Categories
Just because a book is categorized as New Adult doesn't mean that you have to be on the early end of adulthood to enjoy the story. By definition, New Adult books are written with main characters who are older teen and early twenties. The subject matter is typically that of a coming-of-age story, a first love, or something that is of interest to "new" adults. If it is a romance book, the romance scenes are not graphic in detail, but are meant to stir feelings of love and attraction in the reader's mind.
After I read this recently published book, I placed it gently on my imaginary Top Five Favorite Books Ever shelf. I don't even know what book I kicked off of the shelf to make room for The Sea of Tranquility, but whatever it was didn't compare. This book is breathtaking. It is simply lovely. It is heart-warming, heart-breaking, and tear-jerking. Anyone over the age of 16 would find the story and characters compelling to read. This is one of those books that stays with you forever as you wonder in the back of your mind the how's, what's, when's, and what's going on now with them? thoughts. Drop everything and read this book.
The two main characters are taken quickly outside of their comfort zones and thrust into the lives of the other, each saving the other from a past they would both like to leave behind. For those readers who have a history with sexual assault, Easy may be a difficult book to read. In the same respect, the author puts the characters into situations that could teach those who haven't been subjected to violence ways to defend themselves if they are ever put into such situations.
Meant to be read together, Slammed and Point of Retreat are two books that together tell the story of two people who have to grow up quickly, but find they can do it better together. The key word of this story is "angst." There's a whole lot of it to go around, but thankfully it's not annoying to the point that you want to shake the characters. All of the angst and emotion is drawn from situations out of their control, all a part of the story that leads the two main characters to be worthy of one another.
You're really not meant to like the main male character in Beautiful Disaster, but it wouldn't be a romance if he didn't warm your heart shortly into the plot. As a hero, he's rough, tough, and a true bad boy juxtaposed against the innocent heroine. But that all makes for a good coming-of-age story where she rescues him from his tragic life and in turn she leaves behind her innocence. The follow-up book, Walking Disaster, will be released in 2013.
I'm including The Opportunist in this list not because it is a college-age, young adult-centric story (which it is not), but because the author doesn't find it necessary to be graphic in her descriptions of the few romance scenes. Nor is this book a romance, but the underlying theme of the book is one of love and love lost. I reviewed this book on Goodreads where I said it is "a definite must-read if you like your heart ripped out, stomped on, and left for a bloody death," and for that reason, I think all newly initiated (and seasoned) adults could learn a few things from the disaster of the character's stories.
Angie Lynch is a Native Floridian without a tan, probably because she spends her days hard at work inside on the magical internet. For the past several years, Angie has worked way too hard at building clout as an influencer in food and margaritas as well as being a source for laughable pop culture commentary on her blog, A Whole Lot of Nothing. In addition to that nonsense, Angie recommends books on Smut Book Club, is a contributing writer to Mom.me, spreads the word of Awesome at We Know Awesome, and tries to be a very professional content creator for local business blogs. Stalk her properly on Twitter @alotofnothing and on Facebook.