Allow me to begin with a confession: I bought this book as I was walking toward the checkout at the bookstore purely because of the cover art – one of those lacy masks that one would wear for a masquerade ball. That being said, it was a wise purchase and I’m very glad that the cover caught my attention!
Authors Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas are wonderful. I was a little curious as to how a novel with two authors would feel (since the last one that I attempted was rubbish, in my opinion). It was smooth and entertaining throughout, though, without any signs of conflicting writing styles.
The first person point of view was amazing! First person female character based books are probably my favorite in terms of pov, but the lead character – Evelyn – was phenomenal! Throughout, her personality was conveyed through quick quips and smart ass narration that made her so much more lovable! She is easily one of my top 10 favorite first person characters from any book.
Now, onto the plot: It was great. At times, it was a little convoluted (but that may be because I read about a quarter of it with a small hangover, which is something that will never happen again). Other than my slight difficulty to understand parts closer to the ending, which did in fact clear themselves up as my reading progressed, I thought that it was very well-written. Maybe it took a little longer for the point of it to really get going into the action, but it was just how it was paced and I can respect that – it made it more real. Also, the characters could have been developed a little more, especially the romantic prospects, but the ending might even make the “lack of” a “it’s for the best” type of situation. (That may or may not make sense. After reading the book, you’ll understand.)
Which brings me to this: I suggest that anyone who desires a stand alone should read this. It’s funny, sweet, edgy, intriguing, and so much more! Yes, this is extremely vague, but it’s one of those books that you can’t talk much about without giving away everything. Even in this short little post, I’ve given away more than necessary! Just have fun reading it, as you all really should.
Bookish Girl in a Boring World 