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hnbb's review against another edition
4.0
Life calmed down enough that I was able to pick this up and read it. It was a quick and enjoyable read. I really liked all the Vegas references since I knew what the author was talking about. Also, I liked that she owned the Shakespeare/Romeo and Juliet comparison. That made it even more fun. I could have done with a bit more description of characters besides Dax. I had a hard time picturing anyone except him.
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
Lindsey Leavitt is an auto-buy author for me. If she writes it, I will read it. No one does quite what she does in the realm of contemporary fiction, writing realistic stories that deal with hard issues but manage to maintain a lighter tone and feel. The Chapel Wars tackles some harder topics than her previous work, but is still a light quick read and is full of the little snatches of wisdom I have come to appreciate in her books. She is eminently quotable.
This review is of an ARC received from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
Holly is a fascinating main character. She is a math whiz and worked hard to get into a special magnet school where she could concentrate on business management even in high school. Her friends are all guys with the exception of her best friend Sam's girlfriend, who Holly mostly just tolerates. Her family life is not optimal. Her parents are recently divorced leaving her brother in a constant state of angry rebellion and Holly confused. But Holly finds feelings messy. She pushes them down and doesn't face them or release them. They are not neat and controlled like math equations. When her grandfather dies, she inherits an almost bankrupt business, and meets an attractive boy who happens to be from the enemy chapel across the parking lot, Holly finds her tightly controlled existence spiraling out of her control. I liked how this affected her. She makes some choices and responds in some ways that are not healthy and won't make a lot of sense to people who thrive on emotion, but her responses are highly realistic. Dax is even more flawed than Holly. I don't think Leavitt has ever written a hero as deeply flawed as Dax. He has experienced a lot of tragedy in the past year. Tragedy he is responsible for. He is working out a lot of his issues over this still, and on more than one occasion chooses to drown them in alcohol. He isn't drinking enough to have a problem yet, but it's obvious he's on his way if he doesn't change something up. There are many aspects to Holly and Dax's interactions that would indicate she should be wary, yet there are equally as many aspects that point to Dax being exactly what Holly needs. Again, I enjoyed the realism in this. Holly is wary, but she also sees the good in him and is willing to give him a chance. This is by far the most complicated relationship dynamic Leavitt has written and I think it works well for the story she is telling. I enjoyed how their relationship developed over time, but there was a definite irresistible attraction between the two of them. I particularly love how Holly assessed their situation on their second date:
We glowed at each other. Beamed. Radiated. I did not know that like could be like this. Like love, just not fully realized. I did not love this boy, because to love someone is to know them. But every moment I was with him made me happy, and every moment I wasn't with him, a small piece of me wondered where he was and what he was doing, like there was a satellite in our hearts.
As in all Leavitt's books, family dynamics play a large role in the story. Holly was incredibly close to her grandfather and is devastated by his death. She then has to jump into running his business, much to the irritation of her father and her grandfather's assistant. And she is fighting a losing battle. They owe more money than they have and could possibly earn in the three months Holly has to turn things around. Grieving someone under such circumstances is not the best of scenarios. Holly must also contend with her family's fractured dynamics. Again Leavitt excels at writing a great sibling story here between Holly and her younger brother James. James is angry and not hiding it. His behavior is moving rapidly toward delinquent in order to get attention. He is also fiercely loyal and protective of his sister and a piano prodigy. I adored every interaction between James and Holly and the interactions between James and Dax. Holly's best friend, Sam, and his girlfriend, Camille, are also important characters. Camille and Holly grow closer as the story unfolds, Camille helping Holly and becoming a confidant. At the same time, Camille and Sam have their own problems.
There are a lot of characters and much is happening to all of them, and yet Leavitt managed to make them all feel so real. Everything that occurs, makes perfect sense and the story never feels weighed down or too much. My one quibble with the story is that Dax's drinking wasn't taken quite seriously enough, like it was excusable because he is a nice guy even when drunk. However, Holly's reactions are believable and her siblings and friends do caution her so I can't see this as a major problem.
I think this is Leavitt's most ambitious novel yet in terms of character development and realistic hard situations. While I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Going Vintage, it is very close. Anyone who loves Leavitt's other books should definitely check this one out. And if you haven't experienced her unique brand of contemporary fiction, this is a wonderful novel to start with.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher, Bloomsbury Children US, at ALA Midwinter. The Chapel Wars is available for purchase May 6.
