Hi there!
Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Today, we're exploring a Christian Young Adult title that proves once again that growing up is hard to do...but with a little help from the big guy upstairs, a bit of trust in our friends, and a good long look in the mirror with an open heart, we can make it through anything. So, if you'd be so kind, join me in welcoming today's book of choice into the spotlight...
by
Laura P. Angaroni
9781632694256
About the book...
I'm Lola, and I thought this year would be different. Just for once, I wanted to be a glass-half-full kind of girl for. It's 1981, and nice girls don't curse. But the Demented Duo has been harassing me since middle school--cutting down my looks, my Christianity, my virginity. How am I supposed to control my anger when everyone at Sunset High School seems like they're out to get me? They'll embarrass me about anything.
And Then George strides in, and like magic, everything is better.
If only it lasted.
How will I ever clean up my mess and make amends? Can anyone still love me?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was warned from the start...
My protagonist is more of an anti-hero. Some people love her up front, some not so much. I wanted to demonstrate a lot of growth in her during the book, so I made her as real as possible.
...the results of my adventure through the pages, certainly prove those statements to be true!
Lola, aka Lowly, is not a gal that's easy to like. She's like a rubix cube...many sided with personalities to match at least that number if not more...then again, she IS a teenager. *smirk* Seriously though, I was in the latter camp of "not a fan" of her for the better part of the book, but I don't think it was so much to do with her as it was to do with the story, or lack thereof. I know that sounds harsh, but give me a second.
From the synopsis, I was expecting something different, perhaps with more a focus on her relationship (or whatever it was) with George, or even her battles with the Demented Duo, when in all actuality, it was as scattered as feathers in the wind. It was here, showing us how those two dough headed boys tormented her. It was there, seated at the lunchroom table as new kids joined their group, welcomed or not. It was near, bringing her faith and values into question in relation to her actions and reactions. It was far, revealing the smallest bits of her relationships with her friends as well as those with potential to be more some day. I was constantly grabbing at each new idea thinking....this is it...this is the thread of the story...when in fact, the multiple loose ends were really the heart of it all.
In the end, it reminds us that life is fragile, love is precious, and to truly be ourselves is a gift like no other. Accepted or not, we are perfect just the way we are....and when we're really with those we are meant to be with, that sense of belonging will come like the sun on a cloudy day. It was an interesting journey, albeit not an easy one, but hey, life is like that sometimes; you have to take the sweet with the sour and hopefully, as was the case here, the combination of the two surprises you. Recommended read for Young Adult fans of all ages.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the author...
Raised in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, Laura Angaroni (BS, Economics, Baylor University) is proud to be from what some consider the wrong side of the tracks. She and her husband, Craig, live in Houston, Texas, where Laura writes, coaches her two teens, and after four years of high school ministry is taking a break to chase preschoolers around the church nursery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Special thanks to author Laura Angaroni for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Deep River Books, so click on over to your favorite online retailer to snag your copy today!
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
