Collaboreads: August

I first learned about #Collaboreads from Kristin's blog and the bookworm in me rejoiced.

Finding new books to read is a never-ending quest for me so this link up is pure gold.  Here is the criteria:

A theme for the month is chosen

Pick your book

Read.  You get a whole month!

Review your book and link up with Amber and Rachel

August's book theme was "set in the summertime" and Anne Lamott's Imperfect Birds fit the bill. 

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

"Rosie Ferguson is seventeen and ready to enjoy the summer before her senior year of high school. She's intelligent-she aced AP physics; athletic-a former state-ranked tennis doubles champion; and beautiful. She is, in short, everything her mother, Elizabeth, hoped she could be. The family's move to Landsdale, with stepfather James in tow, hadn't been as bumpy as Elizabeth feared. 

But as the school year draws to a close, there are disturbing signs that the life Rosie claims to be leading is a sham, and that Elizabeth's hopes for her daughter to remain immune from the pull of the darker impulses of drugs and alcohol are dashed. Slowly and against their will, Elizabeth and James are forced to confront the fact that Rosie has been lying to them-and that her deceptions will have profound consequences."

Riveting:

This was a page-turner for me. The mundane details of every day life intrigues me. Add in being a mom to two daughter's, coupled with remembering my high school days made this feel like a recounting of a friend's life over coffee (which is really weird because I don't drink coffee. I kid, I kid ;)

It was mind-blowing to think high schoolers these days live such fast lives but then looking at the World, it isn't far-fetched.  Just sad. And scary.

Elements:

I related to both mother, Elizabeth and daughter Rosie, though in a much lesser extent. Minor characters were fully realized; even if I did not like them, I still wished them the best.

I kept rooting for Rosie and she kept disappointing, but by the end I still wanted more, so I think that's a sign of a good book!  And!  I did not know this but this is the third book in a series all about the Ferguson Family and I will get to read more!

Associate:

The mother-daughter relationship, the coming-of-age summer, the profound outcome of personal choices reminds me of Jodi Piccoult's Song's of the Humpback Whale. Just grittier and less romantic.

Design:

The cover did not catch my eye, I handled this book twice on different occasions before checking it out. I am a Lamott fan (Bird by Bird, Junior year AP English) so I should have known it would be good. Layout and font were easy on the eyes, no complaints.

Stars:

5 out of 5

I would definitely recommend this book!  I'm one of those annoying readers who likes everything to end neatly, wrapped in a bow with complete closure. I didn't get that here but it was worth that internal struggle. Plus, I got to imagine my own happy ending so I wasn't too disappointed.

Linking up with Amber and Rachel.