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Rating: 
Summary: Extraordinary novel!
Review: Natalie, we are told on the back cover of SHE'S THE GIRL, loves love. But the reader quickly learns that Natalie loves more than just love: she loves life, which appears to come at her at truly dizzying speeds. Natalie's road trip starts out in the tamest of ways: a quest to find True Happiness With An Old Boyfriend (who hasn't been down that road, be honest!); and I have to admit that I was initially a trifle disappointed in her motive and quest. However, it is quickly apparent that Natalie herself has no idea what she really wants, and her journey allows her to sample from a veritable smorgasbord of ideas, lifestyles, relationships, and emotions. Some might say that she grows up -- but what I see is her growing *into* herself, into the person that she is in the act of becoming. And there's nothing more fascinating than that to observe.
Brooks' style is no less eccentric -- and captivating -- than the evolution of her protagonist. Her sentence structure frequently (and one has to think intentionally) ignored the rules of style as her words appear to tumble over each other in their eagerness to be read.
A thoroughly wonderful book, SHE'S THE GIRL will both comfort and provoke. I cannot recommend it enough.
Rating:
Summary: A funny, moving story.
Review: She's the Girl is a quick moving road trip with delightful characters and unforeseen twists that really kept my attention. The scenes are depicted vividly with such clarity, I felt as if I was with the characters in the moment. Brooks has a colorful sense of humor along with subtle wit that helped lead me to see the deeper more complex side of how a young woman sees love. I was hooked on the story from the first chapter. I believe each reader can relate to some aspect of his/her real life experience with that of a character in She's the Girl. I applaud Brooks for her unique, descriptive style and thank her for sharing it in She's the Girl.
Rating:
Summary: A unique journey of personal growth and truth
Review: She's The Girl is one of the most enjoyable adventure novels I've read in a long time. It is also an emotional journey from start to finish that will leave you wanting more. I was drawn in from the first page and had a hard time stopping so I could go on about my day. The style of author Susan M. Brooks is prolific, realistic, whimsical and a no nonsense approach that speaks volumes to anyone considering how love affects them. This story is infectious and smart. We are introduced to some dynamic characters, offering their own life story and experiences along the way. These inhabitants could be your friends and neighbors or the people you only dream of getting to being acquainted with. The journal-like novel follows our main character Nat on her travel to North Dakota in hopes of marrying the man she has dubbed as her soul mate. Along the way she comes in contact with some of the most eccentric people she's ever known, who in turn draw her into their unique yet complex lives. We first meet Trina, a carefree wild child hitching a ride in the rain to marry a convict. As the pages turn we learn of attention-seeker Madeline, Mexican Bob, and Ivy an older woman with her own ideals of love and how it fits into our lives. Everyone has quite a tale to tell. She's the Girl isn't your typical love theme by any means, but instead gives us insight into one learning about themselves and gathering a wealth of knowledge about the one subject that eludes us all; love. Through Nat we learn there are no right or wrong answers in love, and sometimes it's the illusion that gets in the way of reality. I appreciated the author's ability to bring the reader in and create so much compassion for the characters. Here is a story that is genuine, down to earth, quirky, and filled with more emotional prose than one could imagine. It's real, raw, and will make you laugh out loud. It's a book that will be talked about and remembered for its sheer honesty and a drive that will surpass time. There is so much more here than meets the eye. I tried to put it down and but found it difficult to not find out what was going to happen next. Read and enjoy and look forward to more from such a talented writer.
Rating:
Summary: A unique journey of personal growth and truth
Review: She's The Girl is one of the most enjoyable adventure novels I've read in a long time. It is also an emotional journey from start to finish that will leave you wanting more. I was drawn in from the first page and had a hard time stopping so I could go on about my day. The style of author Susan M. Brooks is prolific, realistic, whimsical and a no nonsense approach that speaks volumes to anyone considering how love affects them. This story is infectious and smart. We are introduced to some dynamic characters, offering their own life story and experiences along the way. These inhabitants could be your friends and neighbors or the people you only dream of getting to being acquainted with. The journal-like novel follows our main character Nat on her travel to North Dakota in hopes of marrying the man she has dubbed as her soul mate. Along the way she comes in contact with some of the most eccentric people she's ever known, who in turn draw her into their unique yet complex lives. We first meet Trina, a carefree wild child hitching a ride in the rain to marry a convict. As the pages turn we learn of attention-seeker Madeline, Mexican Bob, and Ivy an older woman with her own ideals of love and how it fits into our lives. Everyone has quite a tale to tell. She's the Girl isn't your typical love theme by any means, but instead gives us insight into one learning about themselves and gathering a wealth of knowledge about the one subject that eludes us all; love. Through Nat we learn there are no right or wrong answers in love, and sometimes it's the illusion that gets in the way of reality. I appreciated the author's ability to bring the reader in and create so much compassion for the characters. Here is a story that is genuine, down to earth, quirky, and filled with more emotional prose than one could imagine. It's real, raw, and will make you laugh out loud. It's a book that will be talked about and remembered for its sheer honesty and a drive that will surpass time. There is so much more here than meets the eye. I tried to put it down and but found it difficult to not find out what was going to happen next. Read and enjoy and look forward to more from such a talented writer.
Rating:
Summary: A funny, moving story.
Review: There are not many books that can draw me in so much, that I end up reading the entire book in one day. This book however, did just that-I became so enamored with the story, that I needed to find out what Natalie was going to do next, what character she would run into, and more importantly, how the story would end. What I love about this book so much, is that I'm able to see everything that Brooks describes. It becomes so real, as if I'm apart of the story, eavesdropping on a conversation between Nat and Trina. "She's the Girl" is a book that I know will not be sitting on my bookshelf, never being touched again. It's a book that I'm going to read again and again and still like it as much as I did reading it for the first time. Everyone has had their experiences in life, realizing that it's not at all what they had planned it to be--not finding a sports car in your driveway with a big bow on it for your sixteenth birthday, that your twenties will never turn out to be like an episode of "Friends", and having that perfect man you have fantasized about for about ten years is just that, a fantasy. Life is full of unexpectations and "She's the Girl" is a book that captures that rule so well.
Rating:
Summary: You'll be glad you read it.
Review: What a great book. Terribly stimulating and funny. It keeps you hooked from page one. I swear I was there riding in the car. Susan M. Brooks can write. She has an easy flowing style, not like many I've read in a long time. She keeps you captivated. 292 pages and I was done in 3 days. Working days! I didn't want to put it down. You want to know what's going to happen next. Parts of the book brought back memories of schoolhood that I had forgotten about. You'll laugh out loud and maybe even cry a little bit. Remember the "fresh girls"? You will!!
I recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Susan M. Brooks.
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