Tell Me Three Things- A Book Review
I am a sucker for a typical teen romance book. A setting where the main character has endured some type of traumatic event and is now facing a life with a new set of challenges, sign me up. Does that character seem to also find another person, perhaps a potential romantic interest who is going to help them along the way and then they will fall deeply madly in lust/love? I'm in. Perhaps it will all fall apart in some horrific way. I am ready to be hurt. The author of Tell Me Three Things, Julie Buxbaum did not disappoint.
Quick synopsis: Damaged teen Jessie Holmes and her father make their way to Los Angeles, California to start their new life. Her dad elopes and then completely uproots them from their life and home in Chicago. Jessie is of course caught off guard because her and her father were both still grieving for the passing of her mother, who died a couple years before after a horrible battle with cancer. Quickly Jessie must adapt to her new life, home, high school, and finds herself an outcast among the rich kids at her new school. She receives an email after her first day from someone claiming to be of service to her as she navigates this new world. They are soon friends and emailing/IMing on a daily basis. Jessie finds herself adapting to her new surroundings and new life, but her mystery friend remains anonymous for most of the novel. They finally decide to meet and Jessie's mind is filled with the possibility of several swoon worthy guys that she's met at school over the past couple months. Her biggest hope is that he turns out to be the guy she's been lusting after, but she isn't quite sure who this mystery guy is up until the first time they meet. Will it be love? Will she have to reject this guy? Is someone at the school playing a huge horrible prank?
My thoughts...
If I've learned anything from reading your typical YA book, it is this... I am always captivated by a quick and easy read. I love the fact that often the plots, settings, characters, and dialog all have a sense of familiarity to them. There is something to be said for following a template or format. It works. Each time I read one of these books, I find myself entertained, which is really the point.
This book did not disappoint. More recently these types of books have all included some form of social media or electronic communication embedded into the story line. The characters are texting, blogging, using social media, emailing etc. I don't think it detracts from the story in any way, and in this instance the plot itself relied heavily on this type of communication.
If you're someone who is particularly captivated by quirky characters, girls who were beautiful all along and they just didn't realize it, and some friend/family drama, then this is the book for you. Yes, it was in a sense predictable and the author threw in a few twists here and there. Overall, it was pretty evident which way the plot would go.
The ending was also exactly what I expected, but it also felt like it ended a little bit abruptly. It made sense that it ended because the entire book was built up and around the point of the ending, but still I found myself wanting more. Maybe just another chapter. Then again that may have ruined the book.
I would definitely recommend it, if this is your type of book/read. If you like something with a bit more bite to the plot, then this is likely too simplistic for you.
Quick synopsis: Damaged teen Jessie Holmes and her father make their way to Los Angeles, California to start their new life. Her dad elopes and then completely uproots them from their life and home in Chicago. Jessie is of course caught off guard because her and her father were both still grieving for the passing of her mother, who died a couple years before after a horrible battle with cancer. Quickly Jessie must adapt to her new life, home, high school, and finds herself an outcast among the rich kids at her new school. She receives an email after her first day from someone claiming to be of service to her as she navigates this new world. They are soon friends and emailing/IMing on a daily basis. Jessie finds herself adapting to her new surroundings and new life, but her mystery friend remains anonymous for most of the novel. They finally decide to meet and Jessie's mind is filled with the possibility of several swoon worthy guys that she's met at school over the past couple months. Her biggest hope is that he turns out to be the guy she's been lusting after, but she isn't quite sure who this mystery guy is up until the first time they meet. Will it be love? Will she have to reject this guy? Is someone at the school playing a huge horrible prank?
My thoughts...
If I've learned anything from reading your typical YA book, it is this... I am always captivated by a quick and easy read. I love the fact that often the plots, settings, characters, and dialog all have a sense of familiarity to them. There is something to be said for following a template or format. It works. Each time I read one of these books, I find myself entertained, which is really the point.
This book did not disappoint. More recently these types of books have all included some form of social media or electronic communication embedded into the story line. The characters are texting, blogging, using social media, emailing etc. I don't think it detracts from the story in any way, and in this instance the plot itself relied heavily on this type of communication.
If you're someone who is particularly captivated by quirky characters, girls who were beautiful all along and they just didn't realize it, and some friend/family drama, then this is the book for you. Yes, it was in a sense predictable and the author threw in a few twists here and there. Overall, it was pretty evident which way the plot would go.
The ending was also exactly what I expected, but it also felt like it ended a little bit abruptly. It made sense that it ended because the entire book was built up and around the point of the ending, but still I found myself wanting more. Maybe just another chapter. Then again that may have ruined the book.
I would definitely recommend it, if this is your type of book/read. If you like something with a bit more bite to the plot, then this is likely too simplistic for you.
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