Saturday, November 3, 2012

Review of Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire


Title/Author: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
Publisher/Date published: Atria Books, August 14th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

I have all these mixed feelings about this book. From the reviews I've seen floating around the blogosphere this seems to be a book you either love with the fire of a thousand suns or dislike with the same amount of passion. While I absolutely hate some of the relationship messages this book portrays, I cannot bring myself to really hate the book.

The writing is really good. Really, really good. The writing was so engaging that even while I was cringing and wanting to put it down, I couldn't. I felt like one of those people in traffic causing a jam because they're watching the accident on the other side of the highway. Knowing you should move along, but unable to do something about it.

I never really connected to Abby and while I tend to enjoy the books in which I connect to the main character more, if I had just found it in myself to like her, I think it might not have mattered so much. I mean, I get that she's been through a lot and everything, but I just wanted to shake her and at times slap her. I mean, how do you go about being so clueless and just plain cruel?

Travis is a boy who needs therapy. Lots and lots and lots of therapy. Seriously. He made ALL the alarm bells go off when it comes to men, I wouldn't let my friends date him. I wouldn't let people I don't like very much date him.
He's got anger management issues, is insanely possesive, controlling, doesn't know boundaries and OMG, SO NEEDY and completely dependent on Abby! It was scary how he completely lost himself when they got together!

I hated how co-dependent they were and how it's used to show how much they 'love' each other. I mean, you should still be a person whether or not you're together and they just weren't. I also hated that Abby's roommate Kara, who was the only one that voiced this opinion was snubbed by both Abby and her best friend.

I thought the getting to know each other phase was pretty sweet, aside from the weirdness of them sharing a bed, but after they got together it just went downhill for me. Also, can I just say that I was constantly rolling my eyes at Travis' nickname for Abby: Pigeon. Seriously??? It was SO annoying. He used it EVERY TIME he spoke to her and while I get endearments, being named after a pretty common and pretty much the vermin among birds is just slightly wrong.

Sorry for my rant, but I had ISSUES with this book. I hope Jamie McGuire will write a book in which I can cheer for the relationship, because then I will gush and gush over it. The writing is amazing, the plot just made me cringe.

My rating: 2 stars

9 comments:

  1. I just finished this book last night and I had almsot exactly the same thoughts as you! I hated the book but at the same time, I loved it. Uggh. The writing was so freaking amazing but the relationship? uh... NO. Just, freaking... no.

    And Abby annoyed me to no end. Even with her past. But then there were parts I loved, like Thanksgiving - despite the crap, the feeling of a family was so nice. And them getting to know each other was good.

    But yes, co-dependency was bad and it was just an abusive relationship. In a way they were perfect for each other in their dysfunctionalities, but in a way it was a just a NO relationship.

    See, confliction! lol.

    Great review!

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    1. I really liked the Thanksgiving scene as well, but the part where she decides to NOT tell him she wants to get back together made me want to shake her again...

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  2. God bless you and your review. I was starting to think I was going crazy. I felt the same way and have a very similar review over on my blog but to be honest mine is a lot more angry with a few expletives...oops. I don't know your other reading tastes but I am embarrassingly a fan of 50 Shades and I feel like if so many people can like this book and Twilight I should get no backlash for 50 Shades...at least there's never even an inkling that Christian would hit Ana...

    Great review!

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    1. Lol! I was hoping I wouldn't be alienating people with this review as the book's gotten so much love ;)
      I haven't read 50 Shades, but I don't think anyone should be made to feel bad for what they like reading, I mean it wouldn't be as interesting if we all liked the same thing, right? :)

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  3. Hmm, interesting. Well, I am one of those people who love this book with passion of million suns lol :P I just love it. :)

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    1. Which is part of the reason why I read it despite the somewhat negative things I heard about it as well ;)

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  4. But Daisy!! The petname Pigeon is so sexy!!! Not :D

    LOL

    Since I always heard this is like Twilight on steroids I never bothered to look to much into it, so I'm glad you didn't hate reading it, but yeah, I'm not really behind the messages this book sends

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    1. Haha ;) I love that you called it Twilight on steroids!!

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  5. This is one of those books that's elicited a lot of STRONG opinions from various people, which makes me curious about it. I'm not necessarily putting it high on my list, but I definitely think I'm going to try reading it in the future.

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