Ace's Reviews > Pearl
Pearl
by
by
** I was sent a copy of Pearl in exchange for an honest review! **
It took me a while to finish Pearl, but not from the lack of plot rather more a reading slump. I am not one to lean on contemporary fiction. I usually stick to fantasy and science fiction, but something about the synopsis of Pearl drew me in. I wish I hadn't taken so long to finish it because it was a surprisingly good read. Pearl is a story that is mostly steered by the characters rather than exciting events, which sets it apart from most of the contemporary young adult books out there. Pearl is a girl with a troubled life, she has a "has been" famous mother who is addicted to drugs and not only does she struggle with a face for the crowd but she has her own demons to battle as well. Pearl goes from struggling with homelessness and battling with her mother to a posh private school where she has the chance to turn her life around. Though turning her life around is not going to be easy, she somehow manages it with the new life she's being given.
Pearl struggles a lot. She struggles with fighting the past and fighting for a future where she is not defined by the actions of her past or even that of her mother's own history. Tying in dead rock stars only made the plot that much thicker. I was really impressed with the way the story went, thought it contains several drug and alcohol references, so this story could potentially be triggering to those who have struggled with this in the past.
Pearl is filled with very realistic characters. We get to know our main character very intimately and the characters around her are fleshed out, giving them purposes to the story rather than keeping them there as background noise. Everything from volatile parents and friends to a character who's meant to be loved, but even with that attraction comes a struggle to make things perfect. The story is a constant reminder that Pearl's life may not be perfect but she has the means to handle it all. She has the drive to keep her head above the flood waters and I think that's what kept me reading.
Hall writes a beautiful story with a perfect mixture of reality and gritty contemporary themes that keep you turning the page. I thought the writing was absolutely beautiful. Reading Pearl has made me want to add "Sugar" to my TBR pile.
It took me a while to finish Pearl, but not from the lack of plot rather more a reading slump. I am not one to lean on contemporary fiction. I usually stick to fantasy and science fiction, but something about the synopsis of Pearl drew me in. I wish I hadn't taken so long to finish it because it was a surprisingly good read. Pearl is a story that is mostly steered by the characters rather than exciting events, which sets it apart from most of the contemporary young adult books out there. Pearl is a girl with a troubled life, she has a "has been" famous mother who is addicted to drugs and not only does she struggle with a face for the crowd but she has her own demons to battle as well. Pearl goes from struggling with homelessness and battling with her mother to a posh private school where she has the chance to turn her life around. Though turning her life around is not going to be easy, she somehow manages it with the new life she's being given.
Pearl struggles a lot. She struggles with fighting the past and fighting for a future where she is not defined by the actions of her past or even that of her mother's own history. Tying in dead rock stars only made the plot that much thicker. I was really impressed with the way the story went, thought it contains several drug and alcohol references, so this story could potentially be triggering to those who have struggled with this in the past.
Pearl is filled with very realistic characters. We get to know our main character very intimately and the characters around her are fleshed out, giving them purposes to the story rather than keeping them there as background noise. Everything from volatile parents and friends to a character who's meant to be loved, but even with that attraction comes a struggle to make things perfect. The story is a constant reminder that Pearl's life may not be perfect but she has the means to handle it all. She has the drive to keep her head above the flood waters and I think that's what kept me reading.
Hall writes a beautiful story with a perfect mixture of reality and gritty contemporary themes that keep you turning the page. I thought the writing was absolutely beautiful. Reading Pearl has made me want to add "Sugar" to my TBR pile.
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