Review by Mszymonik -- My Trip to Adele

Mszymonik · Post by **Mszymonik** » 13 Jul 2017, 22:26

[Following is a volunteer review of "My Trip to Adele" by A.I.Alyaseer, R.I.Alyaseer.]

3 out of 4 stars

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My Trip to Adele is a fun, light, modern-day read. There are three main characters presenting with their individual story line, pursuing their own path to self-discovery, freedom and happiness. Each character has frustrating internal struggles that have them feeling "stuck" in their lives as they find their way through many twists and turns. Love is the common thread among the three, although the characters are paradoxically encumbered by it. Each chapter closes with lyrics from a song by Adele, which characterizes the finale of the chapter.

Even though the first story line was quite unrealistic, it became my favorite. The descriptive nature of Morocco's capitol, along with its inhabitants leaves much to the imagination. I literally felt like I could see the smoke and smell the food as I was reading. I could hear the music and see the dancers. The devastating twist that occurs halfway in had me turning the pages quickly. I grew to really like Elias and rooted for him. I would have loved to see more character development in this story and more details about his love affair.

The other two story lines were special in their own way. The characters are extremely relatable to most people. I appreciated the character development. They both feel torn between doing right by their family and breaking free from societal expectations. The second story shows the realities of living a life of sinful indulgence. The third story line of a single mother from Jordan tugged at my heart. I experienced the ups and downs along with the characters as they pursued freedom and meaning in their lives.

My Trip to Adele is beautifully written and I was impressed that this book was translated from Arabic. The translators did an excellent job with very few grammatical hiccups. The selection and playfulness of words made this a very enjoyable read. It's clean and appropriate for young readers of any age, and adding Adele's music makes it appealing to a wide, young audience.

I give this book 3 out of 4 stars, only because I like darker novels with a bit more chaos and romance. For me, it's a great one-time read for the beach or an airplane ride. As I warmed up to the book, I looked forward to seeing how things would work out for the protagonists. Probably what I got most out of it was getting bits of knowledge of Morocco, Italy, and Jordan. More character development would have bolstered my excitement and would have me rating this at four stars, but I was overall happy to have experienced this book!

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My Trip to Adele
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Phikim · Post by **Phikim** » 18 Aug 2017, 04:56

Bringing out almost similar challanging issues of the three love relationships brings out in the book emphasis on the challanges that people experience even in today's world. I feel the book is valid even up to date.