Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Book Review: The Wrong Side of Twenty-Five

By Sara Steven

With news feeds full of perfect pouts, hot-dog legs and the self-proclaimed hashtag-blessed, it’s hard not to feel inadequate. How has everyone figured out how to live their best life except you?

That’s what Kylie wants to know. She thought she would spend her twenty-fifth birthday having a mini-break not a mini-breakdown. After an evening of finger-food and snide remarks, Kylie decides that things must change. Naturally, Alexa disagrees. She doesn’t think anything needs to change and is quite happy plodding on with her best friend by her side.

So, when everything changes for the better for Alexa, while it’s going from bad to worse for Kylie; will it tear them apart? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I can’t speak for the life experience of all twenty-somethings, but I felt as though Kylie and Alexa really showcased what women in that age bracket go through, at least from my own viewpoint. I can recall not feeling as though I was where I wanted to be at twenty-five, that I wasn’t as successful or accomplished as I felt I should have been. That there were a lot of expectations and pressure put upon me to “grow up” and “prepare for the future”. I’m not even sure if I was quite ready to be a proper adult at that age, a struggle these two young women deal with constantly.

The two personalities are like night and day, with Kylie and her need to reject stability at all cost, and Alexa and her desperate need for order and balance. It’s why their friendship works so well, leaning on one another, Kylie allowing Alexa to let loose a bit and enjoy life, and Alexa literally picking up the pieces of Kylie’s fragmented existence. And when there is too large of a shift in the delicate balance that has supported this relationship for so long, it forces both women to face up to who they are not as friends, but as individuals.

While there are plenty of romantic nuances within The Wrong Side of Twenty-Five, what I appreciated most about this novel is showcasing the inner strength and ability both main characters discover from within. It’s a process, and one they have to come to on their own, and not from outside influences like family, or friends, love interests, society. It can be hard to really go for the life you want to live, even if it means it displeases others, and it was nice to see those interactions, the struggle that segues into that sort of growth and change. Ultimately, we want to see our characters end up with the man they’ve been pining for, or finally stand up to a bully who has plagued them for most of their lives, or discover they can truly find happiness within their deep-desired passions, but it’s in the pot holes and rock-bottom experiences where real growth can begin, and I found those experiences in Twenty-Five to be real and more than relatable for all women, no matter what age bracket you reside in.

Thanks to HCL Author Services for the book in exchange for an honest review. Visit the other stops on the tour!

Tour Schedule:

Thursday, December 28th 
ItaPixiesBookCorner - Book Review
Steamy Book Momma - Book Excerpt
BookLoverWormBlog - Book Review

Friday, December 29th

Saturday, December 30th
Book Lover in Florida - Spotlight Post
Sweet Little Pretties - Book Review

Sunday, December 31st 
Jena Books - Spotlight Post
Inked Book Dragon - Book Review

Monday, January 1st
Sparkles at Midnight - Book Review
Reviews by Crystal - Spotlight Post

Tuesday, January 2nd
NovelGossip - Author Guest Post

Wednesday, January 3rd
Living Life with Joy - Book Review

Thursday, January 4th
He Said Books or Me - Author Guest Post