Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell
Vassar Spore's Dad is a Efficiency Expert and her Mom is a Life Coach and they want Vassar to go to...yes, you guessed it Vassar. Vassar (the girl) has her life planned out years in advance and nothing will mess it up, until her Grandma blackmails her parents to send Vassar to Asia to help her during the summer. Vassar hates the idea, but of course, begins to live more on-the-edge like her artistic and flighty Grandma. The characters are really unlikeable and exaggerated, so NAY for me.
posted by Kip @ 7:42 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Vassar started off rather Princess Diaries Mia-like with her list of goals and insufferable self-esteem/ego issues. However, she improved greatly (eventually). Hanks was fabulous. Her friends thought similarly of Wayne and Sarah in Vassar's novel.
Kip is right that characters aren't likable -
Cornwell's Acknowledgment #2 "My sister, Dancia Childs, fan of textured, viturally unlikable heroines adventuring in exotic locals, who wanted me to write the book we'd always wanted to read."
So the characters are supposed to be that way, and parallel to Vassar's novel, they are supposed to become likable (I think). It mostly works, but I was weary of the poor me, whinyness of Vassar. She takes her grandmother's bait and switch better than I expected. Vassar pulls through, there are humorous parts. The tale might console or counsel an over-planned, over-achiever (see what disaster may befall you without a plan! and you might learn something, or hark, even enjoy it), and the glimpses of Laos and Cambodia might spur a reader to know more.
NAY
nit pick - so much detail goes into Vassar's parents' planning that I am surprised they (or the narrator) didn't make a big deal about going to the gate with an unaccompanied minor. Non-travelers haven't been able to go to the gate since 2001 without special permission, ID verification, gate pass, etc. I was surprised this wasn't mentioned on the lists.
Glossing over customs didn't bother me as much, but as Vassar freaked about other travel things, this seems a daunting experience (which line do I go in, what do I say and what new stamp goes in my passport?)
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