Monday 8 October 2012

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Publication date: 14th August, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Links: Amazon | The Book Depository | Goodreads
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 2.5/ 5 stars
[from goodreads]

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.
 Um, this book... just wasn't for me.

I hate starting my review on such a note but it just wasn't. It wasn't like I had ridiculously high expectations for Beautiful Disaster or anything. I've been told that it's quite the guilty pleasure. But I wasn't looking for more than a college romance I could escape into. I found the university setting, instead of the usual high school setting, pretty refreshing. And yes, the chemistry between the characters was mind blowing. There were times when I was chortling and at other times, completely taken in by the emotional roller coaster that was Abby and Travis's relationship.

But half way into the book, I was just... bored.

I started rolling my eyes at almost every plot device; from the bet to Vegas to the fiery climax.

And eventually, I got really annoyed.

Abby and Travis are complete opposites. Abby is projected as the prototype of a "good girl" while Travis is a mountain of issues vented out in a floating fight ring through which he earns money to pay for his tuition. But at times, I didn't think Abby and Travis were all that different at all. Travis may be a walking One Night Stand but Abby had an equal amount of issues with commitment. I cringed every time she led Parker -a privileged boy who had the hots for Abby as well- on.

Abby, despite her past and fears, didn't have to go hot and cold with Travis either. It broke my heart every time Abby switched gears in their relationship without any prior warning. It didn't help that all the "obstacles" in Abby and Travis's relationship felt cliched and manufactured.

Yes, Beautiful Disaster is well written and nothing more or less than what it promises to be: a guilty pleasure. The secondary characters aren't all that bad. I really liked Abby's best friend, America. But I couldn't stomach the main character and illogical twists and turns in the plot.

Abby and Travis's story was more of a "disaster" than a beautiful disaster for me: filled with cliches and well, Abby.  I was in fundamental disagreement with almost every decision she made throughout the book. If you're looking for a sexy drama-filled romance set in college, Beautiful Disaster might be for you. It's just not something I loved or would personally reccomend.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

10 comments:

  1. I had lots of problems with Abby. She ruined my overall enjoyment. I wish she wasn't the main character.

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  2. Sorry this didn't wow you. Abby could get on your nerves..i agree.

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  3. I completely understand your points, Ajoop. I was hoping to enjoy this book as a guilty pleasure more than anything, but it didn't work for me either. I felt it was poorly thought-out, what with the constant plot detours. The Vegas trip especially made me roll my eyes.

    Anyway, lovely honest review, dear! :)

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  4. Finally someone who is on the same wavelength as me. ;)

    I enjoyed the book to a point, but was SO annoyed with Abby...and pretty much their entire relationship. It was good, but a lot of it just didn't feel "real".

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  5. I feel the same way! This book was compelling for me in the beginning, super easy to read but after a point I was like UGH and flipped to the end. I'm glad I didn't read the whole book because it really veered there. Eesh. Thanks for the honest review!

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  6. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this book. I really liked Beautiful Disaster but I guess it's not for everyone.

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  7. Oh, I'm sorry that this book isn't for you! I tried reading this few months ago and to be frank, I was too annoyed by Abby to really enjoy the story LOL! Abby doesn't sound very... er, smart for me. Maybe I'm just not into good girl-bad guy thingy LOL! But still, I guess it's an okay read for a guilty pleasure. ;)

    Awesome review as always, hun! <3 Missed talking to you so much! <3

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  8. I've heard completely mixed reviews about this book, so I'm never sure if I should give it a try, the way you describe it sounds like you need to have a lot of patience, which at the moment don't seem to have. I think I will pick this book up one day, but not just yet.. a lovely honest review Pooja! :)

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  9. Hey girl, Sorry I haven't been by, Something Wicked is keeping me so busy. This is one of those books that I just don't know what to think, I have a feeling my feelings would be more in line with yours, I have read countless good and bad reviews on this one. It defintely is a love or hate book! Hope school isn't kicking your butt!

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  10. Thanks to you, I won't waste my time. :-)

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HI. Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment. :)