Summer Reading: Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry

Goodreads summary:

A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life, she doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend, and basically doesn't know who she is or what she really wants from life. Working two part-time jobs to save money for college hasn't helped her make decisions about her future, so she decides it's time for a change. She leaves home to live with her free-spirited, slightly eccentric Aunt Daisy in a small town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time. When Emma meets Nicholas Shaw, everything changes - he's unlike anyone she's ever met before, the kind of man she didn't even know existed in the 21st century. Carefree and spirited like Daisy, Nicholas teaches Emma to appreciate life, the beauty around her, and to just let go and live. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes that you don't always need a plan - sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be.
Life is wonderful, an endless string of blue sky days, until Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer, and life changes once again for Emma in ways she never thought possible. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her new-found strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.


LONG  STORY SHORT:

This book was not for me. I do understand that some people actually really liked it but I found it dull, cheesy and totally unoriginal. The first half was just straight up boring, the turning point exactly what I expected and the ending unnecessarily dramatic and - again - predictable.

REVIEW:

I wanted to have Blue Sky Days for a while because the synopsis really appealed to me and then I was so happy when I got it for a really good price on Amazon. Also, I've read a pretty good review about it that encouraged me even more.

This is the first review that I'm writing that I'm afraid will probably turn into a rant. I was so disappointed with the book. Not only with the plot but with most characters, as well. I did finish it but I found it boring and even annoying which is why I'm trying to cut this review short.

PLOT:
Nothing unexpected happened. The author informs the reader about a thousand times of the evil that the protagonist's mother is and gives several examples for that. Then we can see how as soon as the main character moves in with her aunt and her life turns perfect in a sec. She makes friends, gets along with her aunt. You won't believe it but even the people she meets on the sidewalk are  so much nicer than those in her hometown! Her new room and clothes and food and the weather - everything is great now that she left behind her mean mom!

Characters:
One word: Flat. Okay, maybe I'll give you a little more than that. They were also perfect. Her boyfriend was EVERYTHING you could wish for in a boyfriend, her aunt was understanding, carefree, happy, a great friend and adult and the total opposite of mean mom. Then there's her boyfriend's dad who also is perfect and the friends she makes (whom we almost never see in the first half of the book because they seem to be working 24/7 - literally!) and they have a perfect relationship, as well. Did I forget someone? Oh. Yes. Perfect dad.

THE ENDING:
So, so cheesy. And totally expected. I would turn around and tell my mom (who was sitting next to me, listening to my complaints) what I think would happen and it totally did - every single time! And it was so cheesy - I couldn't even believe it!

WHAT I DID LIKE, THOUGH: The title. It fit the story perfectly!

HOWEVER:
This is only my opinion. The opinion of a ranty, sarcastic highschool-girl without any life experience. I thought this book was a waste of time and money - that doesn't mean you're going to think this, too. Maybe this is exactly the type of book some people with different taste love. I'm even sure there are (people like that, I mean), because Blue Sky Days has gotten pretty good ratings on Goodreads (3.75 at the moment) and because there are some very positive reviews for it, like here.




I'm afraid this book won't get a Smartie from me.