THROWBACK THURSDAY

 

Throwback Thursday meme is hosted by Renee@It’s Book Talk and is a way to share some of your old favourites as well as sharing books that you want to read that were published over a year ago. You know, the ones waiting patiently on your TBR list while you continue to pile more titles on top of them These older books are usually much easier than new releases to get a hold of at libraries and elsewhere. If you have your own Throwback Thursday recommendation feel free to jump on board, you’re welcome to use Renee’s pic as well. If you’d just link back to her @ It’s Book Talk she’d so appreciate it.

 

This week my pick is:

 

FROM GOODREADS:

 

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?

 

MY REVIEW:

 

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.