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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I loved The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, so I decided to pick this one up, especially because I've never read anything about people going on college tours and figured it'd be a light, fun read. Well, Abbi Waxman proved me right. Her writing definitely shows how great her sense of humor is, and I'd love to be her friend! Sometimes authors who write contemporary YA and who are a few years above that age range would make modern references that seem forced or irrelevant, but I think Abbi Waxman did a fantastic job of finding a good balance with that. The character development is definitely there, and I enjoyed reading about Emily's unique interests and refusal to remain ordinary in terms of following a life plan and doing things everyone else wants to do. Emily and Jessica's mother-daughter relationship reminded me a lot of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore's relationship, and that made me super happy because I'm a huge Gilmore Girls fan. Emily and Jessica's witty banter and even their mature arguments with underlying intense emotions about one another as well as their own lives were all done really well. The dual perspective between mother who's trying really hard and teenage daughter who just wants her mom to understand is very relatable, and I'm glad this book exists. My only gripe was the lack of diversity, but I did appreciate when Emily's friend Chloe asked her for "boy updates? girl updates? non binary updates?" instead of stopping at the first question. I enjoyed this book a lot, and it's perfect if you're looking for a quick and fun read!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I could really relate to this story of a woman taking her high school daughter on a week-long college tour. Explores the pitfalls of parent-child communication, achievement pressure and work-life balance (among other topics) in a fun, easy-to-read story.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A really cute mother-daughter story. Waxman shifted perspectives from Emily to Jessica frequently, so that you could see how each saw a particular exchange or situation, and the miscommunications and missed opportunities for connection were so relatable. This author really has a gift with voice, so each character was distinct, and both were witty and likeable.
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this author's writing style and keen character observations. I had high hopes for the book, as it has a road trip of sorts. (I love a good road trip story.) However, the plot fell a little flat for me.
I did enjoy the author's voice enough that I am looking forward to reading her other books, of which I have heard positive reviews.
I did enjoy the author's voice enough that I am looking forward to reading her other books, of which I have heard positive reviews.