Review by jwalker73 -- My Trip to Adele
Posted: 23 Jul 2017, 08:15
[Following is a volunteer review of "My Trip to Adele" by A.I.Alyaseer, R.I.Alyaseer.]
3 out of 4 stars
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My Trip to Adele by A.I. Alyaseer and R.I. Alyaseer is a fictional novel that follows the story of three culturally diverse people, the complexity of relationships in their lives, and their personal struggles for freedom. The underlying theme that connects these unique characters is Adele’s music. Each person can identify lyrics from Adele’s songs which resonates with what they are currently feeling or going through.
The first protagonist introduced is Elias, who travels from his homeland in Rome to Marrakesh, Morocco, in search of a girl from his past. His memory of this girl has prevented him from moving forward in life and so he sets out to find her. The second character is Yaser, who lives in Las Vegas. Yaser finds himself in a marriage which, although initially based on love, has since become mundane. Nowadays the only commonality he shares with his wife is the love for their children, so he searches for a way to return the relationship to what it once was. The third protagonist is Nadia, who resides in Amman, Jordan. She is a single mother who just wants to be able to give her son experiences without being restricted by her controlling ex-husband. All three characters learn that Adele is holding a concert in Verona, Italy, and hope that their attendance at this concert will hold the key to addressing and resolving their individual problems.
I rated this book 3 out of 4 stars. I found the novel easy to read, with characters that were likeable and diverse. I was immediately drawn into the book as the settings were described in such detail that I was soon transported to each location. It took my mind on a tantalising journey to places I have never been. I also appreciated the fact that, while each of the protagonists were vastly different, everyone’s story had some aspect, whether large or small, that the reader could relate to.
Although I considered this book to be an easy read, many of the themes had the potential to be controversial. Some of the revelations may ‘shock’ the reader but I feel they have been included to provide some insight in to the fact that, in certain countries, these practices are sociably acceptable and a part of daily life. I think the non-judgemental way the authors wrote about these topics helped to keep the focus on the story they wanted to share. This unprejudiced way of writing may also make this story more appealing to a wider range of readers and cultures as it ultimately accepts each culture for what it is.
Another aspect I enjoyed was the unpredictable ending to this book. I had been expecting a ‘happily ever after’ outcome whereas it ended up providing a much more realistic conclusion. I think this made the book more memorable as it left the reader with opinions and views open for further thought or discussion. It also highlighted that freedom often comes with a price.
The main reason for scoring a three rather than four-star rating for this novel was because I felt that the way lyrics were used throughout the book was somewhat excessive and not always beneficial to the storyline. The authors frequently quoted lyrics from Adele’s songs in, what I assume was, a way of reinforcing the connection between these otherwise diverse characters and stories. While this concept had the potential to work, and be very powerful, I found that routinely using them to conclude each chapter soon became both monotonous and distracting. I also felt that, by the end of the novel, the authors, too, were struggling to find some aspect significant enough to warrant these lines being included. Perhaps the selective use of lyrics carefully interwoven throughout the story, rather than routinely at the end of each chapter, would have given more credibility to their worth and have a greater impact on the reader. I do not think reducing the frequency of lyrics would detract from the binding theme as the stories of the characters, and their personal reasons for seeing Adele’s concert, were powerful enough to maintain that connection. As the story progressed I found it easier to skip over the lyrics as I often got side-tracked trying to recognise the music and song rather than taking in the actual words and their significance.
This book would appeal to readers who appreciate descriptive writings that allow their imagination to travel to distant places. Readers who do not value in-depth descriptions may find themselves losing interest before reaching the actual theme of the story. I also think that the reader needs to have the ability to read a story for what it is and not get tangled up in potential social or ethical issues. While this book refers to often taboo subjects, the authors have only described these practices as a normal part of a specific culture and have, in no way, tried to discuss these topics in detail. Adele fans may also find a deeper meaning to the lyrics used throughout the book and be able to appreciate them more than I did.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading some more fictional work by these authors.
