4 out of 4 stars
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To summarize this novel, several characters deal with real life issues and cling to the false promises of Adele’s lyrics in her songs as though they were written for them personally. They get so wrapped up in the idea of going to see the Adele concert in Rome that they hinge their very futures upon the perfect illusion that getting to the concert will make things better for them. It is not always clear how that one concert was supposed to bring about drastic change in their mundane lives, but they throw caution into the wind to make their dreams of going to that one concert come true. The story is told from three separate point-of-views. It is actually an adventure genre since the storyline carries them from one geographic location to the next. The characters of this story include 1) Yasar and Mariam, 2) Elias and Malika, 3) Nadia and her ex-husband and her son. The novel exposes the details of their relationships little by little.
From the first chapter to the last, I knew I was going to rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. The character development was very detailed and in depth. The authors really knew their characters personalities and spirit. Another star is given for the unique, but familiar scenarios and plots. It was not the same old romance or action scenes. This kept the plot from growing old and stale. I was more than pleasantly surprised by how each story unfolded. The novel gets a third star for the colorful scenery in each chapter. The use of geographic location was used to the fullest. Never before have I considered reading a story that takes place in Marrakesh or Rome. The authors were able to write each scene so that you could almost see the veil of the dancers or smell the aroma of the food sold by street vendors or get lost in the colors and lights. The fourth star was given because I heard no errors or mistakes in this story.
I liked listening to this book aloud. It was like listening to another world being woven around me. The story was smooth, with no noted misspelled words or awkwardness. The writer’s skill was apparent. The character’s stepped off the page to a point that the reader is completely enthralled by their plight. I got so wrapped up in each chapter that I felt shocked when the author introduced a sudden twist in each plot. It was like being jarred awake suddenly from a long dream. That is how smooth this novel flow. The jump from character point of view, one after another, is not even a concern because each chapter sounds magnificent, and every character is so real in your head. I could envision dancers in the streets of Marrakesh. I could see the underground tunnels of Las Vegas. The authors have clearly been to these places, or how could they describe them so well?
Though this novel was amazing, I have a love/hate relationship with it only because I over-sympathized with certain characters (some who were not main characters). The character development was a little too good. At times, I was overwhelmed by misery and grief while listening to the situations of those characters to a point where I had to turn the story off because I needed to get my emotions back under control before continuing with the book. It reminded me of the reason why I do not listen to a lot of nonfiction books, or sad stories. I enjoy reading fiction to break away from life scenarios that sadden or depress me. This book does not loose rating points because of this; if anything, it gained more points because it was able to move me to tears so profoundly. I did not like being so sad, but it is a testament to the authors’ ability to take the reader along for the journey. I feel the need to read love stories with happy endings for the same reason these characters felt the need to go to the Adele concert in Rome.
This book excites me and makes me sad at the same time. By the time I got to the end of each plot they did not matter so much to me because the stories that were told had become more important than the ending. I think this is a book anyone would enjoy reading. It was amazing!
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My Trip To Adele
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