Alok Singh Singh itibaren オーストラリア 〒6308 西オーストラリア州 イースト・ピンジェリー
(Based on a Goodreads Giveaway Proof Copy) Hilary Winston's comedy writing career shows in her novel - several times during the book I found myself unable to stop from laughing out loud. However, for first half of the book that entertaining aspect did not quite outweigh just how uncomfortable it was to read, plain in simple. Not because of anything inappropriate or too personal, but because it felt too much like the only basis for the novel was to respond to her ex-boyfriend's book with her own as some sort of retaliation (as even the title shows). Listing off everything that was wrong about her ex and their relationship over and over didn't come across as funny most of the time, it just came off as sad. And if she had mentioned one more time that she was "the fat-assed girlfriend" in her ex's book I might have just put it down; every reference to HIS book (and there were a lot) reminded me that it was the only reason for this one and made me uncomfortable for the author's sake all over again. The second half of the book focuses largely on Winston's life after the break up and so was much more entertaining and seemed to make me think, "Hilary, I know your ex and his book were a huge part of your life, but the other parts of your life are so much more worth talking about!" The last part of the book resolves things with her and her ex, easing my frustration with the whole first half ("ohh, so there WAS a point to this other than revenge"), but ending in a way that was too sudden, vague, cheesy and "moral-of-the-story" for my taste, trying too hard to wrap up a story that just wasn't constructed well enough to wrap up. Over all the brutal honesty of the book is what makes it appealing and interesting, but it's just not that amazing of a book. It won't leave you thinking, it won't present anything new to the table, and over all it will make itself easily forgotten.
Completely unexpected. I loved the world and the people.
Rockwell always is able to take a complex subject and get right to the essential points necessary for children. This is another title in the Let's Read and Find Out series that is always an attractive and reliable series that will explore topics without becoming tedious or boring. In What's So Bad About Gasoline children are guided through the prehistoric origins of this natural resource, the fact that much of the world is powered by fossil fuels and the impact they have on their immediate community and planet at large. The book also does a great job of touching on the need to explore and develop alternative forms of energy. Children 9 and up will easily digest the concepts as presented, but the younger ones will appreciate having an adult to share and discuss the more complex or new concepts with as they read.