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aralston08's review
5.0
*I received an eCopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a book I was so incredibly excited about. I had read Parent's Forty Days and fell in love with her writing style. I was glad to read Precious Things and see that her style (although vastly different genres) was still apparent throughout.
When I first started Precious Things I couldn't help but think that Isabelle was slightly pretentious. However, as I continued I realized she was just a normal 18-year-old girl struggling with a huge let-down and really, a life of let-downs. Where I noticed some readers feeling hostility towards her, I felt empathy and tried to view her situation with an open mind. She continued to grow up and grow on me throughout the story.
As for Evan, he was great. I love that he's not the prototypical NA male. His normalcy is refreshing. Now don't get me wrong, Evan isn't perfect, he has his flaws, but nothing too serious. He's just a generally nice guy and although he respects Isabelle, he also stands up to her when the times arise.
I also really enjoyed the side characters, including Isabelle's brother (Corey), dad, and new friend, Lucy. They all brought their own challenges into Isabelle's life. Her dad presents as one of the biggest challenges. After using her college fund to re-mortgage his small (and somewhat failing) bakery, Isabelle is forced to attend community college rather than the prestigious university she had always dreamed of. She feels resentment and anger towards her father but never feels that she can express it. Between her dad's frivolity and her absent mother, Isabelle has built a wall around her emotions. Evan helps her to realize that it's okay to express all of her emotions. I really loved Lucy. She was silly and funny. She even continued to try to be a friend to Isabelle despite Isabelle's original icy demeanor towards her (and everyone else).
Precious Things is not your typical NA. There are no huge, potentially damaging secrets. It's about two normal people trying to navigate and learn about the world and themselves. I enjoyed that it wasn't about trying to uncover any big mystery but rather about Isabelle realizing and altering her perceptions of herself, others, and the world around her.
Overall, I would recommend this book to someone looking for a New Adult book with a different twist. In addition, I'd just recommend this author's work, period, because she has a real craft for storytelling.
This was a book I was so incredibly excited about. I had read Parent's Forty Days and fell in love with her writing style. I was glad to read Precious Things and see that her style (although vastly different genres) was still apparent throughout.
When I first started Precious Things I couldn't help but think that Isabelle was slightly pretentious. However, as I continued I realized she was just a normal 18-year-old girl struggling with a huge let-down and really, a life of let-downs. Where I noticed some readers feeling hostility towards her, I felt empathy and tried to view her situation with an open mind. She continued to grow up and grow on me throughout the story.
As for Evan, he was great. I love that he's not the prototypical NA male. His normalcy is refreshing. Now don't get me wrong, Evan isn't perfect, he has his flaws, but nothing too serious. He's just a generally nice guy and although he respects Isabelle, he also stands up to her when the times arise.
I also really enjoyed the side characters, including Isabelle's brother (Corey), dad, and new friend, Lucy. They all brought their own challenges into Isabelle's life. Her dad presents as one of the biggest challenges. After using her college fund to re-mortgage his small (and somewhat failing) bakery, Isabelle is forced to attend community college rather than the prestigious university she had always dreamed of. She feels resentment and anger towards her father but never feels that she can express it. Between her dad's frivolity and her absent mother, Isabelle has built a wall around her emotions. Evan helps her to realize that it's okay to express all of her emotions. I really loved Lucy. She was silly and funny. She even continued to try to be a friend to Isabelle despite Isabelle's original icy demeanor towards her (and everyone else).
Precious Things is not your typical NA. There are no huge, potentially damaging secrets. It's about two normal people trying to navigate and learn about the world and themselves. I enjoyed that it wasn't about trying to uncover any big mystery but rather about Isabelle realizing and altering her perceptions of herself, others, and the world around her.
Overall, I would recommend this book to someone looking for a New Adult book with a different twist. In addition, I'd just recommend this author's work, period, because she has a real craft for storytelling.
_camk_'s review
1.0
Precious Things isn't really worth the read.
It's just vapid - the story, the relationship. The relationship doesn't even make much sense in this book. There is no reason for both characters to be together.
It's just a pity party for a girl who isn't really trying to help herself.
It's just vapid - the story, the relationship. The relationship doesn't even make much sense in this book. There is no reason for both characters to be together.
It's just a pity party for a girl who isn't really trying to help herself.
melodicfate's review
4.0
*I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
When I read an excerpt of this book, I knew I had to see what happened to the characters. Since the story involved a girl who was at what she considered the wrong school, as well as taking an electronic music course, it sounded like an interesting New Adult story. And i can happily say that I was right.
Isabelle wasn't immediately likable. I thought she was a bit selfish and whiny, and a bit of a snob since she seemed to look down on community college. However, as that was the whole point of the story, I thought the author did a very good job. Of course, Isabelle does change over the course of the novel, and i did end up liking who she turned into. I loved how she cared about her brother, and the fact that she started to understand her own flaws and to work to change them made her more likable than she would have been, had she not had to grow into that likability.
I did immediately like Evan, however. I loved his little emails, and how he tried to catch Isabelle off-guard. He knew that she didn't like the class, so I loved seeing him try to take her down a peg. Plus, he has a really good backstory, and is just a sweet guy in general. I thought he was a great love interest for Isabelle, overall.
The side characters were well-written, as well. I felt so awful for Isabelle's dad, since he put on this act of cheerfulness, when he obviously was anything but. Both of his children gave him hard times at various points in the story, and he was just such a sympathetic character. I also liked Lucy, who I thought was a lot of good for Isabelle, since she helped her out of her shell. Then, there was Isabelle's English professor, who had a backstory that helped Isabelle see things more clearly. They were all great, and I found the story that much better because of them.
