Challenge #41 ~ “A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author.”
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
My opinion in three sentences:
It’s not going to blow your socks off and change the way you see fictional books for ever more, but it didn’t need to be. Instead, you get a cute, easy-to-read, contemporary rom-com which, whilst by-and-large it isn’t unpredictable, is a joy to read. The “Grandma Search” isn’t as high-paced or fraught as I was expecting, and less of a focus, but it actually worked well and helped keep the plot more realistic.
(Without spoiling anything) the best bit:
When I was reading the pre-New York chapters (the very beginning), I was a little uncertain as to how well I would be able to relate to our protagonist. We’re not peas-in-a-pod by any means, but by the time things began to kick off, I was fully enamoured with protagonist, eccentric grandma and the guy-we-all-know-will-be-the-eventual-love-interest. Forest has a way with words, and in particular in using those words to bind you deeply and irrevocably to her diverse range of incredible characters, and for me that’s a considerable step in the right direction.
A warning for the book:
Throw away preconceptions from the blurb. It’s accurate, but it’s also not. I was definitely drawn in by it, so I wouldn’t say it needs confining to the bin and heading back to the drawing board, but it also had me expecting a certain type of tale. Without spoiling it, there’s no less cryptic way I can really put it, but don’t expect a plot-driven page turner. (That being said, don’t give up on there being adventure or a hunt for the grandmother, either – it is the dominant plotline still! Just Forest takes it in her own certain way…)
Recommended for fans of:
- Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
- What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
- My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises by Fredrik Backman
Dreaming With Your Eyes Wide Open 