Tuesday, April 4, 2017

My Thoughts: Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30312700-alex-approximately
Alex, Approximately
by Jenn Bennett
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Publication Date: April 4th 2017
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9781481478779
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary
Source: Netgalley

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In this delightfully charming teen spin on You’ve Got Mail, the one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.

Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...

When I first discovered Alex, Approximately, I knew it was a book that I would HAVE to read, especially since it's a spin on the movie You've Got Mail, which happens to be my most favorite movie ever. (Seriously, most favorite movie EVER.) I was super excited to get my hands on a review copy of the book, as I just couldn't wait to get started on it. Unfortunately my life did not let me read it right away, but once it hit the top of my TBR I dove right into it, and I loved every minute of it.

There are a lot of really great characters in the novel. I found the main character Bailey to be extremely relatable in so many ways, but mostly as an evader. Yep, that's me. Her dad is pretty awesome also, as is Grace, the new friend she meets in California. Then there's Porter. Ah, Porter... are you real? Because he's seriously a great guy, and I love the relationship and the romance between him and Bailey. Sigh. Also, he has a pretty great family as well.

The setting for the book was wonderfully described, and totally made me want to visit California. The beach. The fog. The surfers. Yes, please! I really enjoyed the storyline as well. It makes me want to watch movies in the backyard! And while it has its own spin to it, I could definitely see the influences from You've Got Mail, and that just made me like the book even more. I read the book in about 2 days time, and I would have finished it sooner had I not been so busy, but I really enjoyed it all.

As I mentioned above, I love that Bailey is such a movie buff. I, admittedly, am not... but it's something that I'm in the process of working on! There are a lot of great movies mentioned in the book, and I made as list as I was reading, and I'm hoping to watch them all soon! Is that the coolest idea ever, or what??

Overall; I really, really enjoyed Alex, Approximately, and it will definitely be a welcome addition to my bookshelf! This is a book that I will probably read and reread over and over again, just like I do the movie You've Got Mail. And, of course, I'm now even more curious to check out books by Jenn Bennett!!


3 comments:

  1. I'm happy to hear that you liked this one so much! I'm hoping to read it soon.

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  2. Nice review! I am currently reading this one and so far I like it. I love the movie references. I still haven't seen North by Northwest though I loved Bringing Up Baby which is one of Bailey's favorites. I hope you enjoy the movies!

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  3. I. Loved. This. Book. I shared many of your thoughts regarding Alex, Approximately. It is the exact type of contemporary that makes my heart happy. Great review!
    Sam @ WLABB

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