so long for her to realize the mistakes that she's making. It seems like she's kind of scared of herself, and the damage she could cause to others; she doesn't trust anybody else, but she doesn't trust herself either.

So to be perfectly honest, I didn't like Victoria that much through most of it. Towards the end, we see a change in her that is rewarding (spoilers, highlight to read: when she finally allows herself to love and be loved, putting family first and giving Grant and her daughter another chance), but it's almost too little, too late. I don't think it quite makes up for the cloud that overshadows most of the book, and the transition itself is a little fast.

The dual narrative works very well here; it's interesting to see the present 18/19-year-old Victoria and then begin to understand how she became that girl through the chapters set in the past. They dovetail nicely together, each of them contributing to the reader's understanding of the same mystery. 

While it was good to see Victoria's business grow and watch her stand on her feet as a businesswoman, I thought that part of book was on the less believable side of things. Would people really care so much about the meanings of flowers? It's a gimmick that could go over well with a certain crowd, I suppose. The flowers angle didn't do that much for me, but it provides something to make the story stand out a bit more.

Best aspect: The universal themes tackled here. There's a lot in this story about guilt, pride, misunderstandings, regret, forgiveness, and being able to say you're sorry. Maybe even a bit of redemption, and certainly a lot about love — not only romantic, but also familial (in particular, maternal), and even just caring. It's very much a story of character growth and coming to understand yourself, and it also highlights how drastically things in the past can affect the present.  

 

If I could change something... I would have liked to have seen more of Catherine. I feel like we don't really get to understand her that well because we only see her through Elizabeth's and Grant's eyes.

I also could have done with a little more romance in the Victoria-Grant relationship. I understand that a traditionally "romantic" relationship probably wouldn't work for Victoria because of her unusual interactions with people, and I think that Grant understood her better than a lot of others, and gave her space. But I wanted more resolution to their storyline (spoilers: we see from Victoria's perspective how she thinks things will play out in the future, but we aren't given any scenes of promises or declarations). 

The "New Adult" aspect: The past narrative matches Victoria's voice to her age quite well, but the present narrative was a little less consistent. At first her voice seemed age-appropriate, but as the book went on, I felt like her voice got a lot more mature (less like age 19 and more like early 20s). However, it's true that she has to deal with some very adult situations (spoiler: becoming a mom).
 

If you haven't read it: don't go into this one lightly. It's a thought-provoking, serious, heartfelt story, and probably just about everyone can learn something from it. It's sad in a haunting sort of way, though, so be prepared for the sober tone.

If you have read it: more than one aspect of this book reminded me of The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton — anyone else get that vibe?

Just one more thing I want to mention: this book contains the most horrifying depiction of motherhood I think I've ever read. If I was going just by this book's portrayal, I don't think I'd ever want to have kids. Spoilers: I'm thinking of the scenes where she's trying to breastfeed and the baby won't be satisfied. Her breasts bleed, and she becomes so, so desperate for the baby to stop sucking. Her frustration and irritation and panic and fear that she's not doing it right and that she can't be a mother are communicated very viscerally to the reader. Also, she's not a very competent mother — I was astounded when she left her baby alone more than once! I know she's having a rough time, but you don't do that with a baby. It's difficult to watch as she struggles to be a mom and then gives her child to the dad without even telling him that it's his daughter.
 
Quote: 


Wiping my bloody hands on my pants, I grabbed the spoon and ran toward the house, tripping and falling and picking myself up without ever letting go of my prize. I bounded up the steps, pounding the heavy metal spoon against the wooden door relentlessly. The lock turned, and Elizabeth stood before me.

For just a moment we looked at each other in silence — two pairs of wide, unblinking eyes — then I launched the spoon into the house with as much strength as I could gather in my thin arm. I aimed for the window over the kitchen sink. The spoon flew just inches past Elizabeth's ear, arched high toward the ceiling, and bounced off the window before clattering into the porcelain sink. One of the small blue bottles teetered on the edge of the windowsill before it fell and shattered.

"There's your spoon," I said. 

Final verdict: 4 shooting stars. 

Note: This book contains some mature (including sexual) content.

This book counts towards my goal for the "New Adult" reading challenge.

 

October "New Adult" Challenge Reviews — Link Them Up Here!

Participants in my "New Adult" reading challenge: if you have reviews from October, here's your chance to link them up!

September "New Adult" Challenge Reviews — Link Them Up Here!

