Perks of Being a Reader: Book Talk: The Odyssey of Falling by Paige Crutcher + Giveaway!

Release Date: November 4th, 2014
Book: The Odyssey of Falling
Author: Paige Crutcher
Number of Pages:338 (e-book form)
Source: Netgalley (I received this in exchange for an honest review)

The Basics:Meet Odd. Audrey “Odd” Ashworth is an exceptionally bright girl with a sympathetic heart. She’s in the top 4% of her class. She’s obsessed with getting into Manhattan School of Music, committed to following the “signs” the universe delivers, and infatuated with her recently deceased best friend’s boyfriend. Life is a little strange for Odd. Until she finds her best friend’s diary in her crush’s car, and decides to do the bucket list tucked inside the pages. As Odd seeks closure and a way to honor her friend, she discovers there’s nothing wrong with being a little strange, especially if it helps you discover who you were meant to be. Along the way, Odd falls into trouble, adventure, and finally love.

My Musings:

Okay first of all, isn't the title awesome? I love the title, I think it's original and perfect for the book. The cover is also pretty awesome. I was scrolling down Netgalley when this book caught my eye. The summary made me want to read this book and I couldn't wait to start it! I had pretty high expectations for this book and it didn't disappoint.

Characters are vibrant and colorful. They stick out from the page and feel real, which is all a reader really wants. You get to see different sides of them instead of them just being a one dimensional cardboard cut out. I love "Odd". I ca relate to her and they way she feels. Her voice is strong and poignant throughout the novel. She's strong, but doesn't really know it, and amazing, but doesn't know it. Perhaps my favorite character was Bandit. He isn't afraid of saying what he thinks and is overall a strong person. And also how awesome is his name? Chase is a complex character. He's kind of broken (pretty much everyone is in this book) but slowly you can see him devolve into a strong character whose maybe not made the best decisions. I love the characters, they were very well developed.

This book is more of a character driven book than a plot driven book. It's Audrey's journey to acceptance and moving on. The story line is good. It's a pretty faced paced book and the beginning will definitely get you turning the pages. Being on this journey with Audrey is really special. Audrey stumbles about trying to finish the list that her friend, Meredith, left. Guilt and grief fuel her and that is a dangerous combination. She starts to go off the rails but her friends are there for her so that she doesn't completely end up messing everything up. There is a pretty awesome plot twist at the end of the book that puts a lot of things in question. Overall the story line is pretty solid.

There's nothing I hate more than insta-lovey couples. Glad to say this isn't the case in this book. The romance is a bit complicated and twisted by grief and past feelings. Audrey is dealing with her feelings for Chase. She's had a crush on him since before Meredith died. Then there's Bandit. Sweet, dependable, Bandit. Her feelings for him surface slowly at first and then all of a sudden, It's not really a love triangle at all, but more like Audrey accepting her feelings for one of the boys. Romance doesn't really play as huge a role as you think it would. While it's important other things take the front seats, like the list, grief, dealing with friend drama. What I love about this romance is how real it is. It's intertwined with the story line so perfectly that you can't help but root for Audrey to just accept her feelings and for her and her guy to be together!

I loved this book. It's amazing and well written. I love the sparks of sarcasm and wit. It definitely made me laugh out loud, but it also made my heart ache for the characters.

Coffee For The Odyssey Of Falling: This book is equal parts heart wrenching and uplifting. You'll definitely want the company of a warm liquid when you're up late reading this. I recommend a nice Hazelnut Latte.

My Rating: