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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Abysmal. As a travel memoir you’d think the main character (and author) would at least be likable. Nope. This story is about a girl who is barely recovered from a complete mental break down yet feels she is above everyone else. She makes fun of people who don’t know the philosophical history of the places she visits and looks down upon people less “worldly”. She set up a dating profile and would only look at men with PhDs. This book drips with pretentiousness.
I really thought this was going to be more exciting than it was. It was hard to pay attention through her monotone storytelling during the audiobook so if you decide to read it, read it. It might be more thrilling to read as it is a story about travel and adventure and I could picture myself in her shoes throughout the book but I didn't so much feel the adventure and fun in her voice.
The idea of taking such a long trip with a fresh new boyfriend and with no baggage was interesting. But the details about her life and her depression seemed disjointed and didn't fit into the travel sections.
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
I read this title specifically for the "travel memoir" criteria for Read Harder.
The premise of this book is wild: Bensen and her pseudo boyfriend plan to travel the world with literally no baggage. The only items they bring fit on their bodies.
I was initially drawn into Bensen's writing and her honesty regarding a mental health setback she had that led her to travel in the first place. However, once she was writing about travel, I found my mind wandering. Often times at different locations she would delve into ancient history which, while interesting, distracted me from the present day. Plus, she kept hinting at relationship events that never seemed to come to fruition.
The premise of this book is wild: Bensen and her pseudo boyfriend plan to travel the world with literally no baggage. The only items they bring fit on their bodies.
I was initially drawn into Bensen's writing and her honesty regarding a mental health setback she had that led her to travel in the first place. However, once she was writing about travel, I found my mind wandering. Often times at different locations she would delve into ancient history which, while interesting, distracted me from the present day. Plus, she kept hinting at relationship events that never seemed to come to fruition.
This is a couple who did something I would never even consider doing, but the story was still very interesting to read. Maybe even consider in the future my trips don't have to be so thought out...
Would you spend 21 days in Europe, with no clear plan, and no baggage? Clara Bensen did just that...with her new boyfriend, found thru an online dating service...right after she's come out of a major depression. The grandmother in me wanted to shake her...the reader kept going to see if she continues her recovery.
One dress, two changes of underwear, a toothbrush...and her passport.
The book is two kinds of travelogue...one, the trip itself, but the other, the more compelling, is her travelogue thru her own mental illness and her recovery. I rooted for this girl to right the ship, and to find her worth. i cared about her.
For me, neither travelogue was riveting. My major question was 'would these two strangers be together at the end of the trip?' And I did get that answer.
Another book to add to the collection of 'living with mental illness--living through mental illness.'
One dress, two changes of underwear, a toothbrush...and her passport.
The book is two kinds of travelogue...one, the trip itself, but the other, the more compelling, is her travelogue thru her own mental illness and her recovery. I rooted for this girl to right the ship, and to find her worth. i cared about her.
For me, neither travelogue was riveting. My major question was 'would these two strangers be together at the end of the trip?' And I did get that answer.
Another book to add to the collection of 'living with mental illness--living through mental illness.'
Cute idea, okay writing but not really my personal taste.
I really enjoyed the plot idea, of meeting someone and very shortly after that deciding to just go on a trip with them.
It's crazy, it's something I know I will never ever do, so I of course want to read about it.
And Bensen has a pretty good writing style, but she is constantly losing focus on g about herself and the travel and what she is feeling and thinking and starts to drown on about her boyfriend. Which is fine. But not something I really love to read about. Especially since I didn't really get a good feel for the boyfriend throughout the entire story.
It's still a cute and easy to read story and definelty worth a read if you are someone like me and know you will never, ever, ever!, go on a competley unplanned trip without packing or planing, because it will certainly give you a new view into traveling that you will never experience otherwise.
Kudos to the author for being that brave and thanks for sharing that experience with the readers.
*thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for giving me a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a free and honest review.*
I really enjoyed the plot idea, of meeting someone and very shortly after that deciding to just go on a trip with them.
It's crazy, it's something I know I will never ever do, so I of course want to read about it.
And Bensen has a pretty good writing style, but she is constantly losing focus on g about herself and the travel and what she is feeling and thinking and starts to drown on about her boyfriend. Which is fine. But not something I really love to read about. Especially since I didn't really get a good feel for the boyfriend throughout the entire story.
It's still a cute and easy to read story and definelty worth a read if you are someone like me and know you will never, ever, ever!, go on a competley unplanned trip without packing or planing, because it will certainly give you a new view into traveling that you will never experience otherwise.
Kudos to the author for being that brave and thanks for sharing that experience with the readers.
*thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for giving me a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a free and honest review.*
While the idea of traveling by the seat of your pants, or dress as the case might be, was interesting to me, the author's unexpectedly candid weaving of a description of her severe mental breakdown the two years prior throughout the book was especially noteworthy. A recommended read even if you think the entire concept of such a trip sounds horrid.
The closest a book's been to 4 stars in a while for me.
While not revolutionary nor unique, it's an interesting tale of travel and a strong rumination on life, love, and mental illness. Maybe it particularly resonates with me because I too will similarly embark on a European trip (though similarities of trips end there); maybe it's her quarter-life crisis I understand all too well; or maybe it's her quiet, observatory nature and strokes of human descriptions that I enjoy the most.
While not revolutionary nor unique, it's an interesting tale of travel and a strong rumination on life, love, and mental illness. Maybe it particularly resonates with me because I too will similarly embark on a European trip (though similarities of trips end there); maybe it's her quarter-life crisis I understand all too well; or maybe it's her quiet, observatory nature and strokes of human descriptions that I enjoy the most.