Review: Quit while you're ahead
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 27, 2013
- 3.5 stars -In the beginning, everything looked like this was going to be a 5 star read. Only a few pages into the book I already felt captured by the characters, by the story and totally fell in love with Walter. His character was the most fun, I totally enjoyed reading about his cockshure behaviour, his aplomb. And while this outward self-confidence hides deeper going insecurities and a s*** family life, you can't but not like him.It's safe to say that Kelly, an allergy-ridden, babied by his mother, insecure virgin and freshman, is the total opposite of Walter. Even though I'd usually say something like "NO WAY is going somebody like Walter, a "casanova" in every aspect, going for a kid like Kelly", I must say that the attraction and chemistry was totally believable, even palpable. And the USTing was simply delicious.So, the first half, possibly 60%, of the book were great, really. It helps that I was in the mood for exactly a story like this.There's a German saying: "Hör auf, wenn es am schönsten ist." It can be translated with "Quit while you're ahead.", though that isn't the literal translation. Literally, it'd rather mean "Quit when it's best." And here, that moment, the best one to stop and end the book, the "goal" wasn't just missed, it was passed by by miles and then circuited several times on top of that.So, while I couldn't get enough of the book the first half - ⅔, wanted it to never end, the last part dragged and dragged (and dragged some more). And I found myself skimming parts and pages, wishing all the while for the book to finally, finally stop.That is why the former 5 stars soon lost one star, and I must admit that in the end I was so annoyed that another one had to go as well. Ok, maybe not a whole other star, but half of one, at least.Which is a total shame, because the book really started out good, and was totally adorable for the better part with absolutely great characterisations, but I honestly can't give 4 stars to a book in which I skimmed pages, that left me annoyed and bored. It wouldn't be fair to all my other 3 and 4 star ratings, so. Yeah. That's why only 3.5 stars.