Review of Jalopy

[Soraya Bayah]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Jalopy" by Wes Verde.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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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.

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Jalopy
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[Mildred Echesa]

Etta's and Art's relationship seem to be an interesting one and their constant desire to ran away from their trouble caught my eye. The review is detailed and the story is perfectly told. Thanks for the review. I will definitely read this book in case I come across it

[Soraya Bayah]

Etta's and Art's relationship seem to be an interesting one and their constant desire to ran away from their trouble caught my eye. The review is detailed and the story is perfectly told. Thanks for the review. I will definitely read this book in case I come across it

I appreciate your feedback! Thank you for taking the time to tell me your thoughts! Happy reading.

[Diana Lowery]

I love the cover of this book, and your description of the story makes it sound interesting; however, I do not like reading books with many errors.

[Chinazo Anozie]

This sounds like a really romantic read. Thanks for your review!

[Amy Luman]

I am sorry for Etta’s having to bear some responsibility for the demise of some of her family. As for Arturo, everyone, sometimes, has to deal with the expectations of others.I’m sorry for him, too.

[Soraya Bayah]

I love the cover of this book, and your description of the story makes it sound interesting; however, I do not like reading books with many errors.

The errors are tolerable, as the book is lengthy (496 pages), but I can understand where you are coming from. Thank you for passing by!

[Soraya Bayah]

This sounds like a really romantic read. Thanks for your review!

It is! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[Soraya Bayah]

I am sorry for Etta’s having to bear some responsibility for the demise of some of her family. As for Arturo, everyone, sometimes, has to deal with the expectations of others.I’m sorry for him, too.

I certainly felt sorry for both of them, but throughout the book, Art became more confident and Etta accepted the way things are and moved forward with her life. Thank you for your comment; I appreciate it!

[Blessing Odii]

I think this book will have a little touch of romance. I would love to read this book.

[Mbenma Esther 080]

For me, the issues which this book addressed are good enough to give it the star. Thanks for the review.

[Helen Akoth]

I like well-described books, and mentioning that the author excelled in that has piqued my interest in this novel. I do enjoy historical fiction, and this sounds like one I can enjoy reading. Thank you for such an excellent, informative review!

[Soraya Bayah]

For me, the issues which this book addressed are good enough to give it the star. Thanks for the review.

I agree, but the errors were more than ten, and so I was obliged to remove a star. Thank you for taking the time to tell me your thoughts!

[Soraya Bayah]

I think this book will have a little touch of romance. I would love to read this book.

Indeed it does. I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!

[Georg Kelb]

I would love to read this book since it seems great mix of historical fiction and romance. Thanks for your detailed review!