Monday, June 23, 2014

Riding the Universe by Gaby Triana Review


"Chloe Rodriguez values three things above all else her family; her best friend, Rock; and Lolita, her Harley-Davidson 1200 Sportster. With a black body, blue airbrushed flames, and perfect sloping ape hangers, Lolita is Chloe's last connection to her beloved uncle, Seth, who left her the bike when he died last summer. So when a failing chemistry grade threatens to separate Chloe from her motorcycle, she vows not to let that happen . . . no matter what. 

Enter Gordon. Ridiculously organized, ubersmart, and hot in a casual, doesn't-know-it kind of way, Chloe's peer tutor may have a thing or two to teach her besides chemistry. But she has to stop falling for Gordon . . . and get Rock to act mature whenever he's around . . . and pass chemistry so she doesn't lose Lolita forever. Just when Chloe thinks she's got it all figured out, a bump in the road comes out of nowhere and sends her skidding."

Sorry guys. It has been awhile since I reviewed a book. Part of that reason is because I'm a bit tired and I have other things to do. Another part is this: I haven't read a book, because I was so busy. I know! Gasp! I haven't read a book in awhile. So unlike me! Well, that is what summer does to me and everyone. Got to take a break someday, right? 

First of all, I will tell you that Riding the Universe is not my piece of cake. I don't really like it. It is kind of boring, with an aimless journey to somewhere. Chloe, for one thing, has a bunch of issue. Sure, she is failing Chemistry, but really? Does it matter? (I, for one, will be far from failing, which might affect my judgement in this area). Two, she is distracted by guys. Three, she wants to save Lolita, her motorcycle, but really? From her attitude, I would say that she doesn't really care about Lolita. After all, when she chooses between Lolita and Gordon (her boyfriend), she sadly chooses Gordon. (I would totally pick the boy. Motorcycles scare me to death, especially if they are louder than my screams).

Is there a lesson to be learned? Really, it is this: Never be distracted by boys and sometimes bad boys are the best boys. Lesson #2: Nice boys can be jerks to girls sometimes. Anyway, it is all about boys and motorcycles. I should add family, but Chloe ditches her family so much that I can't really put that down.

Despite all of this weird things, there are a few good points. The storyline is good (although a bit dry). The writing (well who cares about it) is clear enough to read and understand. The ending of Riding the Universe is very happy (unless you are a Gordon fan, then you will be crossed with the author and Chloe). It is a bit surprising, but I think the author did terrible foreshadowing. I had my eyes out for clues of Chloe's father or mother, but didn't see any. I really believed Seth was Chloe's uncle.

Plus, Chloe is annoying. Every time she opens her mouth, I just want to dump oil into her throat and let her choke on it. (Oh, my goodness, violent thoughts!)

(Whoops! So many spoilers revealed!)

Overall, I think Riding the Universe is only a good book to read if you are a) bored, b) drunk, or c) desperately need a book to read and can't find anything else. The good benefits of b) drunk is that you probably won't remember what happened in the book the morning after. That is a good side effect, eh?

Rating: Two out of Five

No comments:

Post a Comment