The actual plot was all about Isabelle's perceptions of herself, and how she should be in an Ivy-League college. It also was about Isabelle's home life, which was hard since her mom left. Then, there was the dveloping romance between herself and Evan. All of these elements worked together to become a book about a girl who found out that what she always wanted for herself may not be what she actually ended up doing. It was all about changing perceptions and ideas. I thought it was really interesting.
Overall,I really liked this book. It was an interesting New Adult story, about a girl who learned that her problems were not everything. It was about growing up, maturing, and understanding that sometimes, things don't have to be perfect to be just right. With great themes, lots of character growth, and a nicely-developed plot, I'm definitely happy I read this book.
When I read an excerpt of this book, I knew I had to see what happened to the characters. Since the story involved a girl who was at what she considered the wrong school, as well as taking an electronic music course, it sounded like an interesting New Adult story. And i can happily say that I was right.
Isabelle wasn't immediately likable. I thought she was a bit selfish and whiny, and a bit of a snob since she seemed to look down on community college. However, as that was the whole point of the story, I thought the author did a very good job. Of course, Isabelle does change over the course of the novel, and i did end up liking who she turned into. I loved how she cared about her brother, and the fact that she started to understand her own flaws and to work to change them made her more likable than she would have been, had she not had to grow into that likability.
I did immediately like Evan, however. I loved his little emails, and how he tried to catch Isabelle off-guard. He knew that she didn't like the class, so I loved seeing him try to take her down a peg. Plus, he has a really good backstory, and is just a sweet guy in general. I thought he was a great love interest for Isabelle, overall.
The side characters were well-written, as well. I felt so awful for Isabelle's dad, since he put on this act of cheerfulness, when he obviously was anything but. Both of his children gave him hard times at various points in the story, and he was just such a sympathetic character. I also liked Lucy, who I thought was a lot of good for Isabelle, since she helped her out of her shell. Then, there was Isabelle's English professor, who had a backstory that helped Isabelle see things more clearly. They were all great, and I found the story that much better because of them.
The actual plot was all about Isabelle's perceptions of herself, and how she should be in an Ivy-League college. It also was about Isabelle's home life, which was hard since her mom left. Then, there was the dveloping romance between herself and Evan. All of these elements worked together to become a book about a girl who found out that what she always wanted for herself may not be what she actually ended up doing. It was all about changing perceptions and ideas. I thought it was really interesting.
Overall,I really liked this book. It was an interesting New Adult story, about a girl who learned that her problems were not everything. It was about growing up, maturing, and understanding that sometimes, things don't have to be perfect to be just right. With great themes, lots of character growth, and a nicely-developed plot, I'm definitely happy I read this book.
tracythewriter's review
4.0
I really enjoyed PRECIOUS THINGS. The biggest thing that stood out for me was how well-written it was...Isabelle's voice was consistent and authentic, and the writing "disappeared" within the story, which is a very, very good sign. It was very smooth and a joy to read. The plot took me a chapter or two to get into, but I didn't mind because I was really interested in Isabelle and getting to know her better. This is a "quiet" book, where the characters drive the action, not the other way around. I found that quite refreshing after reading several paranormals recently.
I really enjoyed all the characters and loved all the little details that helped them come alive on the page. The only relationship that confused me, a bit, was Isabelle's relationship with her father. She seemed especially hard on him, dismissive even, and the "but I love him anyway" I was hoping for seemed to kind of be missing. I was also waiting for them to have some kind of confrontation or resolution of their feelings for one another and that didn't end up happening. Ultimately, though, the book wasn't about their relationship, so it wasn't a huge issue for me as a reader.
I loved watching Isabelle and Evan get to know each other better. I can't say enough about Isabelle's voice...seeing Evan through her eyes felt so realistic. I related to a lot of her thoughts about him...and her situation at HCC.
Overall, I would happily recommend this novel to folks who enjoy a good romance, with a leading lady who has a personality, flaws, and depth...and who also has a point of view. I didn't always agree with her take on the world and her relationships, but I appreciated that she HAD a take and didn't seem to bend and change at the will of her creator. Isabelle feels like her own person from the beginning of the story and stays herself, even as she grows and changes throughout the book. So happy I picked this book up! I'll definitely be reading more from Stephanie Parent.
I really enjoyed all the characters and loved all the little details that helped them come alive on the page. The only relationship that confused me, a bit, was Isabelle's relationship with her father. She seemed especially hard on him, dismissive even, and the "but I love him anyway" I was hoping for seemed to kind of be missing. I was also waiting for them to have some kind of confrontation or resolution of their feelings for one another and that didn't end up happening. Ultimately, though, the book wasn't about their relationship, so it wasn't a huge issue for me as a reader.
I loved watching Isabelle and Evan get to know each other better. I can't say enough about Isabelle's voice...seeing Evan through her eyes felt so realistic. I related to a lot of her thoughts about him...and her situation at HCC.
Overall, I would happily recommend this novel to folks who enjoy a good romance, with a leading lady who has a personality, flaws, and depth...and who also has a point of view. I didn't always agree with her take on the world and her relationships, but I appreciated that she HAD a take and didn't seem to bend and change at the will of her creator. Isabelle feels like her own person from the beginning of the story and stays herself, even as she grows and changes throughout the book. So happy I picked this book up! I'll definitely be reading more from Stephanie Parent.
branpender12's review
3.0
It was okay. Typical Amazon cheap short. Cheesy romance and silly storyline.
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