Review: Pretty in Punxsutawney by Megan Lord
Groundhog Day meets Breakfast Club meets Pretty in Pink meets Freaky Friday – like WOAH!
This book thoroughly surprised me. I started reading it thinking eh, it’ll be cheesy, but cute, I’ll give it a go. It came through on my expectations, but also was surprisingly GOOD, and addicting. I kept having to know how Andie would navigate the next repeat day and how she would break the spell or curse or recurrent dream or whatever was happening to cause the same day over and over again.
The ending of the love triangle was pretty predictable – especially if you’ve watched ANY cliché 80s romantic flics. But you still can’t help yourself to eagerly wait it out. It’s impossible not to get emotionally invested in Andie’s life and feel connected and in tune with her throughout the book.
It’s also impossible not to compare Punxsutawney to what was your high school setting and your personal experiences – and fully comprehend every high school experience is more or less the same.
As Andie works to tear down social barriers, you can’t help but to look at the social barriers that surrounded your high school days and continue to effect life in general – and you wish to tear them all down as well! This author gives you a good look into all the social cliques, the stereotypes, and the actual reality that regardless of appearances, we’re all just trying to navigate the same type of hardships and day to days as everyone else. Everyone is so wrapped up in judging those they assume are judging them that it becomes an endless cycle.
This book also reminds you a bit of the Butterfly Effect – you go back and change one thing; you change EVERYTHING following that.
I’ve thought about that concept quite a bit and it’s a really hard one – you think you’d go back and do something differently, but would you be willing to give up your current life to change one part of your past? Because one different decision could lead you somewhere totally different and your today wouldn’t exist as it does.
Now that I have an awesome son, I know I could not change a single part of my life or change a decision no matter how bad or stupid it seemed at the time if it would potentially take this current reality away. What about you? Would you go back and choose a different adventure in your choose your own adventure life not knowing what the new story might be?
If you like 80s movies, you were intrigued by the concept of Groundhog Day, and you like the cliché love triangles often found in YA novels – give this book a read. You’ll be surprisingly addicted and reflect on your own life more than you think.
About the Book: Pretty in Punxsutawney
Addresses topical issues of self-discovery, navigating cliques, and ignoring stereotypes
Is an homage to beloved 80s movies, such as John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, and Pretty in Pink
Is the perfect gift for birthdays and high school or college graduation
Will captivate young adult readers of all ages with its universal coming-of-age themes about struggling to fit in, navigating the tough high school years, first kisses, and first crushes.
ABOUT THE COLUMNIST
BOOK MOM
A little bit of everything from a scatter-brained, book-loving Mom.
I am the mother of an adventurous and exhausting but amazing toddler boy that runs my life. I spend a ridiculous amount of time reading mind numbing children’s books over and over again because he has his select favorites… But when I do get time to read (or listen) I love reading and listening to a variety of genres. I get the most time to indulge in books of my choice during what I like to call “wind-down baths” once a week.