Hi! Welcome to my stop in the Paper or Plastic Blog Tour hosted by YA Bound Book Tours! Check out below why I loved this book so much and enter the fabulous tour-wide giveaway (US only, sorry internationals!) . Also, if you want to check out the other stops on the tour, you can just click here. Thanks for stopping by!
*****
Title: Paper or Plastic
Author: Vivi Barnes
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publisher: Entangled Teed
Published: February 3rd, 2015
Page Count: 352 Pages
Page Count: 352 Pages
Format: eARC
Source: From tour host
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Book Summary:
Welcome to SmartMart, where crime pays minimum wage…Busted. Alexis Dubois just got caught shoplifting a cheap tube of lipstick at the local SmartMart. She doesn’t know what’s worse—disappointing her overbearing beauty-pageant-obsessed mother for the zillionth time…or her punishment. Because Lex is forced to spend her summer working at the store, where the only thing stranger than the staff is the customers.Now Lex is stuck in the bizarro world of big-box retail. Coupon cutters, jerk customers, and learning exactly what a “Code B” really is (ew). And for added awkwardness, her new supervisor is the totally cute—and completely below her social sphere—Noah Grayson. Trying to balance her out-of-control mother, her starting spot on the school softball team, and her secret crush on the school geek makes for one crazy summer. But ultimately, could the worst store in the world be the best thing that ever happened to her?
*The Reader’s Review*
My rating: 5/5 stars
Paper or Plastic is what I like to call “The Perfect YA Contemporary Romance”. It’s sweet, light (with just the right amount of depth), totally swoon-ish, and overall, a fun read to lose yourself into. I can’t find a single bad thing to say about it, so forgive if I only gush about how wonderfully brilliant it is.
A few reasons why I loved it:
1. The feels. I had this goofy grin throughout the whole book and mostly because of our seriously handsome and endearing Noah. The guy immediately won a place in my list of favorite book boyfriends because he’s too.damn.awesome. He’s sweet, smart, loyal, a total gentleman and caring. He’s the kind of guy my dreams dream about. That perfect.
2. Interesting characters. Paper or Plastic has a wide array of personalities. From our sweet & special Ruthie to a beauty pageant obsessed mother and sister. I had a lot of fun getting to know each and every one of them, and I was surprised how everyone had an important role in this story, they weren’t just fill-in characters. Alexia, our main character, is great and I found her quite likeable, despite her initial foolishness. I loved her affection towards her grandmother and I liked that she outgrows her own prejudices and makes up for her mistakes.
3. The unusual setting. Who would have thought I’d fall in love with a place such as SmartMart? It’s far from being a romantic setting or even a cute one, but it totally worked. Not all the book takes place in the store, but most of the good parts, the ones that made my heart skip, happened in here. I had fun at SmartMart, and heck, I’d love to work there, especially if I had a handsome supervisor such as Noah!
But what I found even more amazing about Paper or Plastic is that, even though it is a light read, it deals with several issues that made this book feel much more real. My heart even had the chance to feel heavy, whether it was because of Noah’s family issues, or Alexia’s, or even just the events that were out of the character’s control. That thing that happens in the last chapters (the one that involves a bakery table and darkness) totally made me want to cry.
So yes, I only have high praise for this incredibly sweet book. I loved it and I’m so glad I had the chance to read it. It’s a book full of awesomeness and it’s very much worth the read (so read it read it read it!).
*****
About Vivi Barnes
Vivi Barnes is the author of Olivia Twisted and the upcoming release, Paper or Plastic. She was raised on a farm in East Texas where her theater-loving mom and cowboy dad gave her a unique perspective on life. Now living in the magic and sunshine of Orlando, Florida, she divides her time writing, working, goofing off with her husband and three kids, and avoiding dirty dishes. www.vivibarnes.com
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I just love the idea of this whole supermarket cutesy love scenario. And, also to see that it deals with the heavy but keeps it light, yes, please! Oh, and of course, I can always use a new book boyfriend. Great review, Melissa! 🙂
This book boyfriend is worth it 😉 I think you will like Paper or Plastic, Jazmen! 🙂