52 books in 52 weeks. Actually, I have read a lot more but failed to record / review them as I went along. I'll finish with a rare 2 star book. I suppose I could give it 3 stars; however, I am lacking in 2 star book reviews so I'll go with the 2 stars.
What I will give the author credit for is so accurately portraying her seventeen-year-old protagonist. Schwartz captures the character of that age (of many, not all) so well that it is painful and/or annoying to read. I'm not writing this as just someone past that age. A number of my former students have come back and said they were sorry for being such...teenagers. AND, it's not just the teenager, the mom is equally annoying, and the relationship is equally painful to read.
At this point, my daughter to whom I gifted the book is asking, "Why? Why would you gift me with this book?" Um, I'm hoping she thinks our journey to Italy together (granted, thankfully, she was 25 and not 17) was better than this mom and daughter's journey to Ireland.
I did not read any reviews before getting the book. I needed to pick something and the blurb caught my attention: traveling to Ireland. I still shudder at the realness of the book. I wonder if seventeen year olds would get something out of it...or helicopter moms with issues...or family members before they travel together. My guess is that their focus would be on the dysfunctionality of the other person rather than themselves.
What I will give the author credit for is so accurately portraying her seventeen-year-old protagonist. Schwartz captures the character of that age (of many, not all) so well that it is painful and/or annoying to read. I'm not writing this as just someone past that age. A number of my former students have come back and said they were sorry for being such...teenagers. AND, it's not just the teenager, the mom is equally annoying, and the relationship is equally painful to read.
At this point, my daughter to whom I gifted the book is asking, "Why? Why would you gift me with this book?" Um, I'm hoping she thinks our journey to Italy together (granted, thankfully, she was 25 and not 17) was better than this mom and daughter's journey to Ireland.
I did not read any reviews before getting the book. I needed to pick something and the blurb caught my attention: traveling to Ireland. I still shudder at the realness of the book. I wonder if seventeen year olds would get something out of it...or helicopter moms with issues...or family members before they travel together. My guess is that their focus would be on the dysfunctionality of the other person rather than themselves.