Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Review of Boyfriends, Burritos, and an Ocean of Trouble

Boyfriends, Burritos, and an Ocean of Trouble- sounds pretty diverse, doesn't it? Author Nancy Rue of the new book series Real Life has blended real life with fiction in a way that teen girls can not only relate to, but learn from. I must admit, I was hooked from the start.

Meet Bryn Christopher, a girl with many secrets. It all starts when her boyfriend's abusive behavior leads to a car crash that injures Bryn. She is then forced to confess everything to the doctors and her dad when they see the unexplained bruises cause by her boyfriend. You'd think all the trouble would be over then, right?

Wrong.

Bryn's confession unleashes a tidal wave of insults and threats, all of them cutting her down to the core. It doesn't help much when Bryn's bossy grandmother, Mim, shows up and starts insisting that Bryn eat burritos and try surfing.

However, just when she thinks she is doomed, she finds a mysterious books with the words "RL" on the cover. What could it be? And how does the book know what she's going through?

Will Bryn's boyfriend get revenge? Will Bryn find out what the mysterious book is all about? Will she ever get the hang of surfing?

Read Boyfriends, Burritos, and an Ocean of Trouble to find out.

I love Nancy Rue's writing style- this isn't the first time I've said so. However, she really shines in this book. Characters are so unique, the places feel so real, and I greatly admire the addition of the Real Life book. Not only are the portions from RL (paraphrased Bible) understandable, but they help teen girls learn alongside Bryn. I also love the idea of the "Pass it On" campaign. Just like the girls in the book, teen girls can leave their own RL books in places where other people can find it. They can be like Bryn! A wonderful idea.

I only had one concern, and it was when Bryn's boyfriend (yes, the evil, abusive one) calls Bryn and her friend "hos" and "sluts"; it obviously does not encourage the use of foul language, as the antagonist uses that word, but it was still there. That was my only concern, and it's something to be aware about...

As for the age range, I recommend this book to teen girls in their late teens. There is violence and scary moments that may be frightening/uncomfortable for preteen or early teen girls. So, maybe 15 and up?

All in all, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Specifics (Taken from amazon.com):

~ Paperback: 224 pages
~ Publisher: Zondervan (April 20, 2010)
~ Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches

God Bless,

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

/Awsm book review, thankie fer sharin!\

Golden Eagle said...

15? Hmmm. That makes me pause for a moment, but it does sound like a good book--for older people.

Megan said...

The language and the whole being 15 to read it sort of worries me about this book because even though I am almost 15, I don't take scary things very well. lol, that sounded very childish, but being so sheltered and not watching a PG-13 movie until I was 14 and the fact that it just said one bad word which my parents fast forwarded through, doesn't really count. Anyways... I love Nancy Rue, but I am not sure about reading this book.

Oooh, and I am a reveiwer for Book Sneeze now! I am getting my first book soon! I am super excited!

Blessings,
Maggie
www.foreverfindingmybliss.blogspot.com

~Prism~ said...

@Brooklyn: My pleasure! :)

@The Golden Eagle: I suppose everyone's a judge of their reading ability content-wise. Remember, it's just my opinion! :)

@Maggie: Congrats on the joining of booksneeze! :) And, I suggest you check out the other book in the series: Motorcycles, Sushi, and One Strange Book by Nancy Rue (same series). It's much, much better and I recommend it to ages 12 and up.

I'll be posting a review of the book on Sunday, so y'all may want to read it and see what you think :)

God Bless,
~Prism~

emii said...

I loved this book, and I didn't see anything wrong with it -- I don't think one word should put people off reading one of the best books of all time. #1 was fabulous, too.
But great review, Prism!

~Prism~ said...

@Emii: I totally agree with you there. However, I've read many books (Christian and non) which have had things which I wish I had read in the reviews. Although it's just one or two words, I think its still important to be aware of what someone as a reader might come across. Not necessarily putting off, more informing :)

Oh, and I forgot to mention... Your blog hasn't been working for me for some reason :( It doesn't show up in my reading list, and it doesn't show up right when I pull it up by going to the link... I don't know if it's just my computer or something. I'll keep trying to get it to show up on my reading list!

God Bless ya girl :),
~Prism~

Meggie said...

Yea, this book sounds really cool, but I might wait till I am a little older... maybe next year? It sounds REALLY great though Prism! Thanks for giving us such honest reviews, I'll be back to read the Motorcycles, Sushi, and One Strange Book by Nancy Rue review!
Blessings,
Meggie

Shelley said...

Sounds interesting! Thanks for the book review! BTW, at the begining of the post it says sushi instead of burritos.

emii said...

Good point, Prsim. Come to think of it, I appreciate it too!:)

It's not? Some other people have been having some trouble even seeing the posts.. I just gave it a new look, maybe it works now? I hope so, I was wondering why I wasn't getting too many visitors!!Thanks!:)

Luv,Emii

Emileigh Latham said...

Hmm, sounds like I'm sold to read these Real Life series.

Again, another really awesome book review, Prism!

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