Lindsey Leavitt is an auto-buy author for me. If she writes it, I will read it. No one does quite what she does in the realm of contemporary fiction, writing realistic stories that deal with hard issues but manage to maintain a lighter tone and feel. The Chapel Wars tackles some harder topics than her previous work, but is still a light quick read and is full of the little snatches of wisdom I have come to appreciate in her books. She is eminently quotable.
This review is of an ARC received from the publisher in exchange for a fair review.
Holly is a fascinating main character. She is a math whiz and worked hard to get into a special magnet school where she could concentrate on business management even in high school. Her friends are all guys with the exception of her best friend Sam's girlfriend, who Holly mostly just tolerates. Her family life is not optimal. Her parents are recently divorced leaving her brother in a constant state of angry rebellion and Holly confused. But Holly finds feelings messy. She pushes them down and doesn't face them or release them. They are not neat and controlled like math equations. When her grandfather dies, she inherits an almost bankrupt business, and meets an attractive boy who happens to be from the enemy chapel across the parking lot, Holly finds her tightly controlled existence spiraling out of her control. I liked how this affected her. She makes some choices and responds in some ways that are not healthy and won't make a lot of sense to people who thrive on emotion, but her responses are highly realistic. Dax is even more flawed than Holly. I don't think Leavitt has ever written a hero as deeply flawed as Dax. He has experienced a lot of tragedy in the past year. Tragedy he is responsible for. He is working out a lot of his issues over this still, and on more than one occasion chooses to drown them in alcohol. He isn't drinking enough to have a problem yet, but it's obvious he's on his way if he doesn't change something up. There are many aspects to Holly and Dax's interactions that would indicate she should be wary, yet there are equally as many aspects that point to Dax being exactly what Holly needs. Again, I enjoyed the realism in this. Holly is wary, but she also sees the good in him and is willing to give him a chance. This is by far the most complicated relationship dynamic Leavitt has written and I think it works well for the story she is telling. I enjoyed how their relationship developed over time, but there was a definite irresistible attraction between the two of them. I particularly love how Holly assessed their situation on their second date:
We glowed at each other. Beamed. Radiated. I did not know that like could be like this. Like love, just not fully realized. I did not love this boy, because to love someone is to know them. But every moment I was with him made me happy, and every moment I wasn't with him, a small piece of me wondered where he was and what he was doing, like there was a satellite in our hearts.
As in all Leavitt's books, family dynamics play a large role in the story. Holly was incredibly close to her grandfather and is devastated by his death. She then has to jump into running his business, much to the irritation of her father and her grandfather's assistant. And she is fighting a losing battle. They owe more money than they have and could possibly earn in the three months Holly has to turn things around. Grieving someone under such circumstances is not the best of scenarios. Holly must also contend with her family's fractured dynamics. Again Leavitt excels at writing a great sibling story here between Holly and her younger brother James. James is angry and not hiding it. His behavior is moving rapidly toward delinquent in order to get attention. He is also fiercely loyal and protective of his sister and a piano prodigy. I adored every interaction between James and Holly and the interactions between James and Dax. Holly's best friend, Sam, and his girlfriend, Camille, are also important characters. Camille and Holly grow closer as the story unfolds, Camille helping Holly and becoming a confidant. At the same time, Camille and Sam have their own problems.
There are a lot of characters and much is happening to all of them, and yet Leavitt managed to make them all feel so real. Everything that occurs, makes perfect sense and the story never feels weighed down or too much. My one quibble with the story is that Dax's drinking wasn't taken quite seriously enough, like it was excusable because he is a nice guy even when drunk. However, Holly's reactions are believable and her siblings and friends do caution her so I can't see this as a major problem.
I think this is Leavitt's most ambitious novel yet in terms of character development and realistic hard situations. While I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Going Vintage, it is very close. Anyone who loves Leavitt's other books should definitely check this one out. And if you haven't experienced her unique brand of contemporary fiction, this is a wonderful novel to start with.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher, Bloomsbury Children US, at ALA Midwinter. The Chapel Wars is available for purchase May 6.
nagam's review against another edition
3.0
Review originally posted on Rather Be Reading
So you know when you think something is a really awesome concept, but then there’s just a little bit of spark that’s lacking to make it perfect? Essentially, that’s what I walked away from The Chapel Wars feeling. Set in Las Vegas, Holly’s grandfather passes away and she inherits his the wedding chapel he’s lovingly owned and operated. While others (particularly the one across the parking lot) have sold out to commercialize weddings and take theatrics to the extreme, Holly’s grandfather stayed true to his vision of weddings by trying to appeal to the elegant Las Vegas bride. What Holly and her family didn’t realize was the debt her grandfather was in and the race Holly must enter to keep them afloat, all while secretly falling in love with the competition’s grandson and facing an imminent deadline.
