Review Detail

Love, love, love this book! It was unputdownable from the first page, up to the last. Sarah Ockler is one of those YA contemporary authors who actually writes books with normal characters mostly dealing with ordinary family problems. They are just like us and that's the reason it's so easy for me to relate to one or two of them.

You can tell a lot about an author from the way they shape their characters. They can be determined, perky, sarcastic, brave, loyal, witty, modest, independent and so on. I think that some of the authors share pieces of themselves in their novels so even if I started reading a book without the cover I would know who wrote it. And that is what it's all about! Readers recognizing your writing style and setting your work apart from the rest.

I think I need to point out that this blurb is not entirely correct. First of, the romance part of the book is talking up around %30 of the book while the part where Jude helps her father who's suffering from Alzheimer's, takes the rest 70%. Not that I didn't mind. The love interest, Emilio is in the story right from the start but catching his eye wasn't the priority back then.

So, this is a story about Jude, a high-school graduate who's spending her last summer as a kid looking after her dad, who's recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. She's trying to cheer him up by restoring his old bike so they hire a mechanic to fix it. Complications start after Jude realizes the guy fixing Valentina (the bike's name) is non other than one of the infamous Vargas brothers. Vargas Bros. broke hearts of her two older sisters so Jude is trying to push Emilio away only this time, Emilio is apparently so not like the rest of Vargas pack. He makes Jude question her loyalty to her family and but it takes more than a guy with dimples to get under her skin. She did try to stay away from him but their connection was just evident.

This book was brilliant. This is my favorite Ockler book, so far. If you're looking for a book with normal teenage character without too much drama, to brighten up your day I suggest you pick The Book of Broken Hearts up! Now!

What a brilliant last chapter. It made me cry. So touching. It was almost as if I was there with them. I can't wait to read Ockler's next book. Why does it need to come out next year? Ugh! S&S peeps need to give this lady a better contract, where she will be a slave, writing books all day long so we can enjoy every few month and not have to wait a whole year for another taste. Am I right?