Author: Steph BoweI've been reading Steph Bowe's blog for a while now, so I was excited to read Girl Saves Boy. And while it didn't disappoint, it also wasn't completely flawless either.
Release Date: August 30, 2010 (in Australia)
Pages: 280 (PB)
Publisher: The Text Publishing Company
For Ages: 13+
How I Got It: For review from ATWT
The first time we met, Jewel Valentine saved my life.
Isn’t it enough having your very own terminal disease, without your mother dying? Or your father dating your Art teacher?
No wonder Sacha Thomas ends up in the lake that Saturday evening…
But the real question is: how does he end up in love with Jewel Valentine?
With the help of quirky teenage prodigies Little Al and True Grisham, Sacha and Jewel have a crazy adventure, with a little lobster emancipation along the way.
But Sacha’s running out of time, and Jewel has secrets of her own.
Girl Saves Boy is a hugely talented debut novel, funny and sad, silly and wise. It’s a story of life, death, love… and garden gnomes.
This is an incredibly character-driven book, so luckily Sacha and Jewel were both fascinating and likable characters, each of who had a lot of unfortunate tragedy in their lives. After everything they've each been through, both are skeptical about most everything and broken people, and we get the chance to watch as they heal themselves and each other. I will admit that once or twice Sacha's voice didn't really seem like an authentic teen guy's voice...
Probably my biggest complaint with the book was that I found the ending to be rather abrupt. It just kind of...ended. In the middle of a scene. Although I pretty much know what will happen, I would've liked a bit more closure, I guess.
Overall, I liked the characters and story quite a bit, and I thought this was a good debut from a promising young author. It's hard to believe that Steph Bowe is only sixteen, because she certainly doesn't write like it. I'll be on the look-out for her next novel.
Book Report:
Plot: A nice combination of light and dark.
Characters: Very likable.
Writing: Impressive.
Ending: Abrupt. I didn't really like it.
Kid friendly? There was some swearing and teen drinking.
Should I read it? Yeah, I thought it was worth the read.
Overall:
Great review. I've never heard about this book but I'll be sure to keep my eyes open for it now.
ReplyDeleteAnd I hate when a novel ends mid-sentence. The Stone Angel did that too and it just added to my frustration over the book (we had to read it in grade 12, and I hated it).
Happy reading!
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ReplyDeleteThis sounds like it would fit on my TBR pile. I love stories with great characters!
ReplyDeleteI've been curious about this book. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI've been waiting to read this one for a while, and I'm glad that it doesn't disappoint. Great review!
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