The chapel is passed down to Holly because she’s a go-getter who is obsessed with numbers. She’s a problem solver; if anyone’s going to save the chapel, it will be her. Her father is a little spacey and her mother lacks the passion. Holly really struggles with everyone taking her seriously and finding a balance between modernizing the chapel and falling into the money-trap that is Vegas by offering themed weddings and Elvis. The owner of the chapel across the parking lot had a long-withstanding war with her grandfather, and he’d like nothing more than to see Holly’s chapel crash and burn. But his grandson, Dax, enters the picture right around the time of Holly’s grandpa’s funeral. And Holly has a letter she’s been instructed to give him.
Dax and Holly have an instant attraction, but she feels like she’s cheating on her family if she pursues a relationship with him. Thus begins this whirlwind courtship that involves lots of sneaking around, secret dates, and stolen kisses between the chapels. As much as I enjoy seeing characters overcome obstacles, the relationship with Dax and Holly often felt rushed and a little forced. Coupled with the pacing feeling a little off and and an imbalance between the focus on the relationship, chapel, and Holly’s family problems, I always felt intrigued by what the outcome might be, but I didn’t feel invested. (I felt so distanced from Holly that at times I even felt myself not remembering her name.)
I applaud Leavitt for trying to give us more than just a slice of the pie by including multiple aspects of Holly’s life, but some details felt like nibbles when I really wanted to dissect the entire slice. Holly felt distant and difficult to connect to; she’s a very unemotional character who had a lot of barriers that, while intended to keep Dax at a distance, negatively impacted how attached I was to her. When Holly finally begins to loosen up and release some of her tension, her quick judgments felt out-of-character and that really made me feel like her actions were being manipulated for the intention of moving the story along.
If you’re looking to read your first book by Leavitt, I definitely recommend you begin with Sean Griswold’s Head; both Estelle and I have nothing but good things to say for it!
So you know when you think something is a really awesome concept, but then there’s just a little bit of spark that’s lacking to make it perfect? Essentially, that’s what I walked away from The Chapel Wars feeling. Set in Las Vegas, Holly’s grandfather passes away and she inherits his the wedding chapel he’s lovingly owned and operated. While others (particularly the one across the parking lot) have sold out to commercialize weddings and take theatrics to the extreme, Holly’s grandfather stayed true to his vision of weddings by trying to appeal to the elegant Las Vegas bride. What Holly and her family didn’t realize was the debt her grandfather was in and the race Holly must enter to keep them afloat, all while secretly falling in love with the competition’s grandson and facing an imminent deadline.
The chapel is passed down to Holly because she’s a go-getter who is obsessed with numbers. She’s a problem solver; if anyone’s going to save the chapel, it will be her. Her father is a little spacey and her mother lacks the passion. Holly really struggles with everyone taking her seriously and finding a balance between modernizing the chapel and falling into the money-trap that is Vegas by offering themed weddings and Elvis. The owner of the chapel across the parking lot had a long-withstanding war with her grandfather, and he’d like nothing more than to see Holly’s chapel crash and burn. But his grandson, Dax, enters the picture right around the time of Holly’s grandpa’s funeral. And Holly has a letter she’s been instructed to give him.
Dax and Holly have an instant attraction, but she feels like she’s cheating on her family if she pursues a relationship with him. Thus begins this whirlwind courtship that involves lots of sneaking around, secret dates, and stolen kisses between the chapels. As much as I enjoy seeing characters overcome obstacles, the relationship with Dax and Holly often felt rushed and a little forced. Coupled with the pacing feeling a little off and and an imbalance between the focus on the relationship, chapel, and Holly’s family problems, I always felt intrigued by what the outcome might be, but I didn’t feel invested. (I felt so distanced from Holly that at times I even felt myself not remembering her name.)
I applaud Leavitt for trying to give us more than just a slice of the pie by including multiple aspects of Holly’s life, but some details felt like nibbles when I really wanted to dissect the entire slice. Holly felt distant and difficult to connect to; she’s a very unemotional character who had a lot of barriers that, while intended to keep Dax at a distance, negatively impacted how attached I was to her. When Holly finally begins to loosen up and release some of her tension, her quick judgments felt out-of-character and that really made me feel like her actions were being manipulated for the intention of moving the story along.
