Official Review: New Beginnings by Janet Olson
Posted: 21 Apr 2020, 14:34
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "New Beginnings" by Janet Olson.]
Love triangles!?! Almost everyone hates to be in one, but reading about one can be exquisitely entertaining. If you agree, then you may delight in this debut novel, New Beginnings, by Janet Olson. Ida's life has recently become drastically complicated. In a matter of months, her best friend, Janelle, dies in a motorcycle accident, following their mutual loss, her other best friend, Engen, distances himself from her, and she becomes pregnant from a one-night stand. Alarmed by her reckless behavior, Ida's parents decide to send her to Africa with a program called Youth of America Help a Nation (YAHN). Ida will ship out for six months and will deliver her baby overseas.
After Engen pummels some fans at a hockey game, his parents decide to send him to Africa as well. While there, Engen attempts to convince Ida of his undying love for her. Conversely, Ida is quickly falling for Lev, her boss at the orphanage. Ida also has some soul-searching to do. Will she keep the baby or give her up for adoption? Will serving at the orphanage help bring perspective to these teens' grief?
Reading New Beginnings was a positive experience. The novel's pace is proficient. Olson does an amazing job developing her characters and the relationships between them. I especially admired the dynamic between Ida and Engen. They began being best friends when they were young, and, consequently, they could read each other well. Their relationship boundaries confused both of them, and the resulting tension drove the plot forward. I admire how the YAHN program challenged the teens to look beyond their own problems and help others as a means to improve themselves and put their personal struggles in perspective. Even with the dramatic love triangle, the teens matured. This was my favorite part of the story.
The problems with this book were varying. The author unnecessarily hyphenated a plethora of words. I believe she was trying to break apart words that wouldn't completely fit on the same line. Unfortunately, after further editing, many hyphenated words landed in the middle of a line. This was my least favorite part. Also, a letter was placed below each chapter name. I assume these letters were originally placeholders. If they had been in alphabetical order, I would have thought they were used as an alternative to numbering the chapters. However, they weren't, and therefore, they were befuddling. Beyond these formatting quirks, I took issue with some of the plot. It didn't make sense that parents would send their teenage daughter to Africa to finish out her pregnancy. Also, after years of conversing with Ida's grandfather, Lev, fell in love with Ida before they ever met. Lev's "love-before-first-sight" seemed far-fetched. Finally, the story is set in the future. Aside from occasional references to different technology, the futuristic setting didn't have a strong impact and ended up being distracting.
I give this book three out of four stars. The novel could use more editing and re-formatting. Despite these flaws, this book was an entertaining and endearing read. I felt attached to the characters. I want to read future books, so I can discover the outcome of this love triangle, as the ending leaves some possibilities open. Readers should know the story contains some sex scenes, minor profanity, and underage drinking. I recommend this book to mature teenagers and adults who enjoy reading teenage love stories.
Moderator's note: These errors noted have since been fixed.
******
New Beginnings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Love triangles!?! Almost everyone hates to be in one, but reading about one can be exquisitely entertaining. If you agree, then you may delight in this debut novel, New Beginnings, by Janet Olson. Ida's life has recently become drastically complicated. In a matter of months, her best friend, Janelle, dies in a motorcycle accident, following their mutual loss, her other best friend, Engen, distances himself from her, and she becomes pregnant from a one-night stand. Alarmed by her reckless behavior, Ida's parents decide to send her to Africa with a program called Youth of America Help a Nation (YAHN). Ida will ship out for six months and will deliver her baby overseas.
After Engen pummels some fans at a hockey game, his parents decide to send him to Africa as well. While there, Engen attempts to convince Ida of his undying love for her. Conversely, Ida is quickly falling for Lev, her boss at the orphanage. Ida also has some soul-searching to do. Will she keep the baby or give her up for adoption? Will serving at the orphanage help bring perspective to these teens' grief?
Reading New Beginnings was a positive experience. The novel's pace is proficient. Olson does an amazing job developing her characters and the relationships between them. I especially admired the dynamic between Ida and Engen. They began being best friends when they were young, and, consequently, they could read each other well. Their relationship boundaries confused both of them, and the resulting tension drove the plot forward. I admire how the YAHN program challenged the teens to look beyond their own problems and help others as a means to improve themselves and put their personal struggles in perspective. Even with the dramatic love triangle, the teens matured. This was my favorite part of the story.
The problems with this book were varying. The author unnecessarily hyphenated a plethora of words. I believe she was trying to break apart words that wouldn't completely fit on the same line. Unfortunately, after further editing, many hyphenated words landed in the middle of a line. This was my least favorite part. Also, a letter was placed below each chapter name. I assume these letters were originally placeholders. If they had been in alphabetical order, I would have thought they were used as an alternative to numbering the chapters. However, they weren't, and therefore, they were befuddling. Beyond these formatting quirks, I took issue with some of the plot. It didn't make sense that parents would send their teenage daughter to Africa to finish out her pregnancy. Also, after years of conversing with Ida's grandfather, Lev, fell in love with Ida before they ever met. Lev's "love-before-first-sight" seemed far-fetched. Finally, the story is set in the future. Aside from occasional references to different technology, the futuristic setting didn't have a strong impact and ended up being distracting.
I give this book three out of four stars. The novel could use more editing and re-formatting. Despite these flaws, this book was an entertaining and endearing read. I felt attached to the characters. I want to read future books, so I can discover the outcome of this love triangle, as the ending leaves some possibilities open. Readers should know the story contains some sex scenes, minor profanity, and underage drinking. I recommend this book to mature teenagers and adults who enjoy reading teenage love stories.
Moderator's note: These errors noted have since been fixed.
******
New Beginnings
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I've read my fair share of stories with a love triangle at the center, so I'll have to pass. I hope the author sorts out the editing because the book has potential. Thanks for the review.