Hannah's just graduated and has plans to finally lose her virginity to Freddie Clemence. Is he the one? No, not really. But he'll do for this. Unfortunately nothing goes according to plan and the night ends with Hannah's situation unchanged. But she did meet someone. A cute guy whose name she didn't even catch. Sam is certain he botched his French exam, ruining his chances at university. But for one night that's all been put aside. For one night, he and his friends are going to party and enjoy themselves. And, if he's lucky, Sam might just meet a girl. Luckily, he does. Meet a girl, that is. Unfortunately she's with someone named Freddie!
Theirs is a match that should be made in heaven, but absolutely nothing goes the way it should!
Well today's certainly been a day for fun and funny romantic tales! And this one kind of has to be, all things considered. I mean, it's written by two best friends/exes!
Yep, it's true. Authors Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison dated once upon a time and banded together as friends to write "...an older teen book that was funny and that really captured how just awkward and ridiculous it is to be seventeen years old." I'd say they've succeeded!
Sam and Hannah are genuine and realistic, the kind of kids you knew in high school (or maybe were yourself). And their experiences are fairly universal, I think. The awkwardness of meeting someone new, the general self-consciousness of being a teen, that weird in between world that comes right after high school... oh, and the drama! Holy, moly! It's been some time since I was a teen myself, but some things never fade from memory. And, speaking as an adult who quite enjoyed this teen outing, while it may not be a phase of life many of us would voluntarily repeat, spending a little time in a story that captures that feeling is definitely fun. (Maybe because it's that much more of a relief that it's over!)
One of the things I quite enjoyed about this book was how well the two authors' prose works together. It's a dual narrative, splitting time between Sam and Hannah fairly equally and giving readers the story from both of their perspectives (Tom = Sam and Lucy = Hannah). Their styles and voices really do bring the characters to life but, even better, the story itself is completely cohesive and fluid. It really is a perfect storytelling match! (Which is great because apparently they've got two more titles going already!)
If you're in the mood for a goofy and yes, awkward, love story, A Totally Awkward Love Story definitely fits the bill. And it will make you laugh out loud - you have been warned!
Rating: 4/5
For more on the book and the authors, check out the super cute website here. You can also head over to Bustle to read an excerpt here.
As an added bonus today, I am offering up a hardcover copy of A Totally Awkward Love Story to one lucky reader. To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, May 30. Open US only.
6 comments:
I love the cover and the story line.
Sounds very fun. I've added it to my list.
I love books that can make me laugh and feel good. This book is a must read for me.
This book would be very enjoyable. Thanks.
I think it is so fun that there were two authors for this book, one for each narrator. I am so glad to hear that it worked well! I really hope to win this so I can read it over the summer. It sounds like the perfect summer read! Thanks for the chance to win!
This sounds like a unique read and another one with humor (who doesn't need to laugh?!). Thanks for the giveaway.
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