REVIEW--Goodbye, Rebel Blue

Happy Tuesday!  Tuesdays are officially my least favorite day of the week (which I'm not alone on and probably inspired this book).  And today it's foggy.  So a blah-looking Tuesday.  So let's review a book I loved to cheer it all up, ok?!

Today's review is on Goodbye, Rebel Blue by Shelley Coriell.  The cover is so striking (of course, I AM obsessed with all things blue).

• Realistic fiction
• Standalone novel

The Gist:
Rebecca (Rebel) Blue is what her nickname replies--rebellious.  She lives with her cousin, aunt, and uncle after her mom passed away and she just doesn't fit into their suburban, rule-following lifestyle.  After-school detention is no surprise for her, but it is for goody two-shoe Kennedy Green.  When Kennedy and Rebel make out bucket lists as an after-school detention assignment, Rebel doesn't take hers seriously.  But Kennedy is killed on the way home that night and Rebel finds herself completing the items on Kennedy's bucket list in her honor.

What I Loved:

• Rebel doesn't complete Kennedy's bucket list exactly as written. She has to be creative in finishing the list (gondolas/kayaks), and I think this is a good lesson--sometimes your big dreams can be closer than you think.
• Rebel's own bucket list is hilarious--vacuum a magic carpet?!
• The story is fast-paced and engaging.
• There was strong characterization here--not as fluffy as I first expected.

What I Didn't Love:

•  A police officer hints that Kennedy's death wasn't an accident, but that's as far as that plot line goes.  I would have loved for that to be explored.
• The story was a little predictable.

My favorite quote:
"I try to live fully and passionately in the moment without a bucket list, but maybe other people need one to get them started."

A fun read that gets you inspired to live beyond the typical day-to-day.  Four stars for me!

 
Don't forget to watch my YouTube channel!  I'll be back with a Rebel-inspired outfit!