Participants in my "New Adult" reading challenge: if you have reviews from September, here's your chance to link them up. And everyone else: if you are interested in joining the challenge, it's not too late! Please see the details here. The more the merrier :)

Something Like Normal: A Psychtember Review

Patient: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Presentation (from Goodreads): "When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero."

Assessment:

Axis 1. Characters

The characterization in Something Like Normal is wonderful. Travis has one of the most authentic and yet still appealing guy voices I've read in quite a while — and this is coming from someone who doesn't typically like 1st-person teen guy POVs. It's difficult for me to find books with a male teen narrator where I'm interested in what they're saying and can connect to them on some level, and I feel like Trish Doller really accomplished that with Travis. He's a flawed character, to be sure; his behaviour's less than ethical at times, he shows spurts of temper, and though he recognizes he has some psychological issues, he's not quite ready yet to take the step of admitting he needs help. And yet despite these flaws, there's something very attractive about him. I like his honesty, and the way he doesn't take flack from people. 

I feel like he wants to be a better person, and he realizes that he's a better person when he's around Harper, so he wants to be with her. It's neat that we get to be inside Travis' head and see him starting to fall for Harper and care about someone in a way he hasn't before. As for Harper, I appreciated that she stood up for herself and didn't let him walk over her. I think they're good for each other — Travis is pretty bitter and jaded at the beginning, and as Harper softens him up he starts to become more hopeful. She seems like a steady girl who will keep him grounded. Paige provides a nice foil for Harper, since Travis feels very differently about each of them.


Travis' dad is a very generic, "All American" sports dude. He doesn't ever really venture out of cliche, but he's obviously intended to be disliked — and he certainly succeeds at serving that purpose. Basically, he's one of those really irritating dads who want to live vicariously through their kid, and want to see their kid do well so they can be hotshots. He reminded me a lot of the jock's dad in The Breakfast Club, who's pressuring his son all the time. In short, he's a jerk.

In contrast, Travis' mom actually cares about her son, and it's really sweet to see that. I like that he's standing up for his mom, and that they're getting to know each other better after so many years of her sitting on the sidelines while his dad railed at him. 

It's clear that Travis had a strong connection with Charlie (a fellow Marine and friend who was killed) and that their friendship was very important to him. We don't see that kind of emotional bond very often with male characters (at least, not in YA), so it was refreshing to see that level of connection here.

Axis 2. Premise/plot

There isn't much action happening here, but it's quite short and surprisingly readable — I breezed through it in just a couple of days. It could have been a little more dramatic in places (for instance, the PTSD could have been amped up) and I wish a few of the storylines had been more fleshed out. I never felt like we had a good grip on Travis' relationship with his brother Ryan, so I would have liked to have seen more of that (Ryan just seems to get dropped out of the story after a certain scene). More information about the political side of things in Afghanistan would also have been interesting, although obviously that isn't the point of this book. Rather, it's all about Travis' recovery and his emotional healing process, and that is done really well.

In terms of the ending, things wrapped up awfully fast, with a lot being resolved within just the last few chapters, and I think it could have been stretched out a bit more. It seemed too neat and easy a conclusion, with a couple of "heart-to-heart" conversations that dipped into cheesy/sappy. The closing letter was a nice touch, though. While the ending is hopeful, it left me feeling sad in some ways, too. Overall, it's a kind of bittersweet book, not entirely uplifting — Charlie's dead at the beginning and so obviously he's still dead at the end. I was glad that Travis winds up in a better place emotionally, though.

Axis 3. Writing Style

Trish Doller's ear for the male teen voice is impressive. A lot of female authors writing YA novels with male perspectives don't succeed at this aspect, but the way Travis talks and thinks seems quite "guy-like". Most of the dialogue is authentic, and Doller does not shy away from coarse language/references and distasteful jokes in some situations (for example, when Travis is hanging out with his Marine pals). While crude conversation isn't something I really enjoy, I can appreciate that it feels real.
 

Axis 4. Psychological Accuracy

Travis' main psychological problem is quite obvious: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He displays some of the classic symptoms, such as nightmares/difficulty sleeping, startling easily (gunshots set him off), flashbacks, and a dislike of talking about his time spent in Afghanistan. These symptoms fit quite neatly with the DSM-IV criteria. 

