Book Review- Suzanne Redfearn's No Ordinary Life

Thank You to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy of Suzanne Redfearn's novel, No Ordinary Life, in exchange for an honest review. 

PLOT- Estranged from her husband and struggling to make ends meet, Faye Martin decides to move away from the quite countryside to live with her mother in Los Angeles. Faye's family is forever changed, when her precocious four year old, Molly, stars in a viral Youtube video, and is discovered by a Hollywood agent. Soon, Molly is the latest child actor sensation, landing a plum role on a hit show. Can the Martin family cope with Molly's fame?

LIKE- One of the major strengths in No Ordinary Life, is Redfearns ability to create realistic and sympathetic characters. It's the type of novel, where I found myself wondering how I would react if I were in their shoes; like Faye, the mother trying to do the best for her family, or Emily, the eldest sibling who struggles to fit in at her new school and envies the fame of her younger sister. Most sympathetic, might be Molly, a little kid, who just wants to be a kid, not a brand.  No Ordinary Life is loaded with cringe worthy moments and parental mistakes, but none strike a false note, keeping this tale of Hollywood excess rooted in reality.

From an entertainment standpoint, Redfearn grabbed me with her behind the scenes look at the industry. It's evident that she either has personal experience or has spent plenty of time researching the "ins and outs" of child actors and television productions. I found it fascinating.

DISLIKE- The only off-beat storyline was Faye's romance with Griff, a former child actor turned director of photography. There were too many moments where Faye was distant or did something to upset Griff, all of which Griff seemed to easily forgive. The back and forth eclipsed the moments where they had true passion and connected. I don't even remember the connection, it did not make an impact in the greater story. Griff and his protectiveness over Molly worked for me, but his relationship with Faye, did not. To be fair, Redfearn has written such a compelling family drama, with each person in the Martin family having a strong dilemma, that they overshadowed the romance storyline. 

RECOMMEND- Yes. No Ordinary Life is a quick, engrossing read. It's perfect for anyone who has a fascination with Hollywood and celebrity, but also for those who like family dramas. The vibe of this book is summer-beach read, which was appreciated as I read it during a rainy, weekend in January. 

Booksparks 2014 Summer Reading Challenge - Colleen Oakes' Elly in Love

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Elly Jordan's has a lot of things going right in her life. She has recently started dating an amazing man, she has just found out that she has a younger brother and she has been selected to be the florist for a celebrity wedding on a reality show, which will give her business a huge amount of exposure. Naturally, when things seem to be going right, everything starts to fall apart. 

I experienced a book first with Colleen Oakes' novel, Elly in Love. I read the second book in the series, without having read the first. Actually, I had no idea that this book was part of a series, until I hit the end and found out that the next adventure for Elly was coming soon. I'm really particular about reading things in order, however, this being an accident, I can honestly say that it didn't matter that I hadn't read the first Elly book, Elly in Bloom. Elly in Love stands on its own. 

There is a lot to like about this romantic comedy. Elly is an every-woman type of character, much like the appeal of Bridget Jones. She's a bit goofy and clueless, but she has a good heart and it's easy to root for her. I liked that she was a little star-struck with being chosen to participate in a reality show and then even a little more in awe when the celebrity turns out to be a Lindsay Lohan type of train wreck. The story went directions that I wasn't quite anticipating and had good resolutions. I was entertained. I can easily see this story being turned into a Hallmark Channel movie. It's sweet and endearing.

There were a few things that didn't work for me. Occasionally, Ellie was very cutting in her dialogue and it felt out of character. I get that she isn't perfect, but she had moments where she was mean and I didn't like it. I didn't quite get the character of Keith, her boyfriend, until the very last chapter. I didn't understand why she liked him so much, I didn't see it in the story. There was one style choice that Oakes used that could have worked, but fell flat. All of the characters had names, except for a teenage assistant in the flower shop, who was referred to as "Snarky Teenager." This character and her relationship to Elly undergo a major transformation and I felt that by the end of the story, we deserved to have her real name. She was a rounded character and she needed a name. The device of "Snarky Teenager" may have worked at the start of the story, but it overstayed its welcome.

Would I read the other Elly novels?

Maybe.

Oakes is a solid writer and I really liked that character of Elly. I might buy the other stories for a vacation read or a chick-lit pick-me-up. I enjoyed this book, but not enough to immediately rush out and read more Elly stories. I would recommend it for someone in search of a sentimental, romantic comedy.