******
My Trip to Adele
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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3 out of 4 stars
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My Trip to Adele by A.I. Alyaseer and R.I. Alyaseer is a fictional novel that follows the story of three culturally diverse people, the complexity of relationships in their lives, and their personal struggles for freedom. The underlying theme that connects these unique characters is Adele’s music. Each person can identify lyrics from Adele’s songs which resonates with what they are currently feeling or going through.
The first protagonist introduced is Elias, who travels from his homeland in Rome to Marrakesh, Morocco, in search of a girl from his past. His memory of this girl has prevented him from moving forward in life and so he sets out to find her. The second character is Yaser, who lives in Las Vegas. Yaser finds himself in a marriage which, although initially based on love, has since become mundane. Nowadays the only commonality he shares with his wife is the love for their children, so he searches for a way to return the relationship to what it once was. The third protagonist is Nadia, who resides in Amman, Jordan. She is a single mother who just wants to be able to give her son experiences without being restricted by her controlling ex-husband. All three characters learn that Adele is holding a concert in Verona, Italy, and hope that their attendance at this concert will hold the key to addressing and resolving their individual problems.
I rated this book 3 out of 4 stars. I found the novel easy to read, with characters that were likeable and diverse. I was immediately drawn into the book as the settings were described in such detail that I was soon transported to each location. It took my mind on a tantalising journey to places I have never been. I also appreciated the fact that, while each of the protagonists were vastly different, everyone’s story had some aspect, whether large or small, that the reader could relate to.
Although I considered this book to be an easy read, many of the themes had the potential to be controversial. Some of the revelations may ‘shock’ the reader but I feel they have been included to provide some insight in to the fact that, in certain countries, these practices are sociably acceptable and a part of daily life. I think the non-judgemental way the authors wrote about these topics helped to keep the focus on the story they wanted to share. This unprejudiced way of writing may also make this story more appealing to a wider range of readers and cultures as it ultimately accepts each culture for what it is.
Another aspect I enjoyed was the unpredictable ending to this book. I had been expecting a ‘happily ever after’ outcome whereas it ended up providing a much more realistic conclusion. I think this made the book more memorable as it left the reader with opinions and views open for further thought or discussion. It also highlighted that freedom often comes with a price.
The main reason for scoring a three rather than four-star rating for this novel was because I felt that the way lyrics were used throughout the book was somewhat excessive and not always beneficial to the storyline. The authors frequently quoted lyrics from Adele’s songs in, what I assume was, a way of reinforcing the connection between these otherwise diverse characters and stories. While this concept had the potential to work, and be very powerful, I found that routinely using them to conclude each chapter soon became both monotonous and distracting. I also felt that, by the end of the novel, the authors, too, were struggling to find some aspect significant enough to warrant these lines being included. Perhaps the selective use of lyrics carefully interwoven throughout the story, rather than routinely at the end of each chapter, would have given more credibility to their worth and have a greater impact on the reader. I do not think reducing the frequency of lyrics would detract from the binding theme as the stories of the characters, and their personal reasons for seeing Adele’s concert, were powerful enough to maintain that connection. As the story progressed I found it easier to skip over the lyrics as I often got side-tracked trying to recognise the music and song rather than taking in the actual words and their significance.
This book would appeal to readers who appreciate descriptive writings that allow their imagination to travel to distant places. Readers who do not value in-depth descriptions may find themselves losing interest before reaching the actual theme of the story. I also think that the reader needs to have the ability to read a story for what it is and not get tangled up in potential social or ethical issues. While this book refers to often taboo subjects, the authors have only described these practices as a normal part of a specific culture and have, in no way, tried to discuss these topics in detail. Adele fans may also find a deeper meaning to the lyrics used throughout the book and be able to appreciate them more than I did.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would be interested in reading some more fictional work by these authors.
******
My Trip to Adele
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
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