Monday, October 16, 2017

Full Share

If you are loving my book reviews, you're in for a treat this week because I have several for you and I'm finishing up my weekend underrated books roundup, as well!

I'm starting this week off with this review because (shocker!) this isn't a book that's been sitting on my shelf, it's actually one I recently purchased. It came in a special Girl's Night Bookworm Box I ordered. You get two of everything, one for you and one for a friend, and I shared my box with my friend Andrea, who is also a big reader. I don't know if she has read hers yet so I'll have to ask what she thought of it, but here are some of my thoughts.


Nora Hargrove’s post-grad life includes a horrific entry-level job, a cave of an apartment, and a strict avoidance of all interpersonal relationships. She knows only one thing about herself—she wants to be left alone.

Avoiding her mother’s forced family time, she seeks solitude on her own terms. In a poorly ventilated, overcrowded Dewey Beach rental, she discovers there’s no place to hide. Not from yourself, not from your life, and not from love. This is the story of Nora Hargrove’s full share.

I learned the healing power of a good bloody Mary and a dip in the Atlantic. I kayaked in the dead of night and witnessed the only shooting star I’ve ever seen. I fell in love on a bed made of pallets. I lived.

Life is deep. Dive in.

I'm going be upfront and tell you that at best, I can only give this book 3/5 stars and it's saved only by Jack. I really, really did not like Nora. I thought she was an idiot who needs extensive counseling. The book begins with readers finding out that Nora's mom is a bit of a hussy and is having sex on Nora's bed with Nora's French teacher.

Awful? Yes. Traumatizing to the extent this book brings it? No.

That act alone paralyzes Nora so not only is she apparently incapable of forming meaningful romantic relationships, she becomes socially awkward, seemingly stops maturing after the age of 16, gives up on life, and has no idea how to function as an adult. I know I'm kind of a "buck up and deal with it" person but this was almost fully ridiculous.

Nora decides to avoid her parents for the summer and instead become a full share in a beach house her roommate from college is organizing. She only knows this roommate, none of the others, so when she arrives and finds out she doesn't have a room to herself and instead sharing a porch with someone else, she isn't thrilled. But the money is spent and she needs a break from her job so she sticks it out. Originally she's meant to share the porch with twin girls but they somehow switch for Jack, a handsome, outgoing, really nice guy who immediately decides Nora is going to be his and he's going to try to convince her of that. Frankly, I don't know why Nora would be so rude to someone who expresses interest in her but, nothing about this book is making sense to me.

It goes on to be a really full summer- a friend overdoses and goes to rehab, she makes some new friends, one of her favorite friends dies, and a relationship blossoms. The book left me with some unanswered questions but honestly instead of reading the rest of the series, I'm going to let this be a one time thing.

I'm kind of bummed I didn't love this book but I'm clearly in the minority because so many people have given this book 4 and 5 stars... I'm just not there. If we didn't have Jack's character I would have certainly rated this book lower but I really liked him and I felt like he was too good for Nora. Far too good.



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