Book Summary (from the book)
Sometimes I wouls see his look in his eye and
think ”Here it begins”, which is
what I always think when I first get together with a guy”
It’s summer on the Jersey Shore, and free-spirited Angel Cassonetti
knows adventure awaits her on the beaches and the boardwalk.
As the long, hot nights pass and Angel’s senior year approaches, things
begin to change. Her adorable sometime-boyfriend, Joey, doesn’t want to fool
around anymore. He’s ready to get serious while Angel wants to stay open to
possibilities. Her best friend, Inggy, who has it all –looks , a steady
boyfriend, straight As, and college prospects—disappears on college tours,
leaving Angel to wonder where her own life will lead after high school/ Feeling
at loose ends, she finds herself getting closer to Inggy’s boyfriend, Cork.
Much closer. But it won’t count.
Sexy, confident Angel is absolutely unforgettable. In Jersey Angel, acclaimed author Beth Ann
Bauman has created a story about secrets, friendship, and lust that’s sure to
make waves.
My Review
I received this book through a give away from Naiche at The Book Girl Reads.
She has pretty good reviews, mostly about YA fiction. Anyway, she gave this
book a good review, but I’m afraid I just can’t concur.
This was not a good book for me. I had a problem with almost everything
happening in the story. First of all, the main character, Angel. Sure, she is
not supposed to be a role model, but just so we are clear, several characters
are not role model, or even good models. But they have something going on for
them!. I mean, this girl apparently is only good looking and into sex,
apparently not matter with whom. Do I mind that someone is sexually active? No.
Do I know that teenagers alike having sex, yes. But what I find ridiculous is
how this girl has NOTHING else going on for herself!. And for that matter, all
of the other characters are just so one dimensional!.
I kept telling myself, hang in there, sure, is a bit annoying the way
they talked, but it happens that sometimes authors want to sound young and
“hip” and end up using too many words that make no sense anymore. But no, my problem was not with the way they
talked, is the fact that they talked about nothing!. Oh but Caro, teenagers are
like that, they ramble a lot…yes that is true in some cases, and during the
fifth book of Harry Potter I was almost going to strangle him if he complained
one more time about how nobody understood him and how everyone left him
abandoned (not big on whinnies) but there was something going on at the same
time, and at the end, something going on for him too.
The best friend is an oblivious nerd, that, although pretty, is just
that, committed to her studies, blind about the fact that her boyfriend is a
big jerk. Is she better character?
No, she is not, I’m afraid. You pass through all the almost 200 pages of the
book, and I swear to you, nothing really happens. Angel sleeps with this guy,
and then with this other, but then is jealous that the first one (who has a
girlfriend) kisses someone else. Oh and there is a pregnant girl, who is in
every party the summer, drinking soda and when she have the baby will be now at
the parties drinking beer…that’s about it with the story.
No I don’t want another book where everyone is a good kid. I realize
that that’s not “the real teenager” behaviour either. But in a world taken by
assault by teenage stories where everyone is supernatural, I was expecting that a book with real life kids and
real life problems wouldn’t be an MTV show on paper.
Am I too old for this book? Is this why I didn’t like it? Maybe…but I’m sincerely
afraid that my cousin who is 16 right now would read this book and actually
feel like this characters are a behavioural option.
