The Book of Luke Book Review

Before I say anything else, fans of Jenny O’connell may hate me for this review. Why? – Because I think Luke is a jerk.

Well that was the initial idea of his character when you start reading it but after all of that and even in the ending, I still thought he was such a jerk! He needs to learn a lot and you know what they say, people won’t change unless they themselves want the change.

Okay, since the book was titled after Luke, obviously, it revolves around him. Here are the reasons why I think he is such a jerk:
1. There was the scene where Josie told him about the truth about Emily’s experiment on him. Then he salvaged the “Book of Luke” from the trash bin and announced in front of the entire school about what Emily had done even though Emily had already backed out from it which made Em look like a total bitch. I know what Emily did was wrong, but if he truly loved her even though he was really upset, he could have talked with her personally rather than raising the issue in a crowd that would hate Emily in the end.

2. In the end Emily apologized for everything she did, but no apology came from Luke. He didn’t admit that what he did was wrong and that he was the ultimate jerk for doing it (you may correct me on this one if I made a mistake about it.)
– This also leads me to Emily’s other friends. Lucy and Josie. I mean they were also part of the plan to reform Luke but when Em confessed that she really fell for him, her “so called” friends just played bitch on her. What is up with that? They forgave her but they didn’t admit that what they did was wrong too. There wasn’t any “sorry” that came from them. Some friends huh. I know that real friends forgive friends and act like it wasn’t such a big deal but I was really waiting for: “We were in it too. We pressured you to make Luke fall for you. Sorry, Em.”
Again, what is up with that?

There wasn’t anything that came unexpected. No mystery, no nothing. I had figured out most of the book in the beginning already. The author didn’t even succeed in making me understand what it was with Emily’s father. She wasn’t able to address the issue properly (- or perhaps I failed to understand for the lack of family issues I have in my own household. I dunno.)

Another thing I realized was that I felt that I have already seen the plot in a lot of movies. Like “how to break up with a guy in ten days”?

Obviously I didn’t like the book as much but I don’t regret reading it either. I know I’m starting to turn into the bitch myself but I’m just giving my unbiased view on the book. Well actually, I do have some good points about it. I mean it’s a young adult book and Luke after all is still considered a kid and he still has tons to learn when dealing with relationships and girls. That must be the reason why he was such a moron in some parts. Plus he still acted sweet in some parts like when he took Emily to the Celtics- Chicago game, when he came to see her when she was babysitting for the Brocks, everytime he waited for Emily during lunch hour, whenever he opened the door for her and when he told Emily that he got accepted to the school he wanted to get into, plus he knew how to make jokes and be humorous in unlikey situations. Ding! Ding! Ding! Major points for Luke and for Miss O’connell. But aren’t boyfriends supposed to act that way already?

Here’s another thing or quote I’d like to point out in the book as well (How much more can I bitch about a book). When Emily said in the end:
“I guess relationships are just funny like that. It’s impossible to figure out why some work out and others don’t. Why someone can be so imperfect and still be the perfect person for you. Maybe, in the end, it’s not about changing the person you care about. Maybe it’s about learning what you can live with. Or maybe it’s really about learning what you can’t live without.”
– I REALLY LIKED THAT PART and I wrote that on all caps. Yes, there’s actually a part I liked! What she said was entirely true. That’s how you know you truly love a person, coming from someone who’s been there first hand – “someone can be so imperfect and still be the perfect person for you “(been there but decided not to stay there. Anyway…)

I’m sorry but I have to give this book a 4.5 rate. It’s NOT the lowest I have given but it is the lowest I have given for the reviews I have published.

Other notes: I noticed that Miss O’conell’s agent is Kristen Nelson. I can’t believe Miss Nelson refused my novel where the plot was about a rape victim who was trying to come out with the truth. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was how I worded each phrase in the book that had me turned down? But its not it. I am now re-reading my novel “The Game of Dare” (again) but really that’s not it.

Please don’t hate me for this review. I am just saying my unprejudiced view of the book. For all it’s worth, I do envy Jenny O’connell for the fact that her novel got published and my work is still accumulating imaginary cobwebs in my computer.

~ by TM on December 20, 2009.