If you’re looking to read your first book by Leavitt, I definitely recommend you begin with Sean Griswold’s Head; both Estelle and I have nothing but good things to say for it!
girlinthepages's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book. I’ve had my eye on it for a few months prior to publication and it sounded so cute, and I was really interested to see how the Vegas setting would function from the perspectives of locals rather than tourists, especially locals that are behind the business of notorious Vegas wedding chapels. I thought it would be the perfect summer read. Unfortunately, this book really disappointed me despite the fact that its setting seemed unique for the YA contemporary genre.
My primary issue with this book is that the characters were all very stereotypical. Holly, the protagonist, finds it hard to relate to girls and is a bit of an alternative girl or tomboy (super short hair, only wears dark colors, eyebrow ring, etc) and her group of guy friends come off as really macho and annoying. For instance, she explicitly states how she likes hanging out with them because they never talk about feelings and learned sports statistics so she could better “fit in with the guys.” On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are few female characters aside form Holly and they are also rather negatively stereotypically portrayed, as they are all someone’s (ex)wife/lover/girlfriend, and Camille, the only other teenage female character aside from Holly, is a stereotypical girly-girl who jumps at the chance for “girl talk” and gives Holly advice about fashion and boys. None of these characteristics are inherently wrong, it’s just disappointing to see each character so constrained by their gender stereotypes.
My secondary issue with the book was (in my opinion) a bad case of “insta-love.” (Mild spoilers ahead). So going into this book, readers know that this is a romance between two teenagers from rival chapels. It’s also a relatively short book. So obviously their courtship is not going to be the longest or the most drawn out. But by the second time Holly meets Dax, she is already mooning over him and internally dialoguing about how hot he is (which is really out of character for her in the first place since so much time is spent establishing how non-girly she is and how she’s never been in serious “like” or love), how she likes his facial hair stubble, etc. She shows almost no reluctance and is making out with him by their first “date” (which was mainly accidental) and says things like Dax’s kisses make her forget that she even cares about saving her deceased grandfather’s chapel in the first place. It really annoys me when protagonists say think such thoughts (in which nothing else matters besides the male) even if they’re describing a fleeting moment, especially when they’ve only known said guy a few days or weeks tops. It almost turned the book into a DNF for me.
I gave this book two stars because I liked Holly’s role as an entrepreneur and I liked reading about the history of the chapels and the back stories of the couples who chose to be married in them (it was nice to see some people have non-tacky drive through weddings in Vegas, and actually have cute, quaint, meaningful ceremonies). It’s also interesting to see Holly struggle with the integrity of her grandfather’s traditional chapel over the Vegas gimmicks, and the fate of the chapel takes a truly surprising turn at the end. I’ve seen a lot of readers compare Leavitt’s writing to Sarah Dessen, but to me the comparison is not an accurate one. However, I’ve heard good things about Leavitt’s Going Vintage which I picked up at the Scholastic Warehouse Sale, and am willing to give her another chance.
What I Liked:
-Learning about historical Vegas landmarks and about the Vegas wedding industry
What I Didn’t Care For:
- The stereotypical and polarized portrayal of gender roles
- Insta-love!
Would I Recommend This Book: No
Overall: This book has an interesting setting and what could be a unique plot, but falls short of the mark by succumbing to insta-love, stereotypical characters, and underwhelming writing.
My primary issue with this book is that the characters were all very stereotypical. Holly, the protagonist, finds it hard to relate to girls and is a bit of an alternative girl or tomboy (super short hair, only wears dark colors, eyebrow ring, etc) and her group of guy friends come off as really macho and annoying. For instance, she explicitly states how she likes hanging out with them because they never talk about feelings and learned sports statistics so she could better “fit in with the guys.” On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are few female characters aside form Holly and they are also rather negatively stereotypically portrayed, as they are all someone’s (ex)wife/lover/girlfriend, and Camille, the only other teenage female character aside from Holly, is a stereotypical girly-girl who jumps at the chance for “girl talk” and gives Holly advice about fashion and boys. None of these characteristics are inherently wrong, it’s just disappointing to see each character so constrained by their gender stereotypes.
