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mslenakay's review against another edition
4.0
Reading The Travel Auction made me feel as if I was going on a journey to South America along with JC and Angel. I was so attached to the characters and the story that it was hard for me to believe that they were not real people and that this story didn't really happen. Mark Green writes in the voice of both JC and Angel and does a very good job of it. He was able to make them have two distinct personalities and was very good at writing in the narrative of a woman. The Travel Auction reads as if JC and Angel both kept diaries and Mark Green took those diaries to tell their story. The fact that it's all fiction is astonishing and amazing.
I was pleasantly surprised when I read this book. When I finished the book and realized it was inspired by seeing a blind woman climb Machu Picchu I was very surprised. The way this was written had me convinced that it had been based off real events, more than just one event. Knowing this all came from Green's mind is incredible.
I very much enjoyed this book, but I hesitate giving it 5 stars because I felt there were loose ends with the email Angel's husband (ex-husband?) sent about new technology for getting vision back. It would have been interesting to see her take on it, whether she would want her vision back or not. I also thought the sex on the beach (literally) could have been done a bit more tastefully. I don't care that it was on a beach, but to just do that in front of so many people so publicly isn't romantic in any sense of the word. That part took away from the characters for me, it seemed too unreal compared to other events of the story and other character traits. That part just didn't work for me.
What I really did appreciate was that their looks weren't important and it was all about who they were as people, because that's what life is really about. So many books describe everyone as good looking and attractive and that gets a lot of mention, but other than one or two people saying how JC looked, without giving away too many detailed description, there was very little focus on their looks, which I really found wonderful.
I definitely recommend this book as I think it can teach us a lot about how we view people in general.
I was pleasantly surprised when I read this book. When I finished the book and realized it was inspired by seeing a blind woman climb Machu Picchu I was very surprised. The way this was written had me convinced that it had been based off real events, more than just one event. Knowing this all came from Green's mind is incredible.
I very much enjoyed this book, but I hesitate giving it 5 stars because I felt there were loose ends with the email Angel's husband (ex-husband?) sent about new technology for getting vision back. It would have been interesting to see her take on it, whether she would want her vision back or not. I also thought the sex on the beach (literally) could have been done a bit more tastefully. I don't care that it was on a beach, but to just do that in front of so many people so publicly isn't romantic in any sense of the word. That part took away from the characters for me, it seemed too unreal compared to other events of the story and other character traits. That part just didn't work for me.
What I really did appreciate was that their looks weren't important and it was all about who they were as people, because that's what life is really about. So many books describe everyone as good looking and attractive and that gets a lot of mention, but other than one or two people saying how JC looked, without giving away too many detailed description, there was very little focus on their looks, which I really found wonderful.
I definitely recommend this book as I think it can teach us a lot about how we view people in general.
ennime713's review against another edition
4.0
WOW what a funny and inspiring story. I read The Travel Auction as a traveling book for Books, Wine and Girl Talk and I'm very glad I joined this fun event because otherwise I would probably have missed this awesome story. It's not one I would have likely picked up on my own because it sounds a little weird at first.
Jonathan Cork has planned a three month trip through South America with his girlfriend but just days before the trip his girlfriend leaves him with non refundable tickets. Not only does he need to find a new traveling companion, he needs one who matches the name on the tickets. Thanks to an eBay auction he actually finds himself a "new" Kate Thornly and with that a wonderful adventure starts.
I laughed out loud a lot, cried a little and felt very inspired by this wonderful read. I'm looking very forward to Mark Greens next book.
Jonathan Cork has planned a three month trip through South America with his girlfriend but just days before the trip his girlfriend leaves him with non refundable tickets. Not only does he need to find a new traveling companion, he needs one who matches the name on the tickets. Thanks to an eBay auction he actually finds himself a "new" Kate Thornly and with that a wonderful adventure starts.
I laughed out loud a lot, cried a little and felt very inspired by this wonderful read. I'm looking very forward to Mark Greens next book.
bookworm_enni's review against another edition
4.0
WOW what a funny and inspiring story. I read The Travel Auction as a traveling book for Books, Wine and Girl Talk and I'm very glad I joined this fun event because otherwise I would probably have missed this awesome story. It's not one I would have likely picked up on my own because it sounds a little weird at first.
