Review: Hilarious Protagonist
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 25, 2014
I wasn’t sure how I’d be able to connect to the story once I realized it took place in London. I have a weird thing about settings when it comes to books–believe me, it’s one of the dumbest prejudices I have. With this novel, however, I was able to look past that, and once I did, I started to enjoy myself.Lilah’s trying to gain control of her life, and the way to do that is by enrolling in University and getting a degree. Through diary entries, we experience Lilah’s school year right along with her; we get run downs of her drunken escapades, best friend moments, and most of all, the drooling that occurs every time Lilah’s around Ben. Honestly, Lilah has one of the funniest voices I’ve read in a long time. She was witty and quirky and slightly nerdy and a hell of a lot funny. There were a couple of time when she’d just ramble on and on about one thing or another, and I found that endearingly hilarious.Benjamin was a cheeky little bastard and I enjoyed every moment with him. He’s not yet truly a rockstar, but he’s got his fan base, and despite being a musician, he had a slightly nerdy quality to him. Another thing about Ben? He’s very persistent and he goes after what he wants, not matter what. Lilah and Ben’s relationship at times was hot and messy and clumsy and all-around bittersweet. Despite Lilah’s engagement, Ben’s willing to fight for her and you have to admire that about a guy.My biggest objection does have to do with Lilah’s voice. While she was hilarious and cheeky, there were times when I found her overly simplistic–particularly in regards to the way she thought and sometimes spoke. I could overlook it at first, but as the story went on, it started to bother me a bit. Nevertheless, The Art of Letting Go is a light, sweet read, perfect for the upcoming summer months! Make sure to also check out the next book in the Uni Files series, The Art of Keeping Faith!