Review of Jalopy
Posted: 07 Mar 2022, 14:25
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Jalopy" by Wes Verde.]
Jalopy by Wes Verde is a tale set in New Jersey in 1928. It alters between Arturo and Etta. Etta is a twenty-year-old lady who lives on a farm with her father, Jakob. Her mother and siblings died in tragic incidents, including one for which she bears some responsibility. Etta resolved to leave for the city. She finds an abandoned jalopy, and although unusable, it helps her cope with the constant stress of life and intensifies her urge to travel to New York. Art, short for Arturo, is back from college for a family vacation. Art's father, George, demands him to be a salesman, but he prefers engineering and eventually sneaks out to work for Gregory, an owner of a repair shop. Having been hungover, he encounters Etta at an unfavorable time, and their relationship begins with a poor first impression. His problems include an arranged marriage, bullying by his older brothers, and constant pressure from his father to help with the family business.
Attempting to earn money to move away, Etta takes on odd jobs. However, a corrupted musician ruins her life and forces her to hide secrets from all those close to her. Furthermore, she learns that she is not the only one planning to run away from the drudgery of life. Meanwhile, Art falls in love with New Jersey and its people yet still has to deal with his arranged marriage with Dorothy. What will become of his relationship with Etta? Will Art break free from his family's restrains? Fires, barn parties, weddings, and funerals are a handful of the thrilling events that our couple experiences.
I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptive writing style of Verde. His love for nature was evident in the description of sceneries. The relationship between Art and Etta felt realistic and unrushed. The narration was an aspect that I adored. It conveyed how skillful Verde is with describing each character and occurrence. I genuinely did not find any of the details boring, but rather sufficient to portray a vivid picture of everything from the sceneries to the significance of a particular event. It caused me to feel the frustration, anger, love, and amazement induced by each character. Each character exuded a unique feeling, further enhancing my fondness for this work. Robert, Etta's cousin, was always fun to include, with his delightful humor making each venture far more entertaining. Art's clumsiness and unruly hair always induced me to giggle. I surmised that the book was a laid-back read, yet it hosted tons of suspenseful aspects and left me as uncertain as Etta in regards to where everything was going. Etta was more than once in the middle of a conspiracy, and the situations she encountered made my heart sink. I was caught off-guard by the bold twists the author presented; they undoubtedly added to the novel's depth. The book had themes of uncertainty, grief, hope, and friendship. Moreover, the ending complemented the rest of the book, ending in a pleasant and well-executed manner.
As for the negatives, I found the book could benefit from another round of proofreading to correct the multiple errors I encountered. The book had dragged-out parts, and I found some of the characters' actions frustrating. For example, Etta and Art somewhat consistently gave up on their relationship, Etta's attitude towards her best friend was hurtful, and Art's shyness tended to overwhelm him. These were due to the characters' personalities rather than a mistake by the author. Ultimately, the author did an exceptional job with the character development, which was evident with Art and Helen, Etta's best friend.
I, therefore, award Jalopy a rating of three out of four stars, deducting a star mainly because it requires another round of proofreading. It contains profanity but no sexual content other than on-screen kissing. It is suitable for young adults, and I recommend it to fans of historical fiction, particularly those who enjoy reading about nature and life during the 1920s. The book will appeal to fans of romance novels, family dramas, and suspenseful reads. This novel enthralled me, and I urge others to discover Verde's writing for themselves.
******
Jalopy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Jalopy by Wes Verde is a tale set in New Jersey in 1928. It alters between Arturo and Etta. Etta is a twenty-year-old lady who lives on a farm with her father, Jakob. Her mother and siblings died in tragic incidents, including one for which she bears some responsibility. Etta resolved to leave for the city. She finds an abandoned jalopy, and although unusable, it helps her cope with the constant stress of life and intensifies her urge to travel to New York. Art, short for Arturo, is back from college for a family vacation. Art's father, George, demands him to be a salesman, but he prefers engineering and eventually sneaks out to work for Gregory, an owner of a repair shop. Having been hungover, he encounters Etta at an unfavorable time, and their relationship begins with a poor first impression. His problems include an arranged marriage, bullying by his older brothers, and constant pressure from his father to help with the family business.
Attempting to earn money to move away, Etta takes on odd jobs. However, a corrupted musician ruins her life and forces her to hide secrets from all those close to her. Furthermore, she learns that she is not the only one planning to run away from the drudgery of life. Meanwhile, Art falls in love with New Jersey and its people yet still has to deal with his arranged marriage with Dorothy. What will become of his relationship with Etta? Will Art break free from his family's restrains? Fires, barn parties, weddings, and funerals are a handful of the thrilling events that our couple experiences.
I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptive writing style of Verde. His love for nature was evident in the description of sceneries. The relationship between Art and Etta felt realistic and unrushed. The narration was an aspect that I adored. It conveyed how skillful Verde is with describing each character and occurrence. I genuinely did not find any of the details boring, but rather sufficient to portray a vivid picture of everything from the sceneries to the significance of a particular event. It caused me to feel the frustration, anger, love, and amazement induced by each character. Each character exuded a unique feeling, further enhancing my fondness for this work. Robert, Etta's cousin, was always fun to include, with his delightful humor making each venture far more entertaining. Art's clumsiness and unruly hair always induced me to giggle. I surmised that the book was a laid-back read, yet it hosted tons of suspenseful aspects and left me as uncertain as Etta in regards to where everything was going. Etta was more than once in the middle of a conspiracy, and the situations she encountered made my heart sink. I was caught off-guard by the bold twists the author presented; they undoubtedly added to the novel's depth. The book had themes of uncertainty, grief, hope, and friendship. Moreover, the ending complemented the rest of the book, ending in a pleasant and well-executed manner.
As for the negatives, I found the book could benefit from another round of proofreading to correct the multiple errors I encountered. The book had dragged-out parts, and I found some of the characters' actions frustrating. For example, Etta and Art somewhat consistently gave up on their relationship, Etta's attitude towards her best friend was hurtful, and Art's shyness tended to overwhelm him. These were due to the characters' personalities rather than a mistake by the author. Ultimately, the author did an exceptional job with the character development, which was evident with Art and Helen, Etta's best friend.
I, therefore, award Jalopy a rating of three out of four stars, deducting a star mainly because it requires another round of proofreading. It contains profanity but no sexual content other than on-screen kissing. It is suitable for young adults, and I recommend it to fans of historical fiction, particularly those who enjoy reading about nature and life during the 1920s. The book will appeal to fans of romance novels, family dramas, and suspenseful reads. This novel enthralled me, and I urge others to discover Verde's writing for themselves.
******
Jalopy
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
