Shiirleyy's Bookshelf has migrated to Dear Shirley ! I will continue to post book reviews but there will also be a lot of personal and travel-related posts :)

Book Review: No Such Thing As Forever by Ali Cronin

24 Aug 2012

Publisher: Penguin Australia
Release Date: July 5th 2012
Format: Paperback

Cass is Ms Monogamy. Ashley is a player. Donna is a party girl. But what about Sarah?

Her friends tease her for being uptight, but she's waiting for the one. Now she's found him, but is he forever - or is Sarah just his summer fling?


To be honest, it’s books like No Such Thing As Forever that put me off reading contemporary YA. I can only say I’m so glad the majority of contemporary books I’ve read this year have been so much better. No such thing as Forever was, most unfortunately, a major disappointment. The characters were dull and irritating; and nothing about the plot intrigued me. I was just glad that this was a quick read, so I didn’t have to spend so much time reading it.

I was so frustrated with Sarah's behaviour throughout the book that I literally wanted to jump inside the book and throttle her. After she met a guy on holiday in Spain, her world quite literally revolved around him. She had an unhealthy and obsessive infatuation with him; something that annoyed the hell out of me. Calling her “naïve” is probably an understatement; “stupidity”, though harsh, is probably a more fitting word. I hated how she deluded herself into thinking she could have a future with a guy who publicly humiliated her, ignored her phone calls, visited her only when it was convenient for him, and…who only wanted “uber hot” sex with her whenever they saw each other. Joe may be a jerk-no doubt about it-, but I found it was Sarah’s own actions that resulted in all the drama that unfolded.  I mean, did it not mean anything when Joe told her point blank that their relationship wasn’t serious? Was that not the time to walk away? While Sarah may be seen as a realistic character- portraying a teenager experiencing love for the first time, I found it incredibly difficult to relate to her. I mean…not ALL girls who experience first love are like her.

So Sarah’s obsessed, and Joe's a (for a lack of better word) douchebag, unfortunately the other characters weren't much better. The only characters I liked were the guys- Ollie(who's so sweet by the way!), Jack and Rich; who, in my opinion  were the only sensible characters in the book. I felt Sarah's three 'best friends' Donna, Cass and Ash were either selfish or just..incredibly dislikable characters. Ash was ungrateful (Is it too much to say “Thank You” after your best friend after she (literally) saved you from death? ) ; and Cass and Donna just….didn’t strike me as great friends. Let’s just say I’m glad these three aren’t my best friends.

No such thing as Forever, most unfortunately wasn’t my cup of tea. I’ve been more tolerant of contemporary books lately, but this just didn’t make the cut. I know many found this realistic, and many of the characters relatable, but, I couldn’t, for the life of me, relate to the characters. However, I’m sure many contemporary fans will find this enjoyable – so, if you love contemporary, then you may want to consider picking this up if you’re in for a speedy Summer read :)


14 comments:

  1. I can't really deal with books where the heroine is obsessed a boy to the exclusion of all else. Thanks for the honest review, Shirley!

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

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  2. Nice post, thanks for sharing! Also nice blog, I'm your newest follower now, and I hope you will follow
    me back, it would be great to keep in touch!


    XOXO


    Ylenia

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  3. Aneeqah @ My Not So Real Life7 September 2012 at 18:43

    I'm not a huge comtemporary fan myself, so I'll definitely be skipping this book. I'm not fond of whiny characters at all, they annoy me SO much! And a bad romance? No thank you. I'll have to pass this one up. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it though! Hopefully, your next read will be much better.=) Thanks for the honest review! <3

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  4. Vivian @ Vivaciously, Vivian7 September 2012 at 18:43

    There'll always be a book or two that's like that, and I think we have that in common, Shirley :/ I'm rather wary of contemporary as well (thank yous to Pushing the Limits for making me like contemporary so much better). Anyway, sorry to hear that this one fell so flat. The girl sounds utterly dim-witted >_< I liked reading your honest review, though! Well, with all those books out there, we reviewers have to set our personal standards somewhere. Thanks for sharing the great review!!!

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  5. Aww, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy this! The characters here sound like they're more trouble than they're worth, especially Sarah. I would NOT be able to relate to someone like her. It sounds like all the signs were there and she should have walked away when she had the chance. I think I'll give this one a pass. Great, honest review, Shirley. :)

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  6. Nicely put review! It doesn't sound like my type of read either. Pity.

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  7. Thank you for posting a blunt review...this needed to be said! :)

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  8. You know...sadly many teenagers read books such as these and think that's ok. Normal even. Ug.

    Thanks for a blunt review! It was perfect for this title! :)

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  9. sounds awfull . tnx 4 the gr8 review

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  10. Well this book sounds amazingly awful... I was gonna check it out - I'm a contemporary fan! But this sounds utterly disappointing and since you usually have great taste in books, this probably won't be my cup of tea either :(


    I've read so many books about girls like Sarah - who get so obsessed over a guy is simply not worth it and it can be so frustrating -.- I totally understand why you'd want to throttle her >.< And Joe sounds like a total douchebag. Urgh, why would a girl even fall for a guy like him? Just ew, don't even wanna meet him :(


    So sad you didn't enjoy this more, Shirley :( I hope it hasn't put you off contemps forever, girlie <3

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  11. Jenny @ Supernatural Snark7 September 2012 at 18:43

    "After she met a guy on holiday in
    Spain, her world quite literally revolved around him. She had an
    unhealthy and obsessive infatuation with him; something that annoyed the
    hell out of me."

    NOOOOOO SHIRLEY!!! I cannot deal with young adult heroines like this, I need them to stay strong when they meet a love interest, and I want that love interest to enhance what's already there in the heroine instead of turning her into something she wasn't previously. I think I'll be passing on this one, but really fantastic review!

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  12. Thanks for your honest thoughts, Shirley! To be quite honest, I'm not sure if this book would be for me. Sarah doesn't sound like a character I particularly want to read about, and contemporary books aren't always the first to grab me anyway. It's a shame this disappointed you, but I hope your next read it better! Lovely review. :)

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  13. Aw, sorry this wasn't for you, Shirley. The characters do sound incredibly annoying, and I'm sure they would grate on my nerves. Anyway, thanks for the honest, wonderful review.
    By the way, new follower vis GFC. Love your blog.
    Jessica :) xxx
    www.bookedupbloggers.blogspot.com

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  14. cass_wordsonpaper7 September 2012 at 18:47

    I'm a contemporary fan, but I just can't get into books that seem to JUST be about a romance. So I'll be giving this one a skip. Good on you for giving it a go though. I know how hard it can be to finish reading something when you just don't like the characters at all.

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