In addition to these, he exhibits signs of psychosis in the form of hallucinations — usually of Charlie. Apparently it's not unusual to experience psychotic symptoms along with PTSD, so this is also in line with research on trauma. 

It's interesting that we're shown a little of how another soldier has reacted differently. Kevlar turns to alcohol and thrill-seeking; he wants an adrenaline rush all the time, the kind that he got in Afghanistan and doesn't get anymore. Adrenaline seems to act similarly to an addictive substance for some individuals. I suspect these are also signs of PTSD — indeed, the upcoming DSM-V has added "reckless or self-destructive behavior" to the list. 

I would have liked to have seen the stigma of mental health issues, especially in the military, discussed a little more. It's touched on slightly (in particular, Travis states, "The evaluation is also supposed to gauge our mental wellness, but that's a joke. We say everything is okay because the fastest way to wreck your career is to admit it's not.") but not addressed in detail. I also wish we'd gotten a glimpse of Travis' therapy, but it's just mentioned at the very end in passing.

 
Validity Score: How psychologically accurate was Something Like Normal?

Axis 5. Miscellaneous

I liked that it's not too preachy, and that the author isn't taking a strong political stand here. As I mentioned earlier, politics don't play a big role, but when they do surface they aren't handled in a black-and-white kind of way. 

A couple of the blurbs on the back of the book use the word "unflinching," which makes it sound like it could be gritty and violent. It's emotionally tough and depressing, definitely, and feels like this is something that someone who's come back from Afghanistan would experience, but there's nothing really graphic in here at all. In fact, I think the "grit" factor could even have been raised a bit more (although I wouldn't want it to degenerate into gratuitous violence).
 

Patient shares symptoms with: BADD by Tim Tharp, The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt, Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick

Patient's statement:

I lift my beer cup for a drink. Dirt fills the lines of my hand, and my fingers are stained with blood. The cup slips from my grasp, splashing beer across the top of the table. Paige jumps off Ryan's lap, shrieking something at me, but I don't understand what she's saying. My chest is tight and I'm having trouble breathing.

I have to get out of here.
 

Diagnosis: 4 shooting stars. This is definitely a good book to check out if you're interested in PTSD or soldiers' reactions to war, or if you're looking for a distinctive and sympathetic male teen narrator. It doesn't bring anything really novel to the subjects of war and trauma, but it excels in characterization and relationships.

This book counts towards my goals for the Debut Author challenge, the Just Contemporary challenge and the New Adult reading challenge.

Note: This book contains some coarse language/references and sexual content. 

Also, I interviewed Trish Doller earlier this month! 

For more information about PTSD, see here.

August "New Adult" Challenge Reviews — Link Them Up Here!

Participants in my "New Adult" reading challenge: if you have reviews from August, here's your chance to link them up. And everyone else: if you are interested in joining the challenge, it's not too late! Please see the details here. The more the merrier :)

Also, author Jessica Park stopped by the blog this month, so be sure to check out my interview with her! (The winners for the giveaway have already been drawn.)

Flat-Out Love: A Panoramic Review

"Something is seriously off in the Watkins home. And Julie Seagle, college freshman, small-town Ohio transplant, and the newest resident of this Boston house, is determined to get to the bottom of it.

When Julie's off-campus housing falls through, her mother's old college roommate, Erin Watkins, invites her to move in. The parents, Erin and Roger, are welcoming, but emotionally distant and academically driven to eccentric extremes. The middle child, Matt, is an MIT tech geek with a sweet side ... and the social skills of a spool of USB cable. The youngest, Celeste, is a frighteningly bright but freakishly fastidious 13-year-old who hauls around a life-sized cardboard cutout of her oldest brother almost everywhere she goes.

And there's that oldest brother, Finn: funny, gorgeous, smart, sensitive, almost emotionally available. Geographically? Definitely unavailable. That's because Finn is traveling the world and surfacing only for random Facebook chats, e-mails, and status updates. Before long, through late-night exchanges of disembodied text, he begins to stir something tender and silly and maybe even a little bit sexy in Julie's suddenly lonesome soul.

