Good morning, inkpoppers! On this spring Saturday we bring you a review of Gwendolyn Heasley’s Where I Belong from Precious of Fragments of Life.
Of herself Precious says, “I’m a 19 year old college student taking up Bachelor of Arts in European Languages, major in Spanish and minor in German. I review YA books, mostly paranormal romance, urban fantasy and dystopian.” Visit Precious at Fragments of Life to check out more of her reviews; for now, lose yourself in Where I Belong.
“‘Where I Belong’ reminded me of ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’. The narrative of Corrinne reminded me of the narrative of Rebecca Bloomwood, only with a toned-down shopaholicism and a youthful voice. She was real and flawed, materialistic and image-conscious, rich and would never even glance at the price twice before holding out her credit card. At least, that was what she was like BR – before the recession. AR – after the recession, Corrinne’s perfect life started to change and transform into something that resembled what she would call unbelievable.
“It was easy to lose myself in the pages. It was an inspiring story. While she was plotting on how to escape Broken Spoke, she met Kitsy, a cute and friendly cheerleader – the one who will be her truest friend, Rider, a gorgeous emo musician, who will be her crush, and Bubby, an annoying and nice jock. Corrinne struggled with her bitterness, her homesickness and her jealousy of Waverly, her perfect best friend living her perfect life without Corrinne. But Corrinne realized that living with her grandparents, going to a public school, having her mother as her roommate and living in Broken Spoke in general, where the most exciting thing was football, was not so bad after all.
“What I really loved about ‘Where I Belong’ were its characters and its humor. The characters were unforgettable. I felt like I lived with them. With Broken Spoke as the setting, the materialistic sides of the characters were dimmed. Life was simple and monotonous for some but I think it was the perfect situation to be grateful with their blessings. It was also the ideal learning experience for people that lived in the city, like Corrinne. Everything that was glamorous and expensive was stripped away. What was left behind was something so pure and ever-present, something people usually take for granted. I got to see the family dynamics too. It was fascinating and intriguing. I loved it.
“‘Where I Belong’ is an engrossing contemporary debut novel with a sweet and charming character that will leave you wishing for a sequel. I recommend this to fans of contemporary novels, Chick Lit reads, and ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’!
Rating: 5 Cupids!”
Thank you to Precious of Fragments of Life for stopping by to chat with us about Where I Belong.
Over to you…have you read Where I Belong? If so, what did you think of it? If not, will you be picking this book up during your next trip to the bookstore and/or library?
Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Erika (aka inkpoperika)
Inkpop Blog 