Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

I’m not a romance reader but I’ve appreciated the escape of Emily Henry books, so I figured I’d read this one and see what it was about. But oh my Taylor Jenkins Reid!! What was this??? It seriously felt like a poor imitation of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo with a bit of the reporter aspect (and reveal) of Daisy Jones and the Six thrown in for good measure. And I know Taylor Jenkins Reid isn’t the first or only person to tell a story in interviews or have that type of twist, but the similarities are just really strong and, the nail in the coffin, is that it wasn’t done well. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a master at creating realistic characters you care about, even if they’re awful people. The emotion tethers you to the story. Well, Henry didn’t have that emotion, her characters were flat and boring, and the romance was lukewarm at best. The will-they, won’t-they wasn’t that strong and the side story with Alice’s mother issues seemed tacked on after the fact.

Also, this is incredibly petty, but the title gave me great big beautiful Tr*mp vibes. Why not pick any other title that actually gives you a sense of the story instead of something so general and bland? Oh wait, I guess that does fit the book...

EVERY OTHER WEEKEND by Abigail Johnson

Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network and Inkyard Press for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own. Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson releases January 7, 2020. Mark it on your calendars, because you don't want to miss this one.

Jolene and Adam both come from "broken" families. Jolene has never felt like her family unit was whole, while Adam's is in transition, struggling to repair itself instead of break apart completely. Adam's dad starts renting an apartment in the same building where Jolene's dad lives, and the teens meet by chance. Forget meet-cute - this is meet-strange, and it sets the tone for the friendship that develops between Adam and Jolene. 

The story is told in alternating points of view, which works nicely with the overall theme of every other weekend. You don't feel like you're missing out on the characters' "other lives", because the story is so well-developed during those precious weekends. 

There are so many beautiful quotes in this book, about family, relationships, and creating art which, for Jolene, is making movies. The situation with the film critic was so well done that I think it almost needs a trigger warning - it was too real, but the resolution couldn't have been any better.

Every Other Weekend is a great unique young adult read that perfectly balances reality with a dose of sweet romance.