To Julie, the emotionally scrambled members of the Watkins family add up to something that ... well ... doesn't quite add up. Not until she forces a buried secret to the surface, eliciting a dramatic confrontation that threatens to tear the fragile Watkins family apart, does she get her answer." (from Goodreads)

Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park

My reaction: 


Overall, this was a really cute read. About 60 pages in I guessed what the big secret was (big spoilers, highlight to read: it clicked into place for me when Julie mentions that "it's not going to kill him" about Finn, and Celeste reacts badly. I did sometimes second-guess myself but most of the time I figured Finn was actually Matt) but it was still enjoyable to read, especially with all the tension coming up to the final reveal. Even though I was in on the secret quite soon, it gives the story a fun Shakespearean-esque twist and keeps the momentum going, and I liked the burgeoning romance. The revelation itself, however, was unfortunately not as dramatic as I thought it would be, and felt a little too staged. I also wish we'd been given a bit more at the end, following the climactic scene, especially of Matt.
 
Julie makes herself present in the Watkins' lives very quickly, which I thought was kind of strange. I suspect she became involved with them not only because she needed a "family" during her first year at college, but also because she wanted to have control over something, and making someone else's life better would help her to feel good about herself. Celeste is a very unusual 13-year-old, and I don't know if I entirely get the explanation at the end for her behaviour. But it was nice to see Celeste's progression as she starts to stand on her own two feet, with Julie's help.
 
Once I got hooked into it partway through, I finished it pretty quickly, and it put me in a good mood.

Best aspect: the interactions, particularly between Julie and Matt. I liked seeing the slow, gradual shift in their relationship as she gets more comfortable with him; they're friends, but still engage in teasing, geeky flirtation. While it's not really my sense of humour and I didn't get some of the references, it's quirky. Matt turned out to have an attractive manly and romantic side to him (he's not geeky all the time!) and his character felt quite real.
 

If I could change something... I wish we got to see more of her classes and time spent with side characters like Dana, Seth and Jamie. We're told she and Dana are good friends but we hardly see any of their interactions, and none of these secondary characters become full-fledged individuals. Rather, the story is very much about Matt, Celeste and Julie.


I also thought the dialogue was not always that realistic or authentic. In particular, there are a couple of "soul-baring" confessions towards the end that seemed to go overboard, feeling too formulaic, like the author was giving the reader exactly what they wanted or expected. Plus, one of the conversations involves Matt, and I'm not sure a guy would really make himself that vulnerable.

The "New Adult" aspect:

Julie's a bit of an unusual freshman, and her experience is definitely a bit different than a traditional "first year at college" story. She's mature for her age, so her voice feels rather adult, but I still felt like I could relate to her and get inside her head. I thought a bit much was made of the fact that she loves learning/studying, especially as we don't see much of her courses. Indeed, the fact that Julie's a literature geek and Matt's a math geek seemed to be pointed out to the reader rather too obviously.

If you haven't read it: it's probably one of the better New Adult books I've read, although I thought the writing could use some editing to smooth it out and lessen the amount of "telling" vs. "showing". If you're looking for a fairly light contemporary New Adult read, and you don't mind a bit of predictability, you might want to check this one out.

If you have read it: how long did it take you to guess the secret?  

Quote: 

"You are a beautiful girl, and it doesn't really matter what you wear. I like the scarf on you, but take it off if you want. As long as you don't borrow your brother's T-shirts, you'll be stunning." Julie turned to Matt. "Don't think that bag strap is hiding your shirt from me. I can still read it." Today's T-shirt said: ME: like you, only better. "You're straight out of GQ, Matt."


"I do my best. ..."

Final verdict: 3.5 shooting stars. 
 

Disclaimer: I received this as an e-book for review from the author.

Note: This book contains some sexual content and mature language.

This book counts towards my goal for the "New Adult" reading challenge.

 

July "New Adult" Challenge Reviews — Link Them Up Here!

Participants in my "New Adult" reading challenge: if you have reviews from July, here's your chance to link them up. And everyone else: if you are interested in joining the challenge, it's not too late! Please see the details here. The more the merrier :)

Also, if you missed it last month, you might want to check out my "New Adult" Niche interview with Melanie Card (and there's an e-book giveaway there too!).

Love Story: A Panoramic Review

"For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true." (from Goodreads) 

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

 
My reaction: 

Jennifer Echols is clearly talented at writing flawed, not-so-likeable characters (see my review of Forget You). Erin initially struck me as overconfident, self-centered, and even kind of stuck-up. While I wouldn't say all of these descriptors are inaccurate, she grew on me, and I started to like her a little more as the book went along. I had to respect that she was trying to make it on her own, without her grandmother's support, because she didn't want the life her grandmother was trying to force on her. Hunter also has his faults — he's a bit too much of a suave charmer for my taste, and (along with Erin) he suffers from an inability to talk about his emotions. In fact, he's a little creepy in a way...you can't quite trust him, he always wants to be in control — and frankly, even by the end of the book I don't think he's really reformed.

