Review Easy by Tamara Webber
Its not often that a book so surprises me and is so Different than the others out there in its category that it literally takes me back and makes me wonder what else I’ve been missing because I didn’t see that one coming. Yea. Thats Easy. Its genius. Its topical, its important, its SUCH an important book for women to read, and its shows and illustrates clearly what a great guy can be like to a girl who didn’t know and to women who desperatly need to be reminded.
When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.
Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex’s frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night–but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.
When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he’s hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.
The description pretty well sums up the gist of the story, but the kicker, the reason this got me to be a champion for it was 2 of the other characters. Jacqueline’s sorority sisters who stand behind her and REFUSE to let her assault stand. They refuse to let her let him get away scot free, and they refuse to let her cave into herself. THey do everything they can to help her, they are her best friends, her champion’s, truly her sisters and its amazing that we have a group of women, not just one best friend but a group of women characters who are so adamant about her getting better and getting help and standing up for herself, its an illustration of what true female companionship and friendship can be about.
The other amazing factor is Lucas. Even when they end up having sex, Lucas and Jacqueline, he’s perfect. He isn’t assaulting her, he asks her at every new step if she is okay, and even when she wants is NOW and HOT and Rough-ish, its not assault because he is checking with her EVERY STEP OF THE WAY to make sure she is with him. Its not some pseudo rape that the girl decides she liked afterwards, he is caring about her from step 1. HE’s not a doormat, but he’s not a dick either. He is simply perfect.
THis is the book I would hand to every 16 year old girl and require her to read before going into her senior year and to college. Its entertaining and its important in the narrative of a girl’s life that she understand the difference between the guy who was great in high school that turns out to be an ass, the guy who is an ass and who would assault you, and the guy who you may not have noticed but who might be utterly perfect.
Overall Rating: A+
