Sugar Lump
Megan Gaudino
Published by: Evernight Teen
Publication date: January 17th 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old travel blogger CC is stuck on a never-ending road trip with her wanderlust-addicted father. When her dad lands the job of his dreams in Sugar Lump—wedding capital of the world—CC finally finds a place to call home. Complete with two quirky best friends and a quixotic guy to crush on, Sugar Lump is more shades of perfect than she can possibly count.
But when CC accidentally overhears the mayor complaining that she has to “take out” a rogue employee for not fulfilling the terms of his contract, the idyllic town’s facade crumbles. Devastated by the possibility of having to move yet again, CC discovers everyone has been keeping a massive secret from her—including her own father.
Review:
A mystery AND a quirky small town?! I was 100% sold as soon as I read the synopsis - I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy!
What I Liked:
- The Setting - Sugar Lump (a.k.a the wedding capital of the world) is an interesting place to say the very least. Think The Stepford Wives meets Desperate Housewives - everything is perfectly manicured and on the surface the people seem flawless. However, like that show and movie, nothing is nearly as perfect as it seems. There's mystery, deceit, and possible murder hiding below the surface!
- The Mystery - While it wasn't the most suspenseful mystery ever, I still enjoyed seeing it unfold. CC put on her Veronica Mars hat in this one and dove right in - hunting through offices, asking the tough questions, and getting people to truly question what was going on. It made the book move at rapid speed.
- The Main Character - CC is sarcastic, determined, and 100% her own person. When the book first begins, CC is hoping and praying that Sugar Lump will finally become her home. After moving from city to city with her father over the years, CC craves normalcy in the form of a permeant address and longtime friends. I could really feel CC's emotions in this respect, and I wanted her to finally get her HEA in the form of Sugar Lump. As the book progresses, CC stars to find her place. She makes friends, finds a new outlet for her photography, and begins to feel at home, and when all these things begin to fell threatened, CC doesn't stand still. Additionally, I liked the relationship between CC and her dad. They were a dynamic duo, and I always loved their back and forth banter - think Gilmore Girls.
What I Didn't Like:
- The Ending - It was crazy...and not in a good kind of way. I don't want to say too much about it; however, I will say it wasn't what I was expecting and honestly I felt that it didn't really jive with the rest of the book. I was expecting something very different...something drastic and hard-hitting. Instead, I got something incredibly happy but so unbelievable. Don't get me wrong I love a happy, everything-works-out kind of ending, but it was just difficult to fully accept it.
- The Romance - The insta-love is on high here, and while I think insta-love can work in some cases if it's done well, it didn't work that well here. I didn't feel a connection between CC and her love interest. It felt like it was more based on the "forbidden aspect" than anything else. Plus it sometimes felt very superficial. More times than not it involved CC swooning over his good looks and bad boy feel than getting to truly know him.
End result? While I had my issues with Sugar Lump, it was still a fast paced and enjoyable read overall. The setting and mystery is what made this book, in my opinion, and I look forward to seeing what Megan writes next.
3 stars!!
Author Bio:
Megan Gaudino works in a high school library by day and on her own books by night. She’s made up of a mixture of black clothing, iced coffee, and a desire to go adventuring. Those things sort of come together naturally to form a writer. She lives in Pittsburgh where you can find her reading, writing, and Instagraming.
GIVEAWAY!
Sugar Lump sounds great. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a fun read! Desperate Housewives was def a guilty pleasure show of mine! Glad you liked it! :)
ReplyDeleteA comprehensive review thank you.
ReplyDelete