I liked the use of stories throughout — it was a cool way to show different writing styles, and yet you can draw parallels to Hunter's & Erin's lives from them. At the same time, we're also reminded that we can't read too much into them, since the stories have been written with a purpose by Hunter and Erin. The tagline — "She's writing about him. He's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines." — is true, but the most important part is what Erin and Hunter themselves are reading between the lines. In essence, they're really terrible at communicating! They need to figure out how to express themselves to each other's faces, rather than through the medium of the written word.

Best aspect: Hunter's and Erin's weird, twisted relationship — it's what really makes this book. I almost saw them as a modern, YA version of Catherine and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, especially through the first half of this book. They keep wanting to hurt each other so that they don't get hurt, trying to protect themselves by lashing out at the other person. Neither wants to let themselves be vulnerable. Now, I have made no secret of the fact that I really didn't like Wuthering Heights — but the same, thankfully, is not true of Love Story. I'm not sure exactly why, although I think the characters here are not as thoroughly reprehensible. Neither Erin nor Hunter on their own is that complicated a character, but together they're a real mess. Half the time they want to kiss, the other half they want to fight.

I was always wondering what they'd do next, because there's so much that's not water under the bridge, and the past is rearing its ugly head and creating a barrier between them in the present. This gives the book a low-level tension throughout that kept me reading. They've let their past misunderstandings pile up, and now they hold all these assumptions about each other, and what happened, that wouldn't be there if they'd just talk things through! 

If I could change something... I'm not sure I like the way things ended with them. Their conflict wasn't resolved to my satisfaction and I thought they needed to talk more about the status of their relationship and share their true feelings (as cheesy as that sounds!). I didn't think their relationship was very healthy, with Hunter's behaviour in particular raising some warning signs. Spoilery, highlight to read: Yes, Erin wrote some cruel messages directed at him, but personally I felt that the way he lied to her for so long was worse. Although they're in a better place by the last page than they were at the first, I'm not convinced that they should be together as a couple.

The "New Adult" aspect:

Erin's at times impetuous behaviour makes her feel immature in some ways, which I think will help teens relate to her voice (this book is marketed as YA, even though it's set in college). While it's on the younger side of NA spectrum, I think her voice and mindset is quite in line with what you might expect for a student early on in their college experience. Jennifer Echols gets the college scene right, from going to clubs and getting drunk at parties to attending class. I thought she provided a neat glimpse into the world of a student in a  creative writing program, and probably a fairly realistic view of what college writing classes are like.

Just one more thing I want to mention: the horse farm inheritance plotline seemed kind of old-fashioned. Erin likens Hunter to Gatsby at one point, and certain themes in this book definitely reflect those of The Great Gatsby — namely, the emphasis on status in the social hierarchy, and the concept of someone attempting to rise above and improve their lot in life. I thought it was a little weird that this was such a big deal in the modern day, but perhaps I don't know much about what status means to Kentucky horse farm owners.

Quote: 



I wanted so badly to slap him. Or kiss him. But there was no physical show of the emotion passing between us, layer upon layer, the upper strata putting the lower ones under enormous pressure. I simply turned and left the classroom, "Almost a Lady" flopping about in front of me.


But I would need to mine those layers when I met him alone. I had to shut him up before he said anything about me and my stable boy to Gabe. I could not let Hunter Allen ruin my life.


Again.

Final verdict: 4 shooting stars. Don't go into this book expecting a comfort read that will give you warm fuzzies — but you can expect some good quality writing and a very complex relationship.

Note: This book contains some mature language and content.

This book counts towards my goal for the "New Adult" reading challenge and Just Contemporary reading challenge.

June "New Adult" Challenge Reviews — Link Them Up Here!

Participants in my "New Adult" reading challenge: if you have reviews from June, here's your chance to link them up. And everyone else: if you are interested in joining the challenge, it's not too late! Please see the details here. The more the merrier :)

Also, if you missed them last month, you might want to check out my "New Adult" Niche interviews with authors Lauren Hammond, Sara Daniell, and Jennifer Echols, as well as C.K. Kelly Martin's guest post and giveaway!

