3 out of 4 stars
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Three separate storylines wound their way through R.I. and A.I. Alyaseer’s My Trip to Adele. These three sets of different characters each have their own problems, but all share the same desire to see Adele perform in concert in Verona.
Las Vegas residents, Yaser and Mariam, struggle in their cold eight-year marriage. They have two children who bring them each happiness, yet they do not find happiness in each other anymore. Yaser indulges in a mistress via phone, while Mariam hides behind a fake portrayal of their “happy” family life via Facebook and Instagram. Husband and wife no longer communicate their real feelings to each other. The marriage counselor they are seeing suggests they find a memory of shared affection in order to recreate the love they once felt for each other. Yaser chooses the Adele concert to remind them of the moment he proposed to Mariam while playing Adele on his phone.
Nadia is a divorced woman from Amman, Jordan. Eight years ago she left her husband, taking with her their young son, Waleed. She has spent years battling out her divorce in court in order to gain her independence. Nadia is determined to do one thing: take her son to see his favorite singer, Adele, in concert in Verona for his birthday. She only needs his father’s consent for him to travel internationally, and then they can go.
Elias is a 36-year-old man who lives in Rome, Italy. He travels to Marrakesh, Morocco, in search of a love he had chosen to leave eight years ago. Only by returning to the past can he answer the question of why he loves the exuberant Malika still. A promise to meet at an Adele concert one day may be his only chance to see her again.
As each character makes plans to attend the concert, each goes on a journey of self discovery. Yaser’s revelation comes when he meets his mistress in person and discovers a strange truth about her. Nadia feels freedom within her grasp as she embarks on her journey with her son to the Adele concert. But she has not yet seen what lengths her ex-husband will go to to make her life hell. And with Elias we discover the most shocking secret of all--the real reason he left the love of his life, Malika.
From the first paragraph, I was wrapped up in R.I and A.I. Alyaseer’s portrayal of these characters and their worlds. From the foods and smells to the people and their emotions, I entered the world of each of these characters. Their hopes and dreams, as well as their hurts and fears, accompanied me as I followed their stories. I really enjoyed the feelings and beliefs portrayed in each story. I found myself reasoning along with them and hoping all would turn out as they hoped.
I had no trouble following the three storylines. The chapters rotated from one set of characters to the next, always following the same order. Each chapter is headed up with the location where the characters live, easily reminding the reader who the chapter is talking about.
As for things I did not enjoy, the main negative was the last chapter. The ending felt clumsy to me. The viewpoint changed from first person, throughout the entire book, to a mixture of second and third person in the last chapter. This would not have been a problem if the last chapter had come together more smoothly. All three storylines were mashed together in the third chapter. Once again, this would not necessarily have been a problem if some indication, such as asterisks, had been used to signal when the writers were jumping from one set of characters to the next. Lastly, the characters’ storylines did not intersect. That, too, would have been ok with me if the chapter itself had flowed together more smoothly. That said, I was so enthralled by the rest of the book, that the dubious last chapter did very little to ruin the book as a whole for me. By the time, I was willing to forgive the authors for almost anything.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading about relationships. If you’re into action and adventure, you may not find this book stimulating enough. The “adventure” in My Trip to Adele all revolves around relationships. Those who enjoy pondering questions about life, love and even faith, will find this an enjoyable read.
I did find a dozen or so typos and grammar mistakes in this book. However, it did not affect the quality of the read. Overall, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed it enough to give it a four, but because of the choppy last chapter, I feel I have to give it a three. I enjoyed this book, and I would definitely read another by this brother and sister pair (or watch the movie if one were ever made out of My Trip to Adele).
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My trip to Adele
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