Review: 'Goose' by Dawn O'Porter

Wednesday, August 19, 2015
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Goose
Dawn O'Porter

It's a year and a half on from Paper Aeroplanes, and Renée is now living with her Aunty Jo. They even have geese, and Renée likes to sit and watch them, wondering if she'll ever find 'the One' - someone who will love her no matter what, and be there for her no matter how bad things get. She and Flo are in their final year at school, and they've got some tough choices to make - like will they go to university? And if so where - and will they go together? Renée's usual ambivalence on the matter shocks Flo, who had assumed they'd continue as they were, the best and closest of friends, forever. She feels as though she needs Renée's support more than ever, so when a handsome young boy enters Flo's life, she finds herself powerfully drawn to his kindness, and his faith. Renée and Flo's friendship will soon be tested in a way neither of them could have expected - and if Paper Aeroplanes was a book about finding friendship, Goose is the novel that explores whether it's possible to keep hold of it.

NOTE: I got this book off NetGalley.

The Big Picture: 

I wasn't sure about this book. To be completely honest, I requested it because it had a cool cover. I skimmed over the description. Barely. Apparently, it's a sequel. I don't think you need to read the first book, though. This book is fine without it.
The characters were pretty good. I liked them the most.
The interesting points the author tried to make were a bit lacking. I did appreciate the effort, though.
The plot was slow and boring. It had a lot of relationship drama. Blah blah blah.
And the information dump! Don't get me started. I didn't like information dumps before, and I don't like them now.
The romance was completely terrible. The girls got boyfriends just because. They didn't need boyfriends. They didn't need the hassle that comes with boyfriends. This could have been a great friendship book, but we got an obnoxious soap opera instead. Thanks but no thanks. 

The Dirty Details: 

I liked the characters. This was the only thing I liked about this book. I thought they had interesting personalities. The brash and out-there Renee. And the shy and quiet Flo. Two opposites. I liked that. I typically like relationships (including friendships) where opposites attract. And they were pretty good friends. Their friendship was overshadowed by the dramatic romance, though. I would have been interested in a friendship book much better.
Their backstories were interesting. A dead father. A standoffish mother. A father who left. And a cool aunt. I was interested in their backstories. Their pasts made them who they were. The deaths they experienced. The sorrow and pain. The joy and bliss. It changed them.

There were some interesting points in this book. How people cope with loss through religion. Innocent first love. Teen pregnancy. It was interesting to see these points being weaved throughout the book. I didn't enjoy it completely, but I appreciated the author's meaning. She was trying to make it seem darker and more meaningful. It didn't succeed because I felt like it fell a little flat, but I appreciated the effort.

The plot was slow. The beginning especially. Nothing really happened. Boring relationship nonsense. It didn't have action or drama. It was two doomed romances. And it's not like the romances were interesting.
The tension came near the end, but it was too late. The plot had bored me. I was ready to move on to my next book.

And the information dump. I didn't read book one, but I didn't need it. I didn't even realize it was book two until I checked Goodreads. (Yeah...NetGalley doesn't tell you everything.) I didn't need the information dump. I could figure things out. It was quite simple. This book could be a standalone honestly. (But I've never read book one.)

The romance was tedious. I felt like there was no need for it. Both girls didn't need a guy. Why did they want one anyways? Why did they want THOSE guys anyways? What was so attractive about them? I don't get it! The girls didn't need anyone. The boys were obnoxious. Add those two together and you get romance! Woohoo!
On top of that, there was no chemistry. There was no spark. It was just hormones talking. I felt like the romance was unnecessary and was only there for some minor drama.


Rating:

2/5


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