Review: Unique Twist on NA Contemporary
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 30, 2013
This was a book I was so incredibly excited about. I had read Parent's Forty Days and fell in love with her writing style. I was glad to read Precious Things and see that her style (although vastly different genres) was still apparent throughout.When I first started Precious Things I couldn't  help but think that Isabelle was slightly pretentious. However, as I continued I realized she was just a normal 18-year-old girl struggling with a huge let-down and really, a life of let-downs. Where I noticed some readers feeling hostility towards her, I felt empathy and tried to view her situation with an open mind. She continued to grow up and grow on me throughout the story.As for Evan, he was great. I love that he's not the prototypical NA male. His normalcy is refreshing. Now don't get me wrong, Evan isn't perfect, he has his flaws, but nothing too serious. He's just a generally nice guy and although he respects Isabelle, he also stands up to her when the times arise.I also really enjoyed the side characters, including Isabelle's brother (Corey), dad, and new friend, Lucy. They all brought their own challenges into Isabelle's life.  Her dad presents as one of the biggest challenges. After using her college fund to re-mortgage his small (and somewhat failing) bakery, Isabelle is forced to attend community college rather than the prestigious university she had always dreamed of. She feels resentment and anger towards her father but never feels that she can express it. Between her dad's frivolity and her absent mother, Isabelle has built a wall around her emotions. Evan helps her to realize that it's okay to express all of her emotions. I really loved Lucy. She was silly and funny. She even continued to try to be a friend to Isabelle despite Isabelle's original icy demeanor towards her (and everyone else).Precious Things is not your typical NA. There are no huge, potentially damaging secrets. It's about two normal people trying to navigate and learn about the world and themselves. I enjoyed that it wasn't about trying to uncover any big mystery but rather about Isabelle realizing and altering her perceptions of herself, others, and the world around her.Overall, I would recommend this book to someone looking for a New Adult book with a different twist. In addition, I'd just recommend this author's work, period, because she has a real craft for storytelling.