Thank you to Scholastic Canada for so kindly sending me a finished copy of this book.
TITLE: Recovery Road
AUTHOR: Blake Nelson
GENRE: YA
RATING: 3 Stars
GENRE: YA
RATING: 3 Stars
This book posed a special challenge to me. I loved the premise, but I had a very hard time working my way through the writing style. I had the exact same issue with the author's previous book - Destroy All Cars, but I really wanted to read this book because of the subject matter.
Recovery Road is, as you might expect, about substance abuse ( a subject that is very close to my heart) and, traditionally, I do try to read as many novels and non fiction books on the subject as I can.
Maddie is a compelling main character and you immediately feel as though there is way more to her than just the alcohol addiction, but is she capable of finding her own inner strength (along with the help of the people in rehab and those who love her) to find her way back to her life again. As we explore Maggie's feelings about being "dropped" into rehab by her family, we also get to discover who Maggie is and we also start to understand how screwed up her thinking is.
Maggie's experiences in rehab (and in her addiction) are incredibly raw and harsh. This is definitely not a fluffy, carefree read, but it delivers a serious punch - one that wants to make you desperately want to help her - all the while also making you want to smack her "out of it"(if only it were that simple!).
Maddie is a compelling main character and you immediately feel as though there is way more to her than just the alcohol addiction, but is she capable of finding her own inner strength (along with the help of the people in rehab and those who love her) to find her way back to her life again. As we explore Maggie's feelings about being "dropped" into rehab by her family, we also get to discover who Maggie is and we also start to understand how screwed up her thinking is.
Maggie's experiences in rehab (and in her addiction) are incredibly raw and harsh. This is definitely not a fluffy, carefree read, but it delivers a serious punch - one that wants to make you desperately want to help her - all the while also making you want to smack her "out of it"(if only it were that simple!).
My favorite part of this book was definitely the slow but painstaking liberation that Maggie starts to feel - and as a reader I felt it also.
Having said all of that, I still have to say that the writing style is just not for me. The author tends to write what I call "choppy writing". He tends to start chapters that don't necessarily pick up from the previous ones and he also tends to write very short chapters, which normally I don't have a problem with (I love this about James Patterson actually), but i always feel as though I am missing something when I read his stuff. Nope, simply not my type of writing.
Too bad because I loved the premise and the main character of this book - but I have to go with a 3 star rating.
Having said all of that, I still have to say that the writing style is just not for me. The author tends to write what I call "choppy writing". He tends to start chapters that don't necessarily pick up from the previous ones and he also tends to write very short chapters, which normally I don't have a problem with (I love this about James Patterson actually), but i always feel as though I am missing something when I read his stuff. Nope, simply not my type of writing.
Too bad because I loved the premise and the main character of this book - but I have to go with a 3 star rating.
1 comment:
The book sounds interesting enough that I would be willing to give it a try, even with the choppy writing.
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