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bstaats 's review for:
This Is What Happy Looks Like
by Jennifer E. Smith
Sometimes you just need a happy book, one that will pick you up off the ground and set your feet on the ground again. I read This Is What Happy Looks Like while studying for my final law school exams. You know what? No regrets. I wanted a book that would cheer me up, and give me an added jolt of courage.
Jennifer E. Smith's newest book delivered exactly that. Just like there is comfort food, there are comfort books. I began reading this book with that expectation, and I wasn't disappointed. Plus, I really love the movie You've Got Mail which this novel was compared to, so I had to give it a shot!
Reasons to read:
1. Romance in its simplest form:
The love story isn't an overly complicated one, flush with frustrations and problems. It can seem like a number of YA books include more forbidden romance, so this was a welcome change for me from what I typically read. There's something fresh about this simplicity, and I loved that Ellie and Graham were able to recognize this, too.
2. So much more than a love story:
For me, a good romance is just one part of the overall story. I think this is especially true in contemporary books, because too often it seems to me that they focus on the romance and pay very little attention to anything else. The problem with that is that there is the potential to explore so many other ideas, and I love that Jennifer is an author who acknowledges this and incorporates it into her writing. The relationship between Ellie and Graham is incredibly important (and sweet!), but there's so much more to their lives than each other that it was integral to the story that their individual lives be explored as well.
3. Quirky, fun characters:
I loved this SO much. Characters need to stand out to me- from each other, from the setting, and from OTHER characters in OTHER books. Graham and Ellie both have their own unique traits, totally uncommon but real enough for them to be believable characters. Their struggles are honest and completely plausible, but they're still unique people. That's a tricky balance to accomplish, but it's successful here.
By the time I finished reading, however, I couldn't help feeling that it was a bit anti-climatic. The hardcover is over 400 pages, but it still felt short somehow. I think that can be attributed to the ease of reading it, while not having too much actually happen.
I also think it helps to go into this book, knowing that you shouldn't expect anything extraordinary but instead more of a quick, sweet read. Because that's exactly what makes it so enjoyable!
ARC received from HBG Canada for review; no other compensation was received.
Jennifer E. Smith's newest book delivered exactly that. Just like there is comfort food, there are comfort books. I began reading this book with that expectation, and I wasn't disappointed. Plus, I really love the movie You've Got Mail which this novel was compared to, so I had to give it a shot!
Reasons to read:
1. Romance in its simplest form:
The love story isn't an overly complicated one, flush with frustrations and problems. It can seem like a number of YA books include more forbidden romance, so this was a welcome change for me from what I typically read. There's something fresh about this simplicity, and I loved that Ellie and Graham were able to recognize this, too.
2. So much more than a love story:
For me, a good romance is just one part of the overall story. I think this is especially true in contemporary books, because too often it seems to me that they focus on the romance and pay very little attention to anything else. The problem with that is that there is the potential to explore so many other ideas, and I love that Jennifer is an author who acknowledges this and incorporates it into her writing. The relationship between Ellie and Graham is incredibly important (and sweet!), but there's so much more to their lives than each other that it was integral to the story that their individual lives be explored as well.
3. Quirky, fun characters:
I loved this SO much. Characters need to stand out to me- from each other, from the setting, and from OTHER characters in OTHER books. Graham and Ellie both have their own unique traits, totally uncommon but real enough for them to be believable characters. Their struggles are honest and completely plausible, but they're still unique people. That's a tricky balance to accomplish, but it's successful here.
By the time I finished reading, however, I couldn't help feeling that it was a bit anti-climatic. The hardcover is over 400 pages, but it still felt short somehow. I think that can be attributed to the ease of reading it, while not having too much actually happen.
I also think it helps to go into this book, knowing that you shouldn't expect anything extraordinary but instead more of a quick, sweet read. Because that's exactly what makes it so enjoyable!
ARC received from HBG Canada for review; no other compensation was received.