My secondary issue with the book was (in my opinion) a bad case of “insta-love.” (Mild spoilers ahead). So going into this book, readers know that this is a romance between two teenagers from rival chapels. It’s also a relatively short book. So obviously their courtship is not going to be the longest or the most drawn out. But by the second time Holly meets Dax, she is already mooning over him and internally dialoguing about how hot he is (which is really out of character for her in the first place since so much time is spent establishing how non-girly she is and how she’s never been in serious “like” or love), how she likes his facial hair stubble, etc. She shows almost no reluctance and is making out with him by their first “date” (which was mainly accidental) and says things like Dax’s kisses make her forget that she even cares about saving her deceased grandfather’s chapel in the first place. It really annoys me when protagonists say think such thoughts (in which nothing else matters besides the male) even if they’re describing a fleeting moment, especially when they’ve only known said guy a few days or weeks tops. It almost turned the book into a DNF for me.
I gave this book two stars because I liked Holly’s role as an entrepreneur and I liked reading about the history of the chapels and the back stories of the couples who chose to be married in them (it was nice to see some people have non-tacky drive through weddings in Vegas, and actually have cute, quaint, meaningful ceremonies). It’s also interesting to see Holly struggle with the integrity of her grandfather’s traditional chapel over the Vegas gimmicks, and the fate of the chapel takes a truly surprising turn at the end. I’ve seen a lot of readers compare Leavitt’s writing to Sarah Dessen, but to me the comparison is not an accurate one. However, I’ve heard good things about Leavitt’s Going Vintage which I picked up at the Scholastic Warehouse Sale, and am willing to give her another chance.
What I Liked:
-Learning about historical Vegas landmarks and about the Vegas wedding industry
What I Didn’t Care For:
- The stereotypical and polarized portrayal of gender roles
- Insta-love!
Would I Recommend This Book: No
Overall: This book has an interesting setting and what could be a unique plot, but falls short of the mark by succumbing to insta-love, stereotypical characters, and underwhelming writing.
papalbina's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
holly is a great main character, pretty cool, intelligent, slightly ocd and funny, although it was hard to picture her as 16-year-old. she sounded too mature for 16 (18 or 19 i would not have had problems accepting it, though).
about the rest of characters i don't have a completely made-up opinion, but i can say that i did like dax, james and camille. i did like also the setting in las vegas, even when it is a city i hated as a tourist, it's nice to see other side of it.
my only big but with the book is the ending. it felt rushed, not complete, a bit too open for my taste. it's ok to know how holly and dax ended but everything came too quick (and i'm talking precisely about the last chapter).
holly is a great main character, pretty cool, intelligent, slightly ocd and funny, although it was hard to picture her as 16-year-old. she sounded too mature for 16 (18 or 19 i would not have had problems accepting it, though).
about the rest of characters i don't have a completely made-up opinion, but i can say that i did like dax, james and camille. i did like also the setting in las vegas, even when it is a city i hated as a tourist, it's nice to see other side of it.
my only big but with the book is the ending. it felt rushed, not complete, a bit too open for my taste. it's ok to know how holly and dax ended but everything came too quick (and i'm talking precisely about the last chapter).
shayokay's review against another edition
3.0
There was something about this that was so readable, even though I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary romance. I can't articulate why I like it so much, but I do.
joyousreads132's review against another edition
4.0
Daxworth Carnston had me reaching for my bottle of smelling salts on numerous occasions. That's kind of embarrassing to admit, but hey. What's a girl to do?
trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
"We're all messed up," I said. "I like life is just about finding the right people to be messed up with."
I read the synopsis of this book and just thought 'meh' - it didn't really stand out to me. Couple that with the cover and I wasn't too excited but willing to give it a try.
I'm so glad I did.
This is an adorable story about dreams and goals and numbers but also love and expectation and the messy reality that is life. It doesn't all end well, people die and divorces happen and you never get to answer the question "Why?"
Holly is a numbers girls and always has tight control. Dax is the unknown boy next door. But her grandpa wrote a letter to him for her to deliver.
and thus the story begins. It's an adorable tale. I giggled, I was sad, happy, and completely taken in by this family and this story. They are quirky and odd, but worth every page turn. I hope you enjoy it too!
I read the synopsis of this book and just thought 'meh' - it didn't really stand out to me. Couple that with the cover and I wasn't too excited but willing to give it a try.
I'm so glad I did.
This is an adorable story about dreams and goals and numbers but also love and expectation and the messy reality that is life. It doesn't all end well, people die and divorces happen and you never get to answer the question "Why?"
Holly is a numbers girls and always has tight control. Dax is the unknown boy next door. But her grandpa wrote a letter to him for her to deliver.
and thus the story begins. It's an adorable tale. I giggled, I was sad, happy, and completely taken in by this family and this story. They are quirky and odd, but worth every page turn. I hope you enjoy it too!