Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Genre: Young Adult

On Sale: September 1, 2010
Synopsis: No synopsis for this one, because I don't want to spoil anything for those who haven't read the first book, Leaving Paradise. This is a sequel.

Rating: 3 stars - Fun read, but something's missing..

Review: I have read three of Simone Elkeles' books so far, and am a huge fan of all of them. I just feel like I'm always grabbed by her ways of story telling and her characters. The way she writes is simply effortless, and the pace is always quick and easy. I enjoyed Leaving Paradise, and thought it was just such a light, fun, cute, and entertaining story. I really liked the main characters, Caleb and Maggie, and thought they were believable, as I have mentioned on my review for it. In Return to Paradise, the sequel, the story continues.

Overall, I have to say I did like it. Unfortunately, something was missing. It was a little bland -- like iced tea lacking a bit of sugar. I was constantly hoping for more, for something exciting to happen, for the "turning point" or the climax in the story. To me, there wasn't any. It got a bit repetitive too. Also, I wasn't entirely sure either if I was actually reading about the Caleb and Maggie I once rooted for and empathized with.

Despite all these negative aspects, I still liked the author's style, and will still continue to read anything from her. I think she has such a unique way of tackling stories in the YA genre. I recommend this to fans of Simone Elkeles' books, and for someone looking for a very light read.