Jamie McGuire: Beautiful Disaster

Beautiful Disaster
Jamie McGuire
Published May 26, 2011 (Self-Published eBook)
A SIN: B0052VUNHC
361 Pages



Synopsis
Abby Abernathy has a past she is trying to bury, so she moves to a new town with her best friend in tow, adopts a cardigan, attends college, and swears off trouble. Travis Maddox is trouble on legs. He is a womanizer, a fighter, and an anger management needing head case.  When they meet, they challenge each other in weird ways and there is an immediate friendship. A lost bet forces them to share a living space for a month and in the course of that time their friendship is cemented beyond their expectations. Then come the challenges of other people, underground fighting rings, a dangerous stint in Vegas, and a couple brushes with death. This story is a roller coaster ride of ups, downs, I love you, I hate you, I need you, breakups, makeups, and savage intensity.


Musings
I gotta say I had mixed feelings about this one. As is the trend with most successful, self-published works lately– the story was freaking awesome, but the flow, editing, and general organization left something to be desired.

I liked that the book didn’t gloss over how couples fight, how they can love each other to death – but simultaneously hate each other. The characters were emotional, the reactions believable, and the writer actually put time into building a connection between the two main characters!!!  Yes – interaction, budding relationship, a lasting connection observed over time!  It may have been destined, and they had the same instant earth shattering connection as other fictional couples – but like real people, they weren’t declaring their undying love by day 2. I really appreciated that, and it in no way took away from how powerful their relationship was.

However – this tale was a bit creepy. I think the roommate sums it up exceptionally well…

“Do you know what co-dependency is, Abby? Your boyfriend is a prime example, which is creepy considering he went from having no respect for women at all to thinking he needs you to breathe…It’s dangerous to need someone that much. You’re trying to save him and he’s hoping you can. You two are a disaster.”  - Kara, pg. 232.

The hero(?) is Travis Maddox, a overprotective, violent, moody, intense, manic, crazy person. Oh and did I mention codependent?  He fights in an underground fighting ring, over-reacts to every threat to disturb his precious girlfriend’s peace, and should have been arrested on assault charges at least 3 times in the course of the book. I’m a little worried about how this will make young readers feel/act. I can sense that it is honest. These people could be real, their pasts make them what they are and allow them to accept each other – but in no way should the general population think irrational violence is in any way good or romantic. A younger reader may romanticize the fights, but a jaded person can recognize that sometimes crazy needs crazy to be happy – but that doesn’t make them any less crazy.

The Vegas/Mob bit was interesting, but felt out of place with the entirety of the story – probably not necessary. The writer could have found other ways to motivate the characters and give them back story without mucking up the roller coaster ride that is this book.

I really enjoyed it, and might recommend it to others who like similar stuff - 3.5 stars.

-Rita

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