Today is my stop on the Antipodes blog tour where I shall be telling you my thoughts and for any of you in the US, there is a giveaway for you to enter as well, before all that though here is what it is about.
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When Erin Cerise steps off her plane in Christchurch, New Zealand, she is focused intently on her mission: do something unique that will erase the mess she made of her life on her 17th birthday. She’s already lost her swim team captainship, her boyfriend Ben, and her reputation. Her mother is certain studying abroad will regain Erin’s chances of a good future. Once Erin sees her uninspiring host family and city, though, she’s not so sure.
Before Christchurch, Erin wasn’t always intense and focused. Years ago, a mission sounded like a fun adventure, and the only ivy she cared about was the stuff growing around her grandparents’ back porch at their peaceful Upper Peninsula home. When had her priorities gone upside down?
Now Erin balks at NZ’s itchy school uniforms, cold houses, and her hosts’ utter inability to pronounce her name correctly. Christchurch does boast amazing rock climbing, gorgeous scenery, and at least one guy who could make her forget Ben if she lets him. With months ahead of her, Erin slowly begins to draw on the years behind her, one step back into her memories at a time. As she rebuilds her life from the other side of the world, she finds that when life turns your world upside down and you’re far from home, every way you move takes you closer to where you came from.
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Antipodes will be published on the 3rd April 2018.
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This book was a complete change of pace to what I have been reading recently. I did find it quite slow and difficult to start, I think that was mostly due to having trouble with Erin who I didn’t like much to begin with.
Though I wouldn’t say the pace picked up because this is a slow burn book as I got more invested in Erin and her time in New Zealand I found that it wasn’t a struggle to keep reading and looked forward to when I could immerse myself with the book for a few hours.
Erin is definitely a character that grows on you, at first she comes across as spoiled and entitled but the more time she spends with her host family and the friends that she makes the more likeable she becomes. The snippets of her home life make it easy to see why she is that way and as the book goes on it’s nice to see her re-evaluate what is important.
At first, I wasn’t sure about the flashback in this book, they are quite short and whilst they let you in on the catalyst for her move to New Zealand at points I felt they were a bit disruptive. However, the further I got into the story and the further back the flashbacks went they seemed to draw a parallel with the person that Erin was trying to find in herself and I looked forward to these little glimpses into a new side of her.
I loved the setting of New Zealand, I haven’t been but reading this book has moved it up the list. It’s not just the beautiful scenery, which is amazingly described, but also the relaxed atmosphere and attitude of its inhabitants that make it appealing. It seems like a place that is full of surprises and one that you wouldn’t want to leave in a hurry.
I think what I loved most about this book though is Erin’s relationship with her host family. It was lovely that they were so supportive and showed her how a family could be, even though they butted heads at times they also brought her back down to earth when she needed it. I also loved Pippa’s enthusiasm over everything.
If you love a character-driven story in a beautiful setting that leaves you feeling very uplifted then this is the book for you.
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So if you like the sound of that and you live in the US then you will definitely want to enter the giveaway to win…
Also if you happen to live near Seattle then you might be interested to know that there will be a launch party at Secret Garden Books, there will be cake I’m told it’s excellent and you can find out more about that here.
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If you want to find out more about the book or the author then click the button to…
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Michele Bacon writes novel-length fiction for young adults and older adults. When she’s not writing, she’s skiing, playing tabletop games, traveling, or dreaming of travel. She lived in Christchurch, New Zealand for over a year, and is eager to return. Today, Michele lives in Seattle with her partner and three children. She is also the author of Life Before.
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everywhere-and-nowhere.com 