Friday 13 February 2015

Book Review: The Year We Fell Down

The Year We Fell Down

Author: Sarina Bowen

Publisher: Rennie Road Books

Genre: New Adult Romance

Synopsis: Starting college is hard. Starting college in a wheelchair is harder. The cute boy next door can make it easier...or he can make it harder.

Thoughts: This is the first book in Bowen's The Ivy Years series. I've already reviewed book 3, The Understatement of the Year and this one is also good. Not quite as good, but I think it will be hard to top that book with a "regular" romance book. In the romance genre it does stand out. The characters are likeable and easy to relate to.

I think that Corey's struggles were portrayed very well. I don't know anyone who has had such a life changing injury but I know the desire for something that was, and also the trap of always being happy. Not to mention feeling like you don't quite fit. 

 Although there was some infidelity it didn't feel bad. I am very much a "people need to define their own relationships" and to me as a reader both parties in the relationship were in some form of agreement on the parameters of the relationship.

For me the living arrangements took me back to my own college days so I think that influenced my views on the book, the whole boyfriend across the hall is something I remember with fondness :)

One thing I have been thinking about while reading these books is the casual underage drinking. I am not naive enough to think that drinking doesn't occur, and I like that in many respects the characters take care of each other when they have had to much to drink. However, as a teacher of New Adults/Teenagers it makes me uncomfortable. I know we drank a great deal in college and I am trying to see the characters actions through that lens and not my teacher lens, but when the boys buy the girls alcohol I have a hard time with it. I guess I am getting old. In part I like that Bowen presents what I know is a realistic view of what happens on a college campus, but at the same time the fact that the drinking doesn't have any consequences apart from a hangover bothers me. I am quite conflicted here. 

Copyright ©2015 Zee from A Tea Stained Page. This post was originally posted by Zee from A Tea Stained Page. It should not be reproduced without express written permission

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