{Tour Stop} ARC Review: The Jelly Bean Crisis by Jolene Stockman
Jolene Stockman Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Hello! Welcome to my stop in the AToMR tour for Jolene Stockman's newest YA contemporary; The Jelly Bean Crisis!
A total meltdown. The whole school watching. Now Poppy’s an ex-straight-A with no Plan B.
When Poppy Johnson throws away a full scholarship to Columbia, she can only blame the jelly beans. The yucky green ones? Midnight cram sessions and Saturday’s spent studying. The delicious red? The family legacy: Columbia, and a future in finance. Except now it’s starting to look like Poppy’s jelly bean theory is wrong. School has been her life until, but maybe it’s time to start living now.
Poppy has thirty days to try a new life. No school, no studying. Just jumping into every possible world. Thirty days to find her passion, her path, and maybe even love. The Jelly Bean Crisis is officially on.
Poppy's jellybean theory is simple: you have to get through all the yucky green ones before you can taste delicious reds. In other words, grin and bear it now, get reward after. She's been through this same routine throughout her entire life, but she starts to doubt her very own theory and makes a decision that changes her life.
Poppy is a girl most people can relate to. She has been pressured to be the perfect all-around girl- the kind of teenagers that would take over wall street and all that. That was The Big Plan, but pigeonholed Poppy wakes up and realizes that she wants to be someone else. Wall Street wasn't here dream- it's what her father's. What I find admirable in her is that she actually had the courage to stand up for herself and what she believed in. I really loved that she was willing to try out everything just to figure out what she wanted to be. Poppy is truly one of the most passionate female leads I have ever come across.
In a technical point of view, The Jelly Bean Crisis is definitely my kind of book. The book is perfectly paced, and had the right moments in all the right parts. It's beautifully written through Poppy's point of view, and I felt that the author caught the entire essence of her. We really get to know Poppy and the people around her as the story progresses, so character development is strong as well. I just wished that we got to know mr. love interest more.
The book had a lot to do with hopes, dreams, and the future. It also dealt with peer pressure and perfectionist parents. I really think that this book would inspire teenagers who are lost and confused; it would help them find the confidence within them.
The Jelly Bean Crisis is a great slice of life read. Light and heartwarming, this book is timely and timeless. I thoroughly enjoyed it to the point of devouring and finishing it in less than three hours. I definitely recommend it.
Jolene Stockman Bio
Jolene Stockman is an award winning writer, speaker, and an expert for Girlfriend Magazine Australia. She is a Master of Neuro Linguistic Programming, and one of the youngest in the world to achieve the Distinguished Toastmaster Award. Jolene lives in New Zealand, and is the author of Total Blueprint for World Domination. The Jelly Bean Crisis is her debut fiction.
Learn more at www.jolenestockman.com
