Skip to main content

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

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Experience with Writer's Block and Overcoming It

  Writer's block, in my own personal experience, is something that eats away at your brain. You sit down in front of your laptop or your book and you want to write- you really really want to write- but your imagination fails you and no words come out. Then, you eventually have to shut the laptop or the book and keep it aside and I think that's one of the worst feelings in the world for a writer. As someone who has always penned down her thoughts and feelings, not being able to write is like a curse to me. If I do not write, I cannot express myself in the way I want to express myself, and that is truly something that disturbs me to my very core. When I was in high school, I had started on a fanfiction with a really intricate and complex plot with even more complicated sub-plots (and I do not know how I came up with all that but I just did). In the beginning, I was so excited about it and I was making multiple character and plot outlines and writing three to four chapters per day...
2 comments
Read more

The Thing About Life

Let me start off by telling you some good news. It has passed and you will never experience that again. Now let me tell you a bad one. It has passed and you will never experience that again. There are instances we wish we could freeze and frame forever. Like, even when you're living in it, you will feel a kind of ache within yourself over the fact that it will end at one point in time. And there are other moments you just want to get done with and leave the whole thing behind. You've had enough. It has drained you to the point where you want to be rid of it as soon as possible. This is life- a remix tape of the same two scenarios over and over again. This is life until your death. The highs and lows are a part of our existence. We cannot choose to keep the good part and avoid the bad. We have to learn to balance it both. We should cherish the good moments and enjoy them to the best of our capability whether it is with our loved ones or by ourselves. Learn to live in the moment....
Post a Comment
Read more