Girls in White Dresses: A Snapshot (Adult)

  Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

"Wickedly hilarious and utterly recognizable, Girls in White Dresses tells the story of three women grappling with heartbreak and career change, family pressure and new love—all while suffering through an endless round of weddings and bridal showers.

Isabella, Mary, and Lauren feel like everyone they know is getting married. On Sunday after Sunday, at bridal shower after bridal shower, they coo over toasters, collect ribbons and wrapping paper, eat minuscule sandwiches and doll-sized cakes. They wear pastel dresses and drink champagne by the case, but amid the celebration these women have their own lives to contend with: Isabella is working at a mailing-list company, dizzy with the mixed signals of a boss who claims she’s on a diet but has Isabella file all morning if she forgets to bring her a chocolate muffin. Mary thinks she might cry with happiness when she finally meets a nice guy who loves his mother, only to realize he’ll never love Mary quite as much. And Lauren, a waitress at a Midtown bar, swears up and down she won’t fall for the sleazy bartender—a promise that his dirty blond curls and perfect vodka sodas make hard to keep.

With a wry sense of humor, Jennifer Close brings us through those thrilling, bewildering, what-on-earth-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life years of early adulthood. These are the years when everyone else seems to have a plan, a great job, and an appropriate boyfriend, while Isabella has a blind date with a gay man, Mary has a crush on her boss, and Lauren has a goldfish named Willard. Through boozy family holidays and disastrous ski vacations, relationships lost to politics and relationships found in pet stores, Girls in White Dresses pulls us deep inside the circle of these friends, perfectly capturing the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life." (from Goodreads)

The subject: changes in the lives of several women as they go through their late twenties/early thirties.

The setting: it varies, but New York is one of the main locations.

Shutter speed: fairly slow — it feels more like a collection of connected short stories than a full-fledged novel with a centralized plot — but it's quite readable, with an appealing, accessible tone that feels conversational and inviting. There's also some good humor here; Isabella's sense of humor in particular is snarky and dryly sarcastic just the way I like it.

What's in the background? Life lessons about growing up, maturing, and taking responsibility, but it doesn't come off preachy. It gives a good idea of the challenges that people in their twenties and early thirties face, in terms of relationships, careers, friendships, marriage, in-laws, what you want out of life and who you want to be with... It hits on a lot of the questions people start asking themselves once they get to that age, which gives it a very relatable element of uncertainty about the future.

Zoom in on: the characters. I had trouble visualizing them and keeping track of who was who. They all have pretty common names (e.g. Lauren, Mary, Abby, Shannon).  Just generally I felt like the characters needed to be given more personality. We don't really get to know the guys much at all, and I think the relationships would have felt stronger if we had. Also, I wish we'd seen a greater variety of ethnicities represented (just judging by the names and limited descriptions, it seems like most of the characters are Caucasian).

Anything out of focus?

I think it should have been marketed as a collection of interrelated stories; it's a bit misleading to call it a novel when there isn't one all-encompassing plot, really. The chapters are loosely connected to each other by the characters involved, but they're more like anecdotes than the building blocks of a storyline. 

Also, the chapters jump along in time, so unfortunately we miss parts of certain characters' stories (like how Mary met Ken, for instance, or how Lauren became a real estate agent).

Ready? Say... "Growing up!"

Click! 3.5 shooting stars. It didn't blow me away, but I think there's a story in here for just about anyone in this age range (or at least, any female reader!)

Note: this is an adult book and contains mature language.

This book counts towards my goal for the New Adult reading challenge.

May "New Adult" Challenge Reviews — Link Them Up Here!

Participants in my "New Adult" reading challenge: if you have reviews from May, here's your chance to link them up. And everyone else: if you are interested in joining the challenge, it's not too late! Please see the details here. The more the merrier :)

52 Reasons to Hate My Father: A Panoramic Review

"Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.


Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.

Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteen birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.

In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him." (from Goodreads) 

52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

In ten words or less: fun premise and entertaining execution.  
 
My reaction: 

This book doesn't break any new ground, but the way it's set up — 'poor little rich girl' has to complete 52 weeks of work, a new job each week, before her dad will let her have the $25 million she thinks she deserves — makes for a slightly different spin on the whole learning-not-to-take-things-for-granted lesson. Lexi truly does act like an annoying spoiled brat (and she knows full well that's how she's seen) at the beginning, but at the same time, there was something very enjoyable and refreshing about her snotty, self-absorbed tone and attitude. It's so snarky and full of life. Even once she changes (because you know that's going to happen — the storyline is not exactly unpredictable), her voice isn't all that different. She doesn't undergo a complete personality makeover, thankfully — although at the very end, she's so perky and optimistic, it's a little weird and un-Lexi-ish. But overall, her voice really makes this book. 

