Book Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Mcguire

Beautiful Disaster 

by Jamie McGuire 
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Australia/Atria Books 

Release Date: August 14th 2012

Format: Paperback

Purchase: Book Depository 

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book as addictive as this one. I have to admit, I was captivated from the very first page;and no matter how much I tried to not like it, I couldn’t stop myself from continuing on. McGuire’s writing is like my own personal drug- it killed me to stop reading it for even 1 second. I just had to know what would happen next, and what would become of Abby and Travis’s relationship. Beautiful Disaster may not be my favourite book ever, but it’s certainly the most addictive book I’ve read to date.

Our main character, Abby, was surprisingly likeable considering I had already decided that I most likely wouldn’t like her based on the blurb. Despite the blurb mentioning Abby as a “good girl”, I personally wouldn’t call her that. Yes, she works hard. Yes, she enrolled at Eastern Uni hoping to begin afresh. But she drinks. She swears. She partys.. We only see her “good girl image” for literally 2 pages, and then she starts partying and going out.  I guess it was the fact that she wasn’t such a “goody-goody” that made me like her. I had initially thought (before I even read the first word) that she was the soft, submissive type who agreed to anything and did everything the first guy she meets asks of her. But I was pleasantly surprised when Abby turned out to be determined, tough and stood her ground. There were definitely a few times when I was annoyed with her *cough*two-timing*cough*, but for the most part, I found her likeable.

Travis’s behavior in the book has certainly garnered much attention from readers everywhere. I’m not going to lie; he’s violent. He’s impulsive. He’s hot-tempered. He’s unpredictable; and he certainly meets the criteria for the kind of guy that girls (or maybe just me) avoid. But he’s hot. He’s sweet. He’s loyal. And no matter how dysfunctional relationship with Abby is at times, I couldn’t stop loving the two as a couple. I think that Travis’s character should however, only exist in fiction; in the real world, I’d think the relationship/his character would be a different story. But regardless, I adored the two as a couple!

I should probably warn you (yet again) that this book is insanely addictive. It’s not the sort of book I’d purposely encourage you to read - I’d tell you to tread with caution rather than scream at you to devour it immediately. It all depends on what sort of book you tend to enjoy. However, if you DO decide to give this a shot, make sure you read it during a time when you won’t be interrupted. (Chances are, if you end up loving it, you won’t be able to put it down, OR you’ll have to suffer 20+ hours of not reading it and almost dying in the process. Like me!)

Beautiful Disaster surpassed every expectation I had, and despite it being a lengthy novel, I wanted it to never end. I didn’t want to stop reading about Travis and Abby. Even after I finished the book, I was desperate to re-read some of my favourite scenes! I’m officially in love with this book! I officially cannot for Walking Disaster, out next year! :)