Rating: 3/5 StarsGenre: Contemporary
Release Date: 12/29/2009
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About the Book: Four teens, all on vacation to a resort called Paradise, find their lives intersecting and connecting. Over the next four months, their stories are told and their lives change and come together in ways they never could have imagined.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: This book was good and I did enjoy it, but not as much as I had expected to. I've read other novels by Carolyn Mackler and loved them, but while Tangled was a good read, it didn't make me fall in love with it.
It read more like four short stories than a complete novel, which was OK once I got used to the format. I did expect the characters lives to intersect more, but instead the way they came together reminded me of six-degrees of separation. Each one was a separate story and the other characters didn't play a big part-their actions did, but they weren't always present.
I really did enjoy it though and even though it wasn't was I was expecting, it was a good surprise. I think it's an interesting look at how our lives come together and how we effect other people's lives, even if we may not realize it. I did feel that the characters came full circle, which was nice. While I enjoyed Skye and Dakota's stories, I felt Jena and Owen's stories were the strongest-maybe I could just relate to them more and I found Owen's story at the end to be incredibly sweet.
I will say that this is a book I found myself reflecting on and growing to like it more after I finished reading it. It's a very fast read and I think it would be an interesting book for a book group to discuss or lit circle (I think would pair well with 13 Reasons Why). I'd also give it to readers looking for short stories that are connected in some way.
Full Disclosure: Sent by publisher for review, reviewed from final copy
It sounds pretty good at least.
ReplyDeleteIt was good and I think it makes you think. I was just hoping for something a little different I guess.
ReplyDeleteI've had that happen - where I go into a book expecting one thing and get another. What I got may have been good, but it takes me a while to accept it because it threw me off!
ReplyDeleteI read this story but it didn't leave much of an impression on me. After reading your review I tried to recall what the book was even about. I vaguely remember the cruise and the four kids. So, I guess that says something. Not my favorite Mackler title but it was definitely a quick read.
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