Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett | Book Review
11.14.2017
BLURB: Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.
Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.
And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately (Goodreads).
"My mom says we're all connected--people and plants and animals. We all know one another on the inside. It's what's on the outside that distracts. Our clothes, our words, our actions. Shark attacks. Gunshots. We spend our lives trying to find other people. Sometimes we get confused and turned around by the distractions." He smiles at me. "But we didn't.”
Author: Jenn Bennett
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 388
Goodreads rating: 4.00
Publication: April 4th 2017 by Simon Pulse
Source: Google Play Books
Reading format: E-book
Standalone/Series: Standalone
Review Type: Non-spoilery
review
⭐⭐⭐.75
Another fluff read! CAN I GET A PORTER, PRETTY PLEASE? At first, I thought I was going to give this 5 stars, the first few chapters were promising but everything got cheesier and a bit annoying as I read. The narrative was good, it was genuinely addictive but although it's a given that the characters will fall in love and swoon over each other all the time because it's a contemporary romance book, I found it annoying that Bailey thought about Porter 24/7. At first, I was giggling all the time because it was funny, it did bring a little butterfly to my stomach but when the main girl started to fell in love with the perfect, swoon-worthy boy (that doesn't exist in real life hm lucky me) and stopped thinking about literally anything else, I got annoyed. Was this book actually annoying or did my heart begin to harden? Am I now immune to whatever all those things are? OR WAS I JUST JEALOUS BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN NEVER FIND A BOY LIKE PORTER? MOST PROBABLY.
The entire time they’re talking, I can’t tear my eyes away from Porter. What I’m feeling for him now is like drowning and floating at the same time.Negative things aside, I actually like Bailey. Like many readers before me, I found her as a very relatable character. Girl kept avoiding shit in order to not confront her feelings and that screams ME ME ME. I love that the characters were not written as these perfect characters, they are flawed but in the same quite smart for teenagers.
My old therapist warned me that avoidance is a dysfunctional way to interact with people you care about, but now I’m starting to understand what he meant when he said it could hurt them, too. Maybe it’s time I figure out a better way to deal with my problems.
I love this book, but it would be better if:
1. The synopsis didn't reveal who Alex is (although it was obvious throughout the book who he is) but I guess the reason for that is for the readers to anticipate the time they finally know who is who.
2. Some other issues that were pointed out in this book were delved into more, especially Bailey and her mother's relationship. It'll bring more depth to the story and will make it more delicious to read.
You will enjoy this book if you love: You've Got Mail, Tell Me Three Things, enemies-to-lovers trope, relatable characters, SWOON-WORTHY BOI.
2. Some other issues that were pointed out in this book were delved into more, especially Bailey and her mother's relationship. It'll bring more depth to the story and will make it more delicious to read.
You will enjoy this book if you love: You've Got Mail, Tell Me Three Things, enemies-to-lovers trope, relatable characters, SWOON-WORTHY BOI.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons