Date published: November 10th, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffith
Synopsis: Sweet, innocent Coco has always been the good one. But when she catches her boyfriend cheating on her, she decides it's time to break bad.
Coco swiftly goes from spending all her time baking and reading to working nights in (and dancing on) a bar, falling in and out of love (and lust), stealing education - and along the way discovers that she is stronger than she ever knew… In a time when her best friends are suddenly plunged into break ups, break-downs, big breaks, and on the verging of quitting New York City altogether, it's up to Coco to keep them together and find herself along the way.
Gemma Burgess' The Wild One: A Brooklyn Girls Novel is the inspiring story about the turmoil, uncertainty, and heartache that every twenty something faces and survives - with the help of her friends.
What I Thought:
I feel like this book could have potentially been about me. It's not that I've ever experienced any of what Coco has, which probably has you wondering why I would relate so strongly to this book, but there's something about her and how she views herself that really resonated with me. I really felt like I was able to not only see Coco's life, and be a part of it, but understand what her perspective was and where it was coming from.
Coco is the youngest of five females living in a Brooklyn brownstone, Rookhaven, that she inherited from her mother whom she lost at a very young age. Coco is the most sheltered and most insecure of all the women. While the other females have their foibles, Coco usually deals with stress by baking and reading. However Coco isn't happy, with her life, or with her job, and she's beginning to feel overwhelmed by the fact she doesn't know what direction her life is going to take when it seems everyone around her has a goal and plan. They all seem to be going somewhere and doing something they love. All Coco knows is that what she has in not what she wants.
I really loved Coco. I've loved her from the moment I met her for the first time in Brooklyn Girls, the first book in the Brooklyn Girls series. Coco has always been the most introverted of the girls in the house and she's also been the one most sheltered. She's always done what her father and older sister Julia have told her was best for her; She's always taken the path of least resistance. I loved seeing her come out of her shell and taking control of her life. Granted she decided to the opposite of what she normally would have and be a stronger version of herself, which worked for a time, but it was great seeing her do that. I liked how Coco was discovering what she liked and what she wanted to do in all things, not just her romantic life but also her occupation.
Another thing about this book that I really enjoyed was how the story focused on Coco, but also how her other housemates played pivotal roles in the book. It was like getting Coco's book and updates in Pia, Maddie, Angie, and Julia's lives as well. I loved seeing how they were doing in their lives, both the positives and negatives. There were times when I was taken aback by what was going on in their lives, but I also surprised myself by how nonjudgmental I was about the choices the girls made. This book focused on a number of themes, one of which was self love. Another was about making the change in your life that you want and being happy. Yet a third was about acceptance and being non judgmental. While I would've enjoyed a story that was all neat and nice, fitting the romance mold, instead I enjoyed a book that was true to life and real. Life isn't neat and perfect, and neither are the lives of those who live in Rookhaven.
There's so much more I want to say, but this is truly a book that has to be read to be experienced. I feel like every high school girl and college going girl should read this for inspiration and confidence. Even when I was worried Coco was going to revert back into her shell, she surprised me. I think she and this book will surprise you too. Kudos to Gemma Burgess for writing a story that may seem light from the outside, but is packed with depth. This is not just a romance, but about a journey of self discovery, resilience, and strength. She touches on subjects relevant to young women today in such a way that promotes understanding and discourse. There are some hilarious laugh out loud moments and moments where you may find yourself in tears. I find myself looking forward to Julia's book and finding out what's going on in her life and in the lives of all those who reside in Rookhaven. I hope it's as spectacular as this book.
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About the Author
Gemma is the internationally-acclaimed author of Love and Chaos, The Wild One, Brooklyn Girls, A Girl Like You and The Dating Detox. Her books have been translated into seven languages and published in over 20 countries.
She is currently writing the movie Undergrads for New Regency Studios with Locomotive Films, and recently rewrote the movie Lovestruck for Maven Pictures and Pretty Matches HBO.
She lives in New York City and grew up everywhere else, mostly Hong Kong, Australia and London.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. I also purchased a paperback for my self. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them in any manner.*
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