Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.96 AVERAGE
2.96 AVERAGE
Promising story, flat ending and no character growth. Only positive is the Louisiana setting which was great.
At first I thought I would have been put off by the diary entry style of the book, but I enjoyed it. The story varies from entertaining to sad. Although at some points, not that many, it tended to get a little preachy about some things. Nevertheless it was nice way to pass time.
*I received this book through goodreads giveaways*
*I received this book through goodreads giveaways*
This started out as a cute idea. A rich girl, whose guardian is alcoholic and abusive, goes off to college under an assumed name. She wants to live her life as a normal person where she ends up working at a bar and grill called Gumbeaux in New Orleans.
She doesn't ever hide very well. Her uncle finds her, but it seems to be okay. After a while, I became confused with the purpose of her thinking she had run away from home to find a new life, but accepting her uncle back in her life and even accepting the inheritance of her family.
She doesn't ever hide very well. Her uncle finds her, but it seems to be okay. After a while, I became confused with the purpose of her thinking she had run away from home to find a new life, but accepting her uncle back in her life and even accepting the inheritance of her family.
i really enjoyed this. liked the style of writing and the use of diary entires. There is humour and pathos and some rawness in the emotions of Mary Veronica
Three Reasons You Should Stay Far, Far Away From Gumbeaux
1. The Romance First, there's Braden. Braden brings "adventure" to Veronica's oh so bland life, including being way too obsessed with sex. He brings out the worst in Veronica, making her even more snobby towards all her friends. But alas, the relationship continues. Then there's Dr Landry, her art professor at the college she goes to. They don't date while he's her teacher, but he does promise he'll wait for her. And he does, even though she dates Braden for most of her time in college. Cool romance guys. Obviously true love...
2. The Writing This book jumps all over the place, making it so confusing! It's written in diary form, which I guess is unreliable in real life. Artistic licence gives you the right to assume she writes in it every day though. Not Veronica. Oh no, she might forget to write for months at a time, and never bothers to explain what we missed out on. Plus, there's none of that "show not tell" that we all need. It's written very "I saw my uncle. I was shocked." Sometimes, that works for effect. But when the entire book is written like that, it loses the excitement. Sometimes, really good writing can save a shoddy plot. In this case though, the plot and the writing went hand in hand...
3. The Morals Oh wait, what morals? I thought I knew what this book was going to be about; a girl trying to escape her haunting past to find happiness. But it didn't go anywhere! There were a few scenes with her uncle that showed how much Veronica had grown. By the end though, she ended up basically exactly where she started, with an awful romance, and no foreseeable future. She didn't find anything - she stayed exactly the same, as the spoiled brat she really is. When people suffer, I like to see them learn from their role models mistakes. Not this one, though. She made mistake after mistake, and DIDN'T GROW AT THE END OF IT. There was genuinely no purpose to the book, unless you like seeing what life in New Orleans is like.
1. The Romance First, there's Braden. Braden brings "adventure" to Veronica's oh so bland life, including being way too obsessed with sex. He brings out the worst in Veronica, making her even more snobby towards all her friends. But alas, the relationship continues. Then there's Dr Landry, her art professor at the college she goes to. They don't date while he's her teacher, but he does promise he'll wait for her. And he does, even though she dates Braden for most of her time in college. Cool romance guys. Obviously true love...
2. The Writing This book jumps all over the place, making it so confusing! It's written in diary form, which I guess is unreliable in real life. Artistic licence gives you the right to assume she writes in it every day though. Not Veronica. Oh no, she might forget to write for months at a time, and never bothers to explain what we missed out on. Plus, there's none of that "show not tell" that we all need. It's written very "I saw my uncle. I was shocked." Sometimes, that works for effect. But when the entire book is written like that, it loses the excitement. Sometimes, really good writing can save a shoddy plot. In this case though, the plot and the writing went hand in hand...
3. The Morals Oh wait, what morals? I thought I knew what this book was going to be about; a girl trying to escape her haunting past to find happiness. But it didn't go anywhere! There were a few scenes with her uncle that showed how much Veronica had grown. By the end though, she ended up basically exactly where she started, with an awful romance, and no foreseeable future. She didn't find anything - she stayed exactly the same, as the spoiled brat she really is. When people suffer, I like to see them learn from their role models mistakes. Not this one, though. She made mistake after mistake, and DIDN'T GROW AT THE END OF IT. There was genuinely no purpose to the book, unless you like seeing what life in New Orleans is like.
A quick easy read that was easily entertaining and at the same time moving.
Totally out of the ordinary. She is reading as if writing in her journal which I was hesitant to read, but I loved the storyline and characters!
I'm torn between a 3 and a 4 on this one.
"Gumbeaux" is a novel that mixes together elements of a travel narrative, a rom-com, and a coming of age story. Our heroine, Mary, is the heiress to her family's art fortune. Her drunken and abusive uncle attempts to raise Mary (and constrict her life) until she manages to get herself accepted at a college in Louisiana, far from her DC home. In Louisiana, Mary thrives, and has to deal with her career, her relationships, and ultimately, herself.
The book was entertaining and I thought some of the dark elements in Mary's character were intriguing. (A heroine plotting murder? Sign me up!) But at times the book wandered off into Mary Sue wish fulfillment, which grated. In addition, for a book that focuses so heavily on romance, I was actively creeped out by one of the love interests, which put me off the book.
"Gumbeaux" is a novel that mixes together elements of a travel narrative, a rom-com, and a coming of age story. Our heroine, Mary, is the heiress to her family's art fortune. Her drunken and abusive uncle attempts to raise Mary (and constrict her life) until she manages to get herself accepted at a college in Louisiana, far from her DC home. In Louisiana, Mary thrives, and has to deal with her career, her relationships, and ultimately, herself.
The book was entertaining and I thought some of the dark elements in Mary's character were intriguing. (A heroine plotting murder? Sign me up!) But at times the book wandered off into Mary Sue wish fulfillment, which grated. In addition, for a book that focuses so heavily on romance, I was actively creeped out by one of the love interests, which put me off the book.