Title: Bitter Like Orange PeelAuthor: Jessica Bell
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Genre: Adult, Contemporary
Release Date: November 1, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn
Six women. One man. Seven secrets. One could ruin them all.
Kit is a twenty-five-year-old archaeology undergrad, who doesn’t like to get her hands dirty. Life seems purposeless. But if she could track down her father, Roger, maybe her perspective would change.
The only problem—Roger is as rotten as the decomposing oranges in her back yard according to the women in her life: Ailish, her mother—an English literature professor who communicates in quotes and clichés, and who still hasn’t learned how to express emotion on her face; Ivy, her half-sister—a depressed archaeologist, with a slight case of nymphomania who fled to America after a divorce to become a waitress; and Eleanor, Ivy’s mother—a pediatric surgeon who embellishes her feelings with medical jargon, and named her daughter after "Intravenous."
Against all three women’s wishes, Kit decides to find Roger.
Enter a sister Kit never knew about.
But everyone else did.
Kit and Ivy are half-sisters that have bonded over the years as if they were full sisters. Neither is close to their father, in fact, Kit has never even met him. The trigger in this story is when Kit decides she wants to finally meet him. When she announces her plans to Ivy, Ivy is shocked and wants no part of it. Neither does Kit's mother. It's not just because they don't like the father, Roger, it's for a much bigger reason. I think the only person in the entire story not hiding some really really big secret is Kit herself.
As Kit begins her search the secrets start coming out, and they set off a chain of events that begins to drive some people far apart, and bring others closer together. The characters in the story were quite real and they were all very far from perfect. I think this is what really makes this book click and why I enjoyed it. Their are a true family. At times they love each other and can't get enough of each other, and other times they can't stand to look at each other. It's what real life is.
The part that threw me was the ending. I felt like it was quite abrupt and that some of the storyline was left hanging. I wanted to know what happened next, but there wasn't anything else left to read in the book. Another ten pages or so would have been perfect.
AUTHOR BIO
If Jessica Bell could choose only one creative mentor, she’d give the role to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and lyrics. This is not only because she currently resides in Athens, Greece, but because of her life as a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, whose literary inspiration often stems from songs she’s written. Jessica is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and annually runs the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. For more information, please visit her website: www.
Tour Schedule
November 11th
-My Seryniti >> Excerpt
-Buried Under Books >> Review
November 12th
-All in One Place >> Review
-Simply Infatuated >> Guest Post
November 13th
-Girl Seeks Place >> Excerpt
-Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom >> Top 10 List
November 14th
-kimberlyfaye reads >> Excerpt
-Hot Off the Shelves >> Review
November 15th
-Only God Can Make a Tree >> Review
-Krystal’s Enchanting Reads >> Excerpt
–
November 18th
-My Book Addiction >> Review
-My Nook, Books & More >> Guest Post
November 19th
-Escape into a Book >> Review
-Bookmarks, Spoilers and Happily Ever After >> Excerpt
November 20th
-A_TiffyFit’s Reading Corner >> Review
-Cabin Goddess >> Review
November 21st
-Sassy Book Lovers >> Excerpt
-Word to Dreams >> Review
-Thoughts in Progress >> Top 10 List
November 22nd
-Two Ends of the Pen >> Interview
-Every Free Chance Book Reviews >> Review
–
November 25th
-YaReads >> Excerpt
-Tiffany Talks Books >> Review
November 26th
-Oh My Shelves >> Review
-Perusing Princesses >> Interview
-Project Read and Review >> Review
November 27th
-Bookish Randomness >> Review + TBR List (From Character)
-Not Everyone’s Mama >> Review
November 28th
-Hardback Book Hotties >> Excerpt
-Butterfly-o-Meter Books >> Guest Post
November 29th
-alwaysjoart >> Review
–
December 2nd
-Contagious Reads >> Review
-vanilla moon >> Excerpt
December 3rd
-Mythical Books >> Guest Post
-Kat’s Book Buzz >> Review
December 4th
-Mean Girls Luv Books >> Review
-Book Cracker Caroline >> Review
December 5th
-As the page turns >> Top 10 List
-All in a Book >> Review
December 6th
-Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews >> Interview
-No BS Book Reviews >> Excerpt
Thanks so much for being part of the tour! Hehe, yes, the ending. I knew it would throw a lot of readers off, but it felt right to me. Ultimately, this book is about not knowing the truth, and how not knowing eats away at a person’s heart and soul. So, how could I possibly reveal all the answers at the end? I wanted my readers to feel what my characters felt. I wanted them to feel the hole, and how frustrating it is to be left with it open and raw. I guess I succeeded! lol :) Cheers!
ReplyDelete