Review: Barreling ahead with brash confidence!!!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 25, 2013
Oh boy! What a very different book! It's hard for me to know what to say, so I'll go ahead.There are many forces that pull me, into different directions.The positive: this work is very original. I've never seen a book like this - combining the game of cricket with dozens of sexual repartees and blow-by-blow accounts bouncing back and forth between the two "games."  There is no shame in this book, which makes it endearing and honest.  Although she's as deep as a coat of paint, the titular character, Gabriella, is so brash, so commanding, that compared to her, everyone else seems to be snivelling, at her beck and command.  We laugh along with her, and are fascinated by her over-the-top personality.Chivers is my favourite character in the book.  He knows his place, he is loyal to everyone, and he doesn't care what people think of him.  He plays the role of servant perfectly.The squeamish: this story is positively dripping with innuendo, which I'd admit is necessary for this story, as it propels the book forward; in fact, the book blasts off like a rocket.  Some of the sexual tastes of the characters fall in the "icky" category, so I shuddered and kept reading.  This story is so totally unrealistic, which could probably put this more squarely into the "humour" category.  It's brash, it's loud, and it's shameless.So, if you like a bit of a shocking read, blasting ahead on full throttle, and have an open mind, go plunge forward into this book!  You'll never forget this book - and in a good way.