SYNOPSIS: Charlie Dean is a style-obsessed girl who eats, sleeps, and breathes fashion. John Thomas-Smith is a boy who forges metal sculptures in his garage and couldn't care less about clothes. Both are gunning for a scholarship to the private art high school that could make all their dreams come true. Whoever wins the fashion competition will win the scholarship--and only one can win. Told in the alternating voices of Charlie's and John's journals, this hilarious and poignant YA novel perfectly captures what it's like to have an artistic drive so fierce that nothing--not your dad's girlfriend's drug-addicted ex-boyfriend, a soul-crushing job at Salad Stop, or being charged with a teensy bit of kidnapping--can stand in your way. Rating: 3/5
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. The first thing I want to say about this book is that it was incredibly real. No details spared. Charlie did not hold back in explaining what it's like to having a drug addict as a father and it makes it all feel very close. Like one of your friends casually mentioning that she's given up on trying to keep her dad clean and put it into his own hands entirely. I loved Charlie. She was strong, passionate, kind, patient and friendly. She tried her best to do what was right and be good to the people around her at the same time. She wanted to achieve her goals but not hurt anyone in the process. I also love her bond with Mischa that develops and the way she deals with Mischa's abusive boyfriend. Charlie is an absolute star, one of my favourite characters ever. I tried to like John. I really did. But as the book progressed I just liked him less and less. Even though his cause was nobel, he just did everything wrong in trying to achieve it and took everything around him for granted. Really the only negative thing I have to say about this book is that the middle part seemed to drag on for quite some time. I found myself not really feeling like reading it because nothing was really happening. Fortunately, it sped up for the last third of the book and that part was very good. When Charlie was speaking, she used a lot of complicated fashion terms, which had me annoyed at first but now I realise that this does nicely contrast her passion and knowledge about fashion, as opposed to John, who knows next to nothing. Another small note: I loved Jo and Charlie and I wish their dynamic had been given more attention. It seemed a bit rushed like this and I would've loved to see her relationships as well fleshed out as John's, as his relationships with Booker and Barbra were very nicely described throughout the whole book. Charlie did however get a lot of attention in when it came to her relationship with her dad and Mischa, which was very nice. Overall, I liked this book, but especially for the themes and topics it covered like drug abuse and passion for hobbies. This book is coming out tomorrow (!!) and I would recommend everyone read it, as it I think it can give us all a different perspective on drug addiction. Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/31456511-the-fashion-committee?from_search=true Amazon: www.amazon.com/Fashion-Committee-Susan-Juby/dp/0670067601
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AuthorHi! I'm Marcella. As you might have guessed, I quite like YA books.. Archives
February 2018
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