Changes in Latitudes by Jen Malone

This book was such a heartwarming read to me. The main character, Cassie, just wants some solid ground under her feet after the shock of her parents' divorce. So naturally, she becomes enraged upon learning that her mother has planned to take her and her brother, Drew. on a four-month sailing trip from Oregon to Mexico. "There is absolutely nothing solid about the Pacific Ocean", the blurb of the book says. But we soon find out that the waves were just what she needed.

I've read many reviews of this book that said that the main character was really annoying. And yes, I get why they say that but all in all, Cassie is just a teenager who is struggling in her own way with her own problems that might not seem that big in a broad sense. No matter how small to others, they're still her problems and she is navigating through it in the ways she is comfortable with or rather avoiding the path she is scared of. And that's just what teenagers often tend to do. We do not think rationally most of the time or weigh our actions out in our minds for too long- it's almost always impulsive and emotional, and we always prefer escapism to confrontation. And Cassie being a person whose "normal" has been flipped upside down seemed fitting to act out like she did. Sure, there were better ways to handle it all but in the end, she was just a kid who did not know what to make of her new life and all the misconceptions she had. She was very angry at the world. She was very angry at her mom. But when she learns the truth, we can see how she changes for the better. And the best part of this story is how Cassie's irritable personality doesn't go unchallenged. When she understands the situation better, she realizes how unfair and awful she has been and mends her ways. This growth of hers was the highlight of this book.

And the romance in the book was just purely swoon-worthy. It seemed natural and fluffy, and the love interest Jonah just perfectly matched Cassie's character. Cassie's bond with her brother was also such a delight to read. The sailing trip in it was also enjoyable and I learned a few things about sailing too.

In conclusion, it is a lovely story about accepting the hand the universe dealt you and learning how to sail in it.

Comments

The Significance of Jo March's Monologue in 'Little Women'

'Little Women', a classic novel by Louisa May Alcott was adapted into a movie under the direction of Greta Gerwig (one of my absolute favourite directors of all time) in the year 2019. It portrays the lives of four sisters- Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy- navigating love, aspirations, and societal expectations during the Civil War era. The film beautifully captures their individual journeys and the evolving dynamics of sisterhood. Jo March, who is the second of the four March sisters, is the protagonist who aspires with every fibre in her to become a well-acclaimed writer. It's even more interesting how the character of Jo is actually based on Louisa May Alcott herself, making the story sort of a semi-autobiography. Played by Saoirse Ronan, Jo is portrayed as an extremely independent woman, challenging the gender roles and the restraints placed upon women in society. Even though the whole movie is something that strikes the very depths of our hearts, there is one particular monolo...

Lost in the Waves

Beaches have always been a favourite of mine. It's almost like the sea calls my name, beckoning me to embrace its folds. To throw myself into the waters and have no care in the world is something too special to me. Because when I'm neck-deep in there, I'm nothing. My weight against the force of the waves becomes irrelevant. And I'm not just speaking of the weight of my body but of my heart too. In fact, I think my heart is far more heavy than my body ever will be. After all, it is a museum of everything I have loved and lost and loved again. And the artefacts within it weigh down on me- it makes me slump my shoulders and drag my feet while I should be floating around with ease. It makes even the easiest tasks undoable. But the moment I step into the water, I'm free of it all. Maybe it is an inherent nature of mine- to dive into something that is ragingly unpredictable. But rage is so dear to me. Unpredictability is so dear to me. It's something I've grown up...

Dearest, I feel certain that I am going mad again- Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf is considered to be one of the greatest writers in history. Her novels like Mrs. Dalloway, To The Lighthouse and Orlando, and feminist essays like A Room Of One's Own and Three Guineas, are critically acclaimed and renowned in today's world. After graduating from King's College, London, she fell into the world of literature and joined a circle of artisans and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group within which she met her husband, Leonard Woolf. It's her fourth novel- Mrs. Dalloway- that made her famous. She made her stand as a revolutionary writer but even though, her writings were crisp and clear, her mental state... not so much. She had attempted suicide many times. She has a history of suffering from sexual abuse at the hands of her half-brothers. The loss of her mother, her half-sister and her father further added to her trauma. She suffered from mania and hallucinations in her lifetime. Though she sought many psychiatric treatments, they were a...

Allow Ann to Babble, Please!

Search This Blog