A review by kricketa
How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
1.0
amy is looking forward to a summer of tennis camp and hanging out with her new boyfriend. suddently, her parents change her plans for her. now she is going to israel with her estranged father to meet her grandmother, who is ill. israel is full of unexpected surprises: a sweet grandma, a jealous cousin, a cute but arrogant boy, an annoying dog.
i think i would have really enjoyed this book in 8th grade! unfortunately, i'm not in 8th grade anymore and it takes more than some steamy make-out scenes to appease me. therefore, i present to you my list of beefs:
1. this book is so skimpy on setting research. simone elkeles is half israeli herself, so she really could have made the setting of this book pop. unless, like the main character, she had absolutely no interest in that half of her heritage prior to the book's events. there's a few half-assed references to israeli phrases and the conflict with palestine, but israel is basically used as an exotic location for amy's steamy romance- ie israel is hot & dangerous, and so is avi, amy's new israeli boyfriend. how convenient.
2. amy as a character is not likeable. i found it hard to believe that avi would find her so fun & feisty when she is actually just a bratty pain in the ass. amy does, however, frequently mention how enormous her breasts are. you do the math.
3.amy's cousin, osnat (who amy oh-so sensitively refers to as o'snot) hates amy at first sight (who can blame her?) and tries to make her look stupid whenever possible. but after amy steals her love interest, she sweetly fixes osnat up with another boy (avi: "that was so selfless of you!") and poof! instant besties! hmmm. i don't think so.
4. ditto for amy's relationship with her father, which is suddenly fixed after amy falls for avi. suddenly she wants to take her father's last name and move in with him. there are no problems in amy's life that can't be solved instantly by a steamy make-out session!
5. the most heinous of all: amy decides to convert to judaism after her summer in israel. there are no references to amy's family engaging in any jewish traditions whatsoever. basically amy's grandmother gives her a star of david necklace (oooh! sparkly jewelry!) and tells amy she's a jew. if i was a caring adult in amy's life, i might suggest she is converting purely for avi.
6. the last paragraph. just read the last paragraph. HOW ON EARTH DID THIS GET PUBLISHED?
ok. all done!
i think i would have really enjoyed this book in 8th grade! unfortunately, i'm not in 8th grade anymore and it takes more than some steamy make-out scenes to appease me. therefore, i present to you my list of beefs:
1. this book is so skimpy on setting research. simone elkeles is half israeli herself, so she really could have made the setting of this book pop. unless, like the main character, she had absolutely no interest in that half of her heritage prior to the book's events. there's a few half-assed references to israeli phrases and the conflict with palestine, but israel is basically used as an exotic location for amy's steamy romance- ie israel is hot & dangerous, and so is avi, amy's new israeli boyfriend. how convenient.
2. amy as a character is not likeable. i found it hard to believe that avi would find her so fun & feisty when she is actually just a bratty pain in the ass. amy does, however, frequently mention how enormous her breasts are. you do the math.
3.amy's cousin, osnat (who amy oh-so sensitively refers to as o'snot) hates amy at first sight (who can blame her?) and tries to make her look stupid whenever possible. but after amy steals her love interest, she sweetly fixes osnat up with another boy (avi: "that was so selfless of you!") and poof! instant besties! hmmm. i don't think so.
4. ditto for amy's relationship with her father, which is suddenly fixed after amy falls for avi. suddenly she wants to take her father's last name and move in with him. there are no problems in amy's life that can't be solved instantly by a steamy make-out session!
5. the most heinous of all: amy decides to convert to judaism after her summer in israel. there are no references to amy's family engaging in any jewish traditions whatsoever. basically amy's grandmother gives her a star of david necklace (oooh! sparkly jewelry!) and tells amy she's a jew. if i was a caring adult in amy's life, i might suggest she is converting purely for avi.
6. the last paragraph. just read the last paragraph. HOW ON EARTH DID THIS GET PUBLISHED?
ok. all done!