Unfortunately, we don't get as strong a sense of some of the other characters. I'll discuss Luke in more detail below, but her friends Jia and T and her on-again, off-again boyfriend Mendi seem to be there more as plot devices than actual people. 

The storylines are divided pretty well between the jobs, the romance, the mom's past, and the one involving her father. I appreciated how the storyline about her mother was woven throughout the book, and I wish the same was true for the subplot involving her dad's job — there were a couple obscure clues, I suppose, but it seemed kind of far-fetched and not as carefully worked into the rest of the book as the other storylines.

It's written in a readable style that makes it easy to breeze through. I didn't find that there were any super hilarious scenes, but there are moments that will make you smile (Lexi's thoughts about the job where she beautifies corpses are pretty funny). There are also some parts that will make you cringe with embarrassment for her or go, "Oh, you idiot!" so be prepared for those as well. And I particularly enjoyed how something she's told earlier in the book is used later to help her gather some evidence she needs.

Best aspect: 

The set-up, but I've already talked about that. I also found the relationship between Lexi and her dad very interesting. There's a lot going on there that persuades the reader to feel sorry for Lexi and makes it easier to understand how she ended up the way she did. Growing up raised mainly by the domestic staff and without knowing what family is all about can't have been easy, so her dad can be held at least partially responsible for the teenager Lexi's become.

(I did think, however, that this divide between them was breached a bit too cheesily. It's nice to see her get that happy ending, but her dad's transformation is probably not that realistic — and to be honest, I kind of enjoyed disliking him through the first part of the story!)

If I could change something... I thought Lexi's character development was too fast to be believable. She had a revelation and then bam! She decided to get a new perspective on life. I don't know that we see enough of her gaining understanding of how most people (who aren't rich) live and the fact that she's acted in such a spoiled manner and taken so much for granted. This might also be partly because the book switches focus partway through, and the romance — as well as storylines involving Lexi's mother and father — is given more attention. 

Also, I felt like we don't get that strong a sense of who Luke is — he seems kind of boring, frankly. He lacks the personality that Lexi has, and maybe that was intentional (opposites attract and all that) but in reality it didn't make him all that appealing. He sometimes came off as younger than I might have expected, too. He and Lexi are cute together, sure, but I wasn't feeling the chemistry very much, so you might say I was lukewarm about the romance. (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun!) I'm not sure the romantic storyline was even that necessary.

The "New Adult" aspect: she's just graduated recently from high school, so her voice is very much a teenager's. In fact, I'd argue at the beginning she sounds more like 16, but since she's rather immature to start with, this isn't surprising. By the end of the book her voice sounds more age-appropriate. I think this is definitely a New Adult book that would appeal to mid-to-older teens in particular, given the younger-sounding voice and the fact that there isn't a lot of mature content. 

If you haven't read it: pick it up if you're looking for something light, you don't mind a few obvious messages and cliched plot resolutions, and you've always secretly wondered how teen heiresses live. But this probably won't be the book for you if you're hoping to be blown away by twists and turns.

If you have read it: how many times did Lexi make you want to *facepalm*? 

Just one more thing I want to mention: I wish we'd seen some more at the beginning when she's trying out the first few jobs. I think her reaction would be the most extreme (and amusing) then, but several of them are just mentioned in passing and not shown in detail. 


Movie match: Maid to Order (1987). Okay, so it's not an exact match — there's no fairy godmother in 52 Reasons to Hate My Father — but it does involve a rich, spoiled daughter driving drunk and then being forced to become a maid. So there are some similarities!

Quote: 


I learned how to clean out a refrigerator! Hoorah!

Now there's something that's going to come in handy in my future. If I'm ever at a party and there's a life-or-death refrigerator-cleaning emergency, I've got it completely under control. Everyone else will be running around screaming their heads off and I'll be like, Don't panic! I've been properly trained!

Final verdict: 3.5 shooting stars.

Disclaimer: I received this book as an ARC for review from the publisher.

This book counts towards my goal for the "New Adult" reading challenge and Just Contemporary reading challenge.