“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” -Marcus Tullius Cicero
Rating: 8/10"If you got a smile from George, it meant something." | Let me start off by saying I, for the sake of argument, started Wrong About the Guy yesterday and stayed up until 3 a.m. this morning finishing it. That's pretty much the best way to describe how I felt about it or how I feel about any book for that matter. How many voluntary breaks I take while reading is a solid indicator on my feelings for a book. Starting off, I remember thinking George was never someone Ellie would get with. He just seemed too condescending and arrogant to turn into an actual love interest. But I guess that means LaZebnick did her job because as I continued to read I could see the budding romance between the two characters. Now let me pause for a disclaimer. I have read a LOT of young adult novels over the years and have become adept at guessing the general storylines and how they'll play out merely from experience. WATG was a fresh depiction of the "girl hates guy but ends up with him anyway" plot that is often seen in literature. And let me tell you, I was as oblivious as Ellie to Aaron's shenanigans with Crystal.Totally didn't see that one coming although I have to admit I probably should have. Overall I enjoyed it. I got "that feeling" a couple times throughout and it took me to a place that made me reflect on my own life and some of the things that have happened — or not happened — in it. I'd say that's a good sign, wouldn't you? One thing I noted was about Ellie and the label "spoiled." Personally, I got the sense that she was more than a little spoiled even though LaZebnik reminded the reader time and time again that she wasn't. This worked well for the plot line of George being cold, or at least acting that way, to her because of this, but it still didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. I also wish the autism side plot had been expanded. I never quite understood why Luke made such a big deal about Jacob being different and the labels. I wouldn't call myself an expert by any means, but I do know a fair amount about autism and the sociology behind people's thinking about it. This seemed a little underdeveloped for my liking. It didn't seem to fit well with the rest of the book. Maybe it would have done better as the main theme and not a subplot not meant to be the star of the show. Lastly, I found Heather to be rather annoying. Her constant whining and low self-esteem was a slight turn-off. I needed more from her character. I found myself wondering if she was still larger physically as she was back then, why he mom seemed unwelcoming to Ellie when she seemed nicer in the flashback and other similar questions. It was nice, however, for Ellie to have a a true friend that saw her for more than just an access point to her stepfather. As for the love story, which, to me, is the most important part and the reason I read most books, I thought it was fresh and engaging. I'm sometimes a person who skims past non romantic parts of books just to get to the good stuff and didn't find myself doing that here. Seeing Ellie realize the guy for her was right in front of her the whole time and see George act completely in the opposite way than he actually felt seemed realistic to me. I also didn't find the age gap, which seemed to be a concern for many of the characters in the book, to be a problem. Overall, I did enjoy the story despite the small issues I had with it. I guess that's the way I am. It's much easier to talk about the things you dislike than to put into words the positive feelings you had while reading. It's often hard to pinpoint why you couldn't put a book down until the last page it read or what makes you get "that feeling," but I hope as I continuing to write, I'll get better at describing it. If you're looking for a light read about a girl who is oblivious to what's right in front of her, is just a bit spoiled and who is just trying to figure out life like the rest of us, I suggest adding this book to your reading list. |