I picked up this book because of the back cover.
I know, I know, "Don't judge a book by its cover," but there was a quote from the book on the back cover, if that's any consolation.
"There are two kinds of people in life: the swimmers and the drifters."
That's the beginning of the quote, and the first sentence of the entire book.
I was intrigued. Am I a swimmer or a drifter? It seemed like this book might inform me. So I took home with me a killer novel about coming of age in the modern world.
It's down-to-earth, gritty, and real. The characters after a while of reading aren't characters any more - they're people. Real people with real problems and real dreams and real hopes and real obstacles.
Considering the last couple of books I've read have been purely imaginative, it was a nice change.
A quick plot intro:
Three girls, best friends. Nat, Sofia, and Lise. Sofia is the friend that boys are drawn like flies to. (She also happens to be my favorite, although never a narrator of the story). Lise is the studious one, who is set to go to an amazing law school, as soon as senior year is over. Nat is, well, Nat. She is supportive, fun, and an all-around goody-two-shoes (at least at the beginning of the story).
Since Nat is the main narrator, we never get to see her from another's perspective. While that's all fine and dandy, being inside of her head can be tiring. She's very critical of herself and never likes to draw attention to her good qualities.
The story describes Nat's first real experience with love and Lise's struggle for power and control. It is a strong novel that made me think about my own experiences. I highly recommend it to fans of realistic fiction, and anyone else besides.
My rating: 4/5
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