Review by fatemeh133 -- Trip to Adele

[fatemeh133]

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

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3 out of 4 stars

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My Trip to Adele by A.I. Alyaseer and R.I. Alyaseer was novel experience for me. The harmony the two writers wrote with was very intriguing. This short novel is centered around the emotional consequences of life for 3 couples: Elias, an Moroccan living in Rome and his unrequited love for the woman he left behind in Morocco 8 years ago, Nadia, a strong and passionate single mother struggling to make a peaceful life in the middle of the chaos her battle with her ex-husband is creating for herself and her beloved child, and of course Yaser who is questioning his life choices as he feels the noose of married life strangling him.

When I started reading this book I was aware of its focus on Adele’s songs. I thought the story would lack coherence because of its ties to one singer’s verses. But as I read I was amazed that there was no scattered pieces you had to puzzle over. The authors did a beautiful job of bring it all together and weaving a compelling story with well-defined characters. The chapters flowed easily and it kept me turning the pages, honestly I did not put it down until it was done. I liked that it was a complicated plot and yet you could see the path it was taking. The introduction this book gave of life in various places in the world, lives so different from the tone we know in the western world, and things we take for granted was very compelling and beautifully executed.

The most engaging character was Nadia. She fought for what she believed in, and she believed in happiness for herself and her child. I actually cringed at the ex-husband’s abuse, but I admired Nadia’s strength and morals.

Yaser was likable character and I eagerly followed his progress or lack thereof through the story. I do feel he lacked proper spine, and he was weak in his resolves, or rather in putting his foot down. But his wife was a lot to handle, and I have a good dose of pity for him. I would have liked a more clear resolution for Yaser at the end of the story. It left me a bit unsatisfied.

My least favorite character was Elias. I think he was a bit shallow, the character, not his characterization. He made a lot of promises he did not intend to keep. Some of the things about his story were a bit unreal.

The chapters referred to Adele songs. It made me want to listen to the specific songs, and I actually listened to several as after I read them. I re-read parts of some chapters after I listened to the referenced some. It was an enjoyable experience. I liked how they were brought together in Adele’s concert.

There were some scenarios I think were inappropriate, and the story would not have suffered if they were omitted. The situations described were plausible though.

I found the literary standard to be easy to understand and of good quality. I rate this book 3 out of 4 because I believe the story could have been so much better had the authors summed up the story and given more detail and closure to the reader. I do though highly recommend reading the book. It is worth it!

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Trip to Adele
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[kdstrack]

I agree with your opinions of the main characters. Elias was also my least favorite! Your description of how the authors join the music with the three stories is very well done. Nice job. Thanks.