Review: a feel good
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 22, 2011
There are several moments, in this book, where the reader's ability to suspend disbelief is a little stretched but all in all this short novel provides fun and heartwarming feelings throughout.A little more effort and it could have been really good while, as it is, some serious flaws have to be pointed out.First there is a marked change in pace between the first part (up to the characters' first days in Oregon) and the second one, the first being better, richer in details and revealing dialogues, the second looking definitely hurried, as if the author realised the book was going to exceed the forseen length and cut had to be made: so  much more the pity because, had the second part been as good as the first, this would be a five star review.Even more the pity because in the first part the author introduces the characters to us while in the second one s/he should be making them evolve, grow up, adapt and progress. I was sorry because I felt cheated of the emotional development I was looking forward to: several times I just scratched my head thinking how more lengthy and satisfying a confrontation could have been. This is of course ever truer for the -happy- ending that felt really hurried and would not let my emotional steam out. The potentially sensational side character of Angel's mother felt just thrown there in the last pages, a waste as she could have been a real asset for the story.That the second part is lacking also compromises the way we cherish Angel and Brandon, the two mains. Brandon feels a little stereotyped, a little distant. We never catch more than quick glimpses of his soul. Angel was a difficult character in the first place: bratty, spoilt, vain, he would have needed a lot of fine touches to develop from his Los Angeles persona to the new, loving Oregon fellow. Once again all we get are glimpses: enough to make us love him but non nearly enough to fulfill him.After this criticisms, mentioning that the actual events in the plot seem a little contrived carries far less weight. I wish the author would retire this work from sale and add 50 (or better 100) pages, polishing it all once again, to allow us a real enjoyment of nice story and interesting, likeable characters.I would rewrite the sex scenes as well... they were neither engaging nor all that meaningful for the story and sometimes I simply could not understand what Angel and Brandon were doing, exactly.