Monday, May 01, 2006

Vapid Voyage


Here's the thing. We hold Romantic Comedies to a lower standard. We do. We all know how it will end, so as long as it lives up to its predictability and is fun getting there, few of us really care. There are, however, some Really Bad RomComs out there. I'd give examples, but the list would be far too long. I think that this book fell into my hands by the evil Amazon pathways. One of those "customers who bought this also bought this" types of things. It has good customer reviews and that persuaded me enough to put it on my hold list. Sigh. I've thought about the perfect adjective to describe this book for awhile and I've come to believe that that word is: VAPID. Vapid, vapid, vapid, though I don't know why I was expecting more. I've no doubt that it is popular with young girls, but there is so much that is better within this genre. Mom gets married on a cruise ship, stubborn list-consumed daughter gets a free vacation, but refuses to hook up with the boy of her dreams because he happens to be a family friend, and all she wants is a summer fling. Vapid. I was especially appalled at the phrase 'pal around,' even when said by an adult. The real problem is that with all the alcohol (in international waters 18 is the drinking limit), drunken behavior and the ultimate goal of sex for our heroine, it ages itself out of the reading level it should be at. +14.

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