"Brothers Can Be So Annoying Times Twelve"
Reviewed by Susan Dyer
Posted October 3, 2014
Young Adult Contemporary | Young Adult
Jackie Howard has lost her whole family. Her mom, dad,
sister. She is alone in New York with the exception of
her housekeeper.
Her mother's friend, Katherine Walter is about to become
her new guardian
and move her out to Colorado. What...Colorado? What is
out there? How
can she leave the city behind and go live in the middle of
nowhere with all
that clean air? With a heavy heart, Jackie packs up all
of her things and
heads out to the airport. When she gets off the plane and
meets Katherine
a bombshell comes out of Katherine's mouth. She has twelve
boys!
MY LIFE WITH THE WALTER BOYS is a heart tugging tale of
how Jackie
tries to move on from the accident that claimed her
family. Her new life in
Colorado can't be further away from what she once had in
New York City.
There is so much chaos, tons of noise, and bodies
everywhere she turns.
Not to mention that the Walter boys are gorgeous! Still,
Jackie feels guilty
thinking about the boys in that way when her family is all
gone. She's
never had a boyfriend but maybe that is about to change.
Two brothers in
particular are the contenders for Jackie's empty
boyfriend slot. It doesn't
really feel like a love triangle though.
I think Ali Novak does it in a way that haters of love
triangles would still
enjoy MY LIFE WITH THE WALTER BOYS. I think what really
made the
book though was the individuality and uniqueness of every
Walter boy. Ali
Novak didn't gloss over them, mention them once, and
that's it. I really got
to know each one of them and some I even became invested
in. I also
loved seeing the brotherly love between them all. It is
very heartwarming.
I recommend MY LIFE WITH THE WALTER BOYS to all
contemporary
fans, especially ones in need of a book that will hook
them from the start. I
can't wait for the sequel to be released in 2015. I fell
in love with all the
boys and even the one girl, Parker, who was really a
tomboy.
Once I
started reading, I couldn't stop. I felt like I was right
there in the middle of
all the chaos and sitting at the table with them while
they pulled pranks on
each other. The writing is strong, the story line is a
little overwhelming at
times but it's the characters that kept me invested and
turning the pages till
it's all said and done. This is an amusing entertaining YA
contemporary
about family, loss, and finding strength in numbers.
Surviving means living
and it is good to see Jackie with a new family to do just
that.
SUMMARY
From a fresh new voice on the contemporary YA scene, My
Life
with the Walter Boys centers on the prim, proper, and
always
perfect Jackie Howard. When her world is turned upside
down
by tragedy, Jackie must learn to cut loose and be part of
a
family again. Jackie does not like surprises. Chaos is the enemy! The
best
way to get her successful, busy parents to notice her is
to
be perfect. The perfect look, the perfect grades-the
perfect
daughter. And then... Surprise #1: Jackie's family dies in a freak car accident. Surprise #2: Jackie has to move cross-country to live with
the Walters-her new guardians. Surprise #3: The Walters have twelve sons. (Well, eleven,
but Parker acts like a boy anyway) Now Jackie must trade in her Type A personality and New
York
City apartment for a Colorado ranch and all the wild
Walter
boys who come with it. Jackie is surrounded by the
enemy-loud, dirty, annoying boys who have no concept of
personal space. Okay, several of the oldest guys are
flat-out gorgeous. But still annoying. She's not stuck-up
or
boring-no matter what they say. But proving it is another
matter. How can she fit in and move on when she needs to
keep her parents' memory alive by living up to the promise
of perfect?
What do you think about this review?
Comments
No comments posted.
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
|