Review: Emotionally Intense Story
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 27, 2013
I loved the intensity of the book and the emotion within the characters. Although most of us will probably never meet and fall in love with a millionaire-especially at 16, I can remember the intensity of emotion and the idea that everything would work out no matter what. I think Angela personifies that young attitude very well. Simon, on the other hand, had already dealt with more than he could handle in his few years. He was already left on his own for the most part and he had no idea how to handle the stress and the seriousness of the situation in which he found himself. However, Angel made things better for him and he at least tried to do the right things. I can't imagine being under the age of 18 and finding out that I would literally lose myself well before I ever thought I would. I didn't always agree with his choices, but I did understand them and I loved the fact that there was at least one person who tried to understand and love him regardless of it all. Throughout, I felt for both Angel and Simon and although I wasn't surprised with the ending, I did think it was a fitting one. The only thing I did have difficulty with was dealing with some of the phrasing and wording. I did keep in mind though that this was set in another country so it didn't hold me back much at all.I read other reviews of the book once I finished reading it and I was a bit surprised by some of them. Those who think that teens don't drink and have sex on a regular basis are dead wrong. No, not all teens do this, but there are a lot who do. If we look around at the teens in the tabloids, you can easily see that money and celebrity often lead to having more access to drugs and alcohol. Additionally, I think we have to remember that this book was written outside of a U.S. culture altogether so attitudes may be different than what we may expect when it comes to these things and marriage at a young age. Personally, I didn't find that much unrealistic about the book other than maybe the millionaire boy part, but I do understand that we will all have differing opinions.Overall, I truly enjoyed the book and the writing style. I had no difficulty connecting with any of the characters-except maybe Cassie and Jamie-who made me slightly crazy, but I think that was the idea.*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.