Jonathan Cork has planned a three month trip through South America with his girlfriend but just days before the trip his girlfriend leaves him with non refundable tickets. Not only does he need to find a new traveling companion, he needs one who matches the name on the tickets. Thanks to an eBay auction he actually finds himself a "new" Kate Thornly and with that a wonderful adventure starts.
I laughed out loud a lot, cried a little and felt very inspired by this wonderful read. I'm looking very forward to Mark Greens next book.
Jonathan Cork has planned a three month trip through South America with his girlfriend but just days before the trip his girlfriend leaves him with non refundable tickets. Not only does he need to find a new traveling companion, he needs one who matches the name on the tickets. Thanks to an eBay auction he actually finds himself a "new" Kate Thornly and with that a wonderful adventure starts.
I laughed out loud a lot, cried a little and felt very inspired by this wonderful read. I'm looking very forward to Mark Greens next book.
thepaperreels's review against another edition
4.0
Awesome book!! Its hilarious. I love KT2! I hope there's a book 2, goodjob author!
bananatricky's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
How to categorise this book?
Jonny and his girlfriend have spent months planning a three month trip around South America, then shortly before they are about to leave he finds her in flagrante delicto with the plumber.
Jonny has already paid for the whole trip. Unfortunately, he has a nut allergy and needs to travel with someone capable of injecting him before he goes into anaphylactic shock. For a laugh his friend suggests advertising on eBay – the catch is that the companion has to have the same name as his ex-girlfriend as the tickets have already been issued.
Kate’s best friend bids on the holiday on her behalf and tricks her into going to the airport to meet Jonny.
There are lots of surprises which I won’t spoil but it was a great story, apparently partially based on truth.
The story is alternately narrated by Jonny and Kate almost like diary entries or TV interview. It is also a personal travelogue of their journey following the tourist trails in South America. Most of all, it is a personal exploration for each of them about issues from their pasts. The last comment makes it sound boring and it is anything but. I loved Kate and grew to love the man Jonny became.
Highly recommended as a plate cleanser after wall-to-wall YA/NA and military romances leavened only by Magic Rises.
How to categorise this book?
Jonny and his girlfriend have spent months planning a three month trip around South America, then shortly before they are about to leave he finds her in flagrante delicto with the plumber.
Jonny has already paid for the whole trip. Unfortunately, he has a nut allergy and needs to travel with someone capable of injecting him before he goes into anaphylactic shock. For a laugh his friend suggests advertising on eBay – the catch is that the companion has to have the same name as his ex-girlfriend as the tickets have already been issued.
Kate’s best friend bids on the holiday on her behalf and tricks her into going to the airport to meet Jonny.
There are lots of surprises which I won’t spoil but it was a great story, apparently partially based on truth.
The story is alternately narrated by Jonny and Kate almost like diary entries or TV interview. It is also a personal travelogue of their journey following the tourist trails in South America. Most of all, it is a personal exploration for each of them about issues from their pasts. The last comment makes it sound boring and it is anything but. I loved Kate and grew to love the man Jonny became.
Highly recommended as a plate cleanser after wall-to-wall YA/NA and military romances leavened only by Magic Rises.
mayarend's review against another edition
5.0
Today we're going to discuss "The Travel Auction" a wonderful book by Mark Green. I had the most amazing time reading it, really liked it, and I believe you are going to like it too, so read on and then read the book!
On one side we have Jonathan who just broke up with his long time girlfriend, Kate Thornly, because of a nasty cheating shortly before they would leave for a three months' trip to South America. The agency refuses to change the name on the ticket and he can't go alone because of a very severe nut allergy that can kill him (specially in places with new food, different languages, all that). Jon decides to do an Ebay auction, looking for a Kate Thornly willing to travel with him in exchange of being ready for nutty emergencies (no pun intended. Ok, maybe a bit).
