Yet somehow they did?until Amy dumped him. Then got back together with him. Then dumped him again. Then got back together with him again. Over and over and over.
Unfolding over their senior year, Amy and Craig's exhilarating, tumultuous relationship is a kaleidoscope of joy, pain, and laughter as an uncertain future-and adult responsibility-loom on the horizon.
Craig fights for his dream of escaping Janesville and finding his place at a quirky college, while Amy's quest to uncover her true self sometimes involves being Craig's girlfriend?and sometimes doesn't.
Seven heartbreaks. Seven joys.Told non-sequentially, acclaimed playwright Don Zolidis's debut novel is a brutally funny, bittersweet taste of the utterly unique and utterly universal experience of first love. (Pub Date: Oct 02, 2018)
The book starts with a spoiler, this is not a happy ending. And yet, you still read it all the time wondering how it will actually end.
3.5, because of a lost in pace around the ending.
Craig is an awkward nerd but he has finally made a move on Amy, one of the most popular girl in school. When they become boyfriend and girlfriend, Amy soon dumps Craig until then they get back together and repeat.
Told in a non linear form by Craig himself starting from one of their breakups before we learn how they met and got together, we can't help but feel morbidly curious where they'll go for Craig to call it a bad ending.
This is surely a different YA. Though I have read one with a similar proposal, it didn't work as well as this one. Craig is a great character, and Amy isn't bad at all, I liked her, though I'm still not sure I understand her reasons.
And that's one of the big falls. I thought I was reaching a good reason they couldn't be together, a bit plot twist. I didn't. On the bright side, the book felt real, as if the author had gone out with an Amy during his teenager days. I did understand there was a deep meaning to the story, it wasn't in vain. I was still a bit disappointed.
Aside from that, this is a really quick-to-read book with charismatic characters, especially Craig's friends. Also, it takes place in the mid-90's. Since I was a teenager around then, I identified a lot with some of the issues, like Craig's parents' rule of no telephones after nine—even though we didn't have one that explicit back home. This nostalgic feeling is something only an older public should be able to enjoy, and that was great. Of course, it's still YA but it did speak to me as well.
I'm recommending this to readers who are after some variety in light-read contemporary YA; there's some drama but nothing too heavy and this was surely entertaining.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment