Book Review: The Isle of Youth

3:26 PM




The Isle of Youth by Laura Van Den Berg

At the beginning of the month, I began reading The Isle of Youth thanks to Nylon Magazine's recommendation. I wanted to find something to read during the rest of winter break and this book was definitely a good fit. I have to admit that outside of school I don't read for pleasure too often. This is because I have the attention span of a squirrel sometimes and finding a novel that genuinely grabs my full attention for a long amount of time is almost impossible. Luckily, this novel was broken up into seven unrelated stories that was 20 pages each. This format was extremely ideal for a person like me who craves variety after every 15 minutes.

Another thing that I liked about the book was that majority of the content centered around women from various backgrounds dealing with their daily struggles. Most of these stories are about issues with parents,siblings, spouses, or all of the above. One of my favorite stories to read was I Looked For You, I Called Your NameI could immediately sense the tension and awkwardness in the newly weds relationship. It was obvious that the narrator wasn't really in love with her husband and she spent majority of her time on the honeymoon coming to that sad realization. I found this section so impactful because I have been in that similar position on more than one occasion. Being in a relationship and not being sure of your or your partner's feelings is the worst.

Another one of my favorite stories was Acrobat.This story is about a married couple who travel to Paris in attempt to save their struggling relationship. Unfortunately, the husband leaves his wife in the middle of the Jardin des Tuileres and tells her to catch her own flight home. After the shock of her break-up, she then strolls around the Champs-Élysées and makes friends with a small acrobat troupe. Spending time with acrobats helps her to escape the reality that she is now completely on her own. She slowly but surely forgets about her ex-husband and becomes pleasantly vulnerable. From the story, I have learned that you sometimes can't fix things that are already broken and that guys can be douche bags.

I highly recommend reading this book because it does have something for everyone. Whether you are 16 year-old high school student or a 30 year old lawyer, you will have definitely be able to relate. If you have read this book, let me know what you thought about it. Also, let me know what other books you think I should review next in the comment section below :)


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4 comments

  1. Great book review!! Sounds like a great read!

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  2. Really like your review on this book!! It sounds like a great read and the short stories sound fab! http://amelissab.blogspot.co.uk/ Amy, X

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  3. I'm definitely going to read this now!

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  4. Thanks for sharing, got to look into that book :)
    x Sandra
    www.morestylethanfashion.com

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