Publisher: Henry A. Abrams
Publication Date: October 1, 2013
Source/Format: Netgalley (Thank you, Abrams!) || e-galley
[I received this book from the publisher. This in no way affects the thoughts expressed in my review.]
Rebecca Blue is a rebel with an attitude whose life is changed by a chance encounter with a soon-to-be dead girl. Rebel (as she’s known) decides to complete the dead girl’s bucket list to prove that choice, not chance, controls her fate. In doing so, she unexpectedly opens her mind and heart to a world she once dismissed—a world of friendships, family, and faith. With a shaken sense of self, she must reevaluate her loner philosophy—particularly when she falls for Nate, the golden boy do-gooder who never looks out for himself. (from Goodreads)
It's strange how Goodbye, Rebel Blue, in spite of some of the more serious subject matters in it, still manages to maintain its lightness. I think that's something easily attributed to Coriell. She also has a spectacular ability to take extremely interesting characters, crack them open to reveal their vulnerabilities and then patch them up (not so) perfectly to leave the reader feeling oddly satisfied upon reaching the end. Goodbye, Rebel Blue was a solid sophomore novel.
Rebel isn't a character I could instantly relate to. But readers really get to know her intimately as the story progresses, and I liked her a whole lot better the more I learned about her. There are a lot of interesting facets to her personality, which made her unique and unexpected (to me). The book in particular focuses on how she develops a new perspective on her own life, and I personally thought it was well done and natural.
What I really liked about Goodbye, Rebel Blue is that it is one of those books that makes me want to reevaluate my life and my choices, even as the main character does it herself. There's a general sense of hopefulness that one feels when reading this book, and I loved that aspect of it a lot. While I still enjoyed Welcome Caller, This is Chloe a teensy bit more, this is definitely a solid contemporary read too, and I look forward to more from Coriell.
I really love the cover of this book and am not sure why. It must be my addiction to all things blue.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, hon! I love those books that make you think about your own life.
I was so intrigued about this book when I first saw it, and reading your review makes me want to read it even more! I like characters who can grow on me, and that sounds exactly how Rebel is in this book. I'm interested to see what her new perspective on life turns out to be. Great review :)
ReplyDelete-Jessica (Peace Love Books)
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed this one! I've seen it featured on other blogs and at a few publishing events, but wasn't sure if I'd like it. I particularly love that Rebel sounds like an unexpected kind of character and that readers grow as she does. Thanks for sharing!
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