Review: Sweethearts

Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr. The GoodReads summary:

As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend.

When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken.

From the National Book Award nominated author of Story of a Girl, Sweethearts is a story about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts.

This is a reread for me. I picked it up again because it’s the book my book club is discussing this month and I didn’t remember anything about it besides that I didn’t like it. So I was more than a little wary going into it, especially since Sara Zarr doesn’t tend to be an author I connect to much.

The big reason I didn’t like the book the first time around was the ending—it was too realistic and sad and didn’t have the amount of resolution I needed to be happy with it. But this time I went in prepared for the ending—I knew what to expect. And as a result, I appreciated it more. I’m not saying I’m a fan of the ending now, but now I can see how it fits the story. Cameron and Jenna’s relationship is multilayered and complex, and a straightforward, happy ending wouldn’t do them justice. They both have a lot of growing to do, and the ending that Zarr’s written for them allows them to do that.

Something I noticed this time that I didn’t before, is how consummately readable this book is. Yes, it’s a short book (only 217 pages), but the way the story flies by has less to do with its length than with how well-written it is. I think rereading this book has sold me on Sara Zarr as a writer. Her stories are always a little too bittersweet for me to totally fall in love with, but “Sweethearts” made me realize that, despite the bittersweet, I can’t argue with her writing and storytelling skills. They’re both exceptional in this book.

Overall, I’m glad I reread “Sweethearts.” It still isn’t one of my favorites, but this time around I could appreciate how well-done and well-thought out it all was. The first time I finished it, I just felt let down and frustrated, but this time I feel . . . pensive and thoughtful, I guess. Which I’m okay with.

Rating: 3 / 5

Review: I Capture the Castle

I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith. The GoodReads summary:

I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle"--and the heart of the reader--in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.

I read this book as a teenager, and I remember that I liked it, but recently when it came time to read it for book club, I realized I only had vague memories of what happens in it or what made me like it. Although I did remember two things quite clearly: I loved Cassandra, and I hated Simon. So with that in mind, I started off on my reread—though honestly, most of the time it was like I was reading it for the first time.

I fell in love with Cassandra at exactly the same place I did when I first read it: at the top of the second page. Cassandra is describing herself and she says, “I am seventeen, look younger, feel older.” That statement just so perfectly encapsulated how I felt my entire teenage life—that disparity between how others saw me and how I saw myself. That quote spoke to me then, and it still speaks to me now. Cassandra is quite insightful and observant and witty, and she made me grin constantly and even laugh out loud a few times. Which is not to say that Cassandra is perfect. I got so frustrated with her for the way she acts with Stephen, like his adoration of her is her rightful due and that she doesn’t have to think about how her actions affect him. I also got a bit tired of her constant whining and moping during the last quarter of the book. But I can forgive her all that because of how well she captures so much of what I felt growing up and because of how easy it is for me to relate to her.

I was kinda hoping that I was misremembering my disdain for Simon, and that this time around he would win me over. But he didn’t. I think the majority of why I didn’t like him when I first read the book was his creepy beard, but this time I thought that while he’s perfectly nice, he comes across as a bit too weak and boring for my taste. And I don’t like how he (spoiler) falls for Rose for her beauty and for who he thinks she is, rather than for who she really is. And I really can’t forgive him for kissing Cassandra when he’s engaged to Rose and then acting like it’s no big deal (end spoiler).

The ending was much better than I remembered it being the first time around. (Spoiler) I thought that the book ended with Simon and Cassandra getting together, but it doesn’t—it leaves it open. For most people that’s probably frustrating, but since I don’t like Simon, I was quite happy with it. Yes, the book ends with Cassandra still in love with him and with the possibility of them being together in the future, but the openness of the ending leaves room for me to believe that Cassandra will outgrow him eventually and find someone better—and if that someone just happens to be an older and wiser future Stephen, I wouldn’t mind a bit (end spoiler).

Overall, I was glad that when I finished the book this time, I liked it just as much as I did the first time I read it. Even a little more maybe, because I felt like I understood things that I missed before. It never ceases to amaze me how a book written in 1948 can speak to me so well 65 years later.

Rating: 4 / 5

Audiobook Review: The Boyfriend List

The Boyfriend List (Ruby Oliver #1), by E. Lockhart. The GoodReads summary:

Fifteen-year-old Ruby has had a rough ten days. During that time she:

* lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list)
* lost her best friend (Kim)
* lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket)
* did something suspicious with a boy (#10)
* did something advanced with a boy (#15)
* had an argument with a boy (#14)
* had a panic attack
* lost a lacrosse game (she's the goalie)
* failed a math test (she'll make it up)
* hurt Meghan's feelings (even though they aren't really friends)
* became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
* had graffiti written about her in the girls' bathroom (who knows what was in the
boys'!?!)

But don't worry—Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists.

I actually had already read this book a year or two ago, and apparently I liked it, because I know I read the rest of the series. The thing is, I couldn’t remember anything about the book. So when I was at the library recently, trying to find audiobooks for an upcoming road trip, I decided to give The Boyfriend List another shot.

The audiobook was read by Mandy Siegfried, and I really liked her narrative style. I don’t know how old the narrator was, but she managed to bring 15-year-old Ruby to life for me. The combination of Siegfried’s reading and Lockhart’s writing made the whole experience feel like I was sitting in my car listening to a friend tell me about all the drama going on in her life. It didn’t feel like someone was reading to me at all. Half the time, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I looked over and Ruby was sitting next to me in the passenger seat.

The story itself was much more hilarious than I remember it being the first time I read it. I laughed out loud so many times because Ruby is just so witty and funny. There were quite a few lines I wanted to write down. I also liked how well Lockhart, through Ruby, manages to capture what being a girl is like. Although Ruby’s life has way more boy drama than mine ever did (or does), the way she reacts to it and processes it is just so easy for me to relate to. I also gained a greater appreciation this time through of how well Lockhart organizes the book. The chapters are all based off different boys from Ruby’s Boyfriend List, and Lockhart manages not only to discuss the boys in question, but also create a cohesive story out of it.

Overall, The Boyfriend List is a lot of fun, and the narration by Mandy Siegfried only made me enjoy the story more.

Rating: 4 / 5