On the other side we have Angel. Kate Angela Thornly. Angel is pretty, young and a nurse. Perfect! Jon chooses her... Except she's blind, well, pretty much, can't see more than shapes from very close by. And she didn't really enter the auction or submit her picture, her friend Maria did it for her. They set off to adventure either way, it's not like Jon has much of a choice after KT2 (Kate Thornly the Second) proves she's quite able of both handling herself as well as a possible nut allergy reaction.
They head off to Buenos Aires and, as we can guess, of course they don't get along well at first... It's not easy to adapt to a different place or different people, but adapting to another continent, language, people AND someone with impared sight, that's a very tough job.
KT2 is bubbly, cheeky, funny and likes to use her blindness to laugh at people. Jon is a cold analyst, someone who likes to plan things, organize and follow strict rules and plans. KT2 makes him rethink that.
After their first moments, they start to get more at ease with eachother, with Jon having to describe everything he sees, KT2 having to trust someone she doesn't know and who is, by her book, a very boring person and not at all someone she would choose to be around. Jon didn't know how he felt about the trip before he went on it. His mother incentived him, before she died, and so he, an uptight analyst, goes on a spontaneous and barely planned trip.
What we see, later on, is two people learning with each other and working their differences out. It's a book about boundaries and trust, about seeing the wonderful world around us and not just passing by. It's a book about a blind girl climbing the Inca Trail, up to Machu Pichu, and making me incredibly jealous. I love traveling and I live much closer to Machu Pichu than England and yet -I- have never been there. I would love to live on the road, seeing the world, meeting new people, learning new things, eating different foods. So far, I'm left stuck here, waiting for the start.
What really touched my heart, though, was that the Inca Trail is real (I SO want to climb it someday!) and that there was a blind girl that finished it and inspired the author to write the book. Inspired me to do a lot, too.
On one side we have Jonathan who just broke up with his long time girlfriend, Kate Thornly, because of a nasty cheating shortly before they would leave for a three months' trip to South America. The agency refuses to change the name on the ticket and he can't go alone because of a very severe nut allergy that can kill him (specially in places with new food, different languages, all that). Jon decides to do an Ebay auction, looking for a Kate Thornly willing to travel with him in exchange of being ready for nutty emergencies (no pun intended. Ok, maybe a bit).
On the other side we have Angel. Kate Angela Thornly. Angel is pretty, young and a nurse. Perfect! Jon chooses her... Except she's blind, well, pretty much, can't see more than shapes from very close by. And she didn't really enter the auction or submit her picture, her friend Maria did it for her. They set off to adventure either way, it's not like Jon has much of a choice after KT2 (Kate Thornly the Second) proves she's quite able of both handling herself as well as a possible nut allergy reaction.
They head off to Buenos Aires and, as we can guess, of course they don't get along well at first... It's not easy to adapt to a different place or different people, but adapting to another continent, language, people AND someone with impared sight, that's a very tough job.
KT2 is bubbly, cheeky, funny and likes to use her blindness to laugh at people. Jon is a cold analyst, someone who likes to plan things, organize and follow strict rules and plans. KT2 makes him rethink that.
After their first moments, they start to get more at ease with eachother, with Jon having to describe everything he sees, KT2 having to trust someone she doesn't know and who is, by her book, a very boring person and not at all someone she would choose to be around. Jon didn't know how he felt about the trip before he went on it. His mother incentived him, before she died, and so he, an uptight analyst, goes on a spontaneous and barely planned trip.
What we see, later on, is two people learning with each other and working their differences out. It's a book about boundaries and trust, about seeing the wonderful world around us and not just passing by. It's a book about a blind girl climbing the Inca Trail, up to Machu Pichu, and making me incredibly jealous. I love traveling and I live much closer to Machu Pichu than England and yet -I- have never been there. I would love to live on the road, seeing the world, meeting new people, learning new things, eating different foods. So far, I'm left stuck here, waiting for the start.
What really touched my heart, though, was that the Inca Trail is real (I SO want to climb it someday!) and that there was a blind girl that finished it and inspired the author to write the book. Inspired me to do a lot, too.
willowmorgan's review against another edition
4.0
This book was both enjoyable and fun, I recommended.
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