Book Review: Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

10/26/2017

SYNOPSIS

Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

Synopsis from Indigo.ca

PERSONAL REVIEW

I should start out by saying that I’m a huge Meg-Ryan-in-the-90s fan, so the inspiration of You’ve Got Mail was an instant grab to me. I fell in love with this book and have already reread it a few times since it was first recommended to me.

What I Liked:

A Really Cute Love Story: This seemed like such a classic 90s love story to me (obviously updated for 2017) and I had so much fun reading it. I love seeing how Bailey and Porter learn to be friends and then start dating. They were a lot of fun to read and I loved seeing their relationship develop. I actually think one of the best things about them is that they help each other be stronger; I loved that at the end of the book we find out that Porter is taking part in surf competitions again and that he and Bailey aren't worried about how their relationship. They are confident in themselves and in each other, and it's such a great reminder that the best relationships are the ones where couples boost each other up.

{Personal Side note: This really resonated with me because I lived in London, UK for a year and my husband (boyfriend at the time) was never anything but supportive, even though we were apart for a year. People would constantly ask me if I was worried about being apart and how our relationship would last, and I was always so sad by this mentality. If you're in a relationship where you can't trust your partner or if they can't support you're decisions, then it's the wrong relationship. My year abroad was an amazing experience and it only brought my husband an I closer as a couple.}

Good Movement of the Story: This was an easy book to read because the storyline moved pretty seamlessly. It was easy to put myself into the story and feel the anxiety, and love, that Bailey feels for Porter, as well as her relationship with Grace. I don’t think enough is said about this friendship, but I loved that we got to see more than one relationship develop in this book. Friendships are just as important as romantic relationships, and Grace is pretty awesome.

Strong Characters: Bennett did a good job creating well-rounded characters that have depth. I like that Bailey, Porter, and Grace all have backstory’s and are not solely defined by this one summer. They all have difficulties that they are trying to overcome (ok, Grace’s was more about her long-term boyfriend but it’s nice that a secondary character also has a life outside of the main characters) and we get to see that develop.

A Big Problem For Me:

I HATED the way that Davey was portrayed. Drug addiction is an incredibly serious issue, and at no point was this addressed as a problem out of his control. Instead, he is the scapegoat villain of the book and his addiction used as a cheap storyline instead of the very real problem that it is. I was pretty ashamed of the way Bennett portrayed him; it’s sadly too common that people become addicted to painkillers and often move to heroin, which is not a drug that you can simply “stop doing”.

Anyone watching the news in the last year knows that opioid addiction is on the rise, and that there are numerous lawsuits underway against doctors who were overprescribing these addictive drugs. Addiction is a serious mental health issue and is not something that people can just stop on their own; it’s by no means fun for their family and friends, but everything Davey does is a cry for help and he is dramatically let down by his family, friends, and the cops. It was upsetting to read about this character and I think Jenn Bennett really dropped the ball on his portrayal.

Overall, I thought this was a great book. I had a fun time reading it and I love the way that the relationship between Bailey and Porter developed. And it’s even better to know that although their lives are bringing them in different directions, they will continue to figure out a way to make their relationship work. It’s a quick and fun read and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a cute love story.

FINAL RATING: 4.5/5