Review: Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Walking Disaster (Beautiful, #2)
Author: Jamie McGuire
Pages: 448
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: April 2, 2013

How much is too much to love? Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. Just when he thought he was invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Jamie McGuire's New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it's time to see the story through Travis's eyes.

My Thoughts: Beautiful Disaster was one of those books that I expected to love, but it ended up leaving me with a feeling of detachment and relief that it was over. Lots of readers loved it, and even though I could understand the appeal, I honestly felt like I had read an entirely different book. When I found out there would be another novel, I didn't think I would ever read it since the previous one wasn't a hit for me. But deep down I have to admit that I was still curious about it. I just really wanted to love these books! I thought that maybe I needed to see it all through Travis's eyes to finally fall in love with this story and these characters. Unfortunately, I felt the exact same way about Walking Disaster as I did Beautiful Disaster.

While Walking Disaster gives new insight into what was going through Travis's head during the previous book, I didn't feel like it had anything I hadn't already interpreted before about Travis's character. Just like I thought, and like this book proves, Travis is not a horrible person. He's vulnerable and feels strongly about things, and although he has issues and makes some poor choices at times, he's not so different from and quite honestly not as bad as certain males characters in other books I've read. He's also crazy about Abby. I expected the majority of his thoughts to revolve around her. I just didn't expect it to almost seem like that's all there was to him. He wasn't anyone without Abby. That sounds romantic and probably was the point, but I wish there had been more depth to him. That's actually the main thing I wanted to get out of this novel, so I was disappointed when it didn't happen.

Walking Disaster doesn't elaborate on everything that happened in Beautiful Disaster, which is a good thing because we don't need a repeat of every single detail. There is a down side to that, though, because there are some instances where you might be left wondering what exactly happened. It's like missing out on an inside joke. That's why I highly recommend not skipping Beautiful Disaster, if you're interested in reading this novel. Not only that it was much easier to dislike Abby. Again, you really need to read the story from Abby's perspective first. I can't say I particularly liked Abby before, but at least I was able to tolerate her. In this novel there were some parts where I hated her guts. Sometimes I couldn't wrap my head around why Travis even bothered with her. And quite frankly, I still find it hard to believe that she was the only good-looking girl who didn't want to sleep with him. The women at their college sound pathetic. Or maybe Travis didn't bother to look around. In the end, it doesn't matter because these two frustrating, drama magnets are perfect for each other.

Beautiful Disaster fans shouldn't be discouraged by my review. If you loved Abby's story, then I can imagine you'll love Travis's story as well. Maybe even more. And if you didn't love Beautiful Disaster, I'm not sure what you'll get out of Walking Disaster, expect maybe the same frustrations you got from the previous one. But I do think everyone will get a sense of closure once finishing this novel. Those wishing for a sequel will most likely be satisfied and happy with what's included at the end, so I highly recommend Walking Disaster to fans of Beautiful Disaster.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster
Author: Jamie McGuire
Pages: 362
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: October 3, 2011

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’ apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

My Thoughts: I really liked the beginning of Beautiful Disaster when Abby first meets Travis. I was so glad it didn't take them long to meet. The relationship between Abby and Travis was what intrigued me the most from reading the book's summary. The good-girl and the bad-boy. I love it when opposites attract! But what I always realize about two people in a relationship that are labeled as "opposites" is that they're not entirely different from each other. And I think Abby and Travis are a good example of that. Both have their vulnerabilities and share other similar qualities. Even if it was hard for them to believe that their relationship would work out or that they were meant to be, it was obvious they cared about and loved each other deeply.

Before I started the book, I expected Abby and Travis's relationship to be drama-filled and to make me frustrated. So, as the story went on, I wasn't surprised with all the back and forth between them. That being said, though, I can't say that I completely liked some of the decisions Abby made, some of Travis's actions, and some of the ways they both reacted to things. And I do think that at times the drama was a bit too much. Maybe overboard. Definitely very frustrating. Some events seemed a bit unrealistic and convenient. Kind of what I usually see in soap operas. I can totally understand the appeal though. I know there have been times where, out of nowhere, I became addicted to all that drama in soaps, no matter how frustrated it made me. It's just hard to look away, especially when all you want is for everyone to be happy in the end.

And in the end, I was satisfied with how things turned out for Abby and Travis. To those who are interested in reading Beautiful Disaster, I would say...go for it! Just be prepared for the drama. It's definitely one of those guilty pleasure reads.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars