Just Finished Reading: My Best Everything by Sarah Tomp

My Best Everything
by Sarah Tomp
To be published on March 3, 2014
by Little, Brown BFYR

Source: e-galley for review

Synopsis from Goodreads: Luisa “Lulu” Mendez has just finished her final year of high school in a small Virginia town, determined to move on and leave her job at the local junkyard behind. So when her father loses her college tuition money, Lulu needs a new ticket out. Desperate for funds, she cooks up the (definitely illegal) plan to make and sell moonshine with her friends, Roni and Bucky. Quickly realizing they’re out of their depth, Lulu turns to Mason: a local boy who’s always seemed like a dead end. As Mason guides Lulu through the secret world of moonshine, it looks like her plan might actually work. But can she leave town before she loses everything – including her heart?

My take: My Best Everything is a quirky, moving coming of age story that takes place in a small town, a kind of story I'm always drawn to. It has some narrative aspects that could be hit or miss for some readers, but I found it compelling and different.

Lulu's just graduated from high school and is more than ready to leave her small town and head to California, where she hopes to study science. But when her father confesses that he's lost her college fund in a bad investment, Lulu's devastated. The last thing she wants is to get stuck in her "hillbilly" town, working at Sal's Salvage. So she comes up with an idea: she'll use her science knowledge and an old still named Aunt Jezebel to make and sell moonshine as a way to pay her college tuition.

You could take this concept and write it so many different ways: as a thriller, as a dark tragicomedy like Breaking Bad, as a morality tale. So how to describe the way My Best Everything feels? It's character-driven and atmospheric. It's told in an (almost) second person narration, with Lulu addressing a now-absent other character she refers to as "you," telling the story as if she's looking back from the past. I usually struggle with epistolary stories, but I wouldn't say this strictly falls into that category.  I also thought the technique worked well in a coming of age story (as an older and wiser Lulu looks back on her more naive self) and it also added a sense of mystery about why "you" wasn't around for her to talk to directly. (I was pretty sure I figured it out ... and I was wrong.)

My Best Everything had a lot of story elements I love. I'm a huge fan of a good small town setting and colorful small town characters. I liked the writing a lot. I also really liked Lulu. She's the kind of girl I can relate to: a smart girl stuck in a small town, a "good" girl who wants to explore the boundaries of being "good" and even trample over them -- all for a worthy cause. I thought all the characters were really well-written, from Lulu and her friend Roni to Reva's parents and various other town residents. All in all, this was a big hit for me.

If you enjoy coming-of-age stories and are in the mood for something a little different, I'd definitely recommend giving this one a try!

Comments

  1. Amazing review Jen! Adding this one to my TBR pile, I love stories set in a small town, especially coming of age books!

    Happy Reading
    Patrick @ The Bookshelves

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  2. ok i love coming of age stories but I am already INFURIATED by the dad… just no.. my blood is boiling because of what he did for her. Still, this has been on my radar for a while. i also love the small town contemporary setting too. great review!

    - Juhina @ Maji Bookshelf

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    1. I know -- I agree :) But it's necessary for the story to work, I guess...

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  3. I just started this book and I am already loving the setting, the tone, and the writing. I am very excited to dive more into. I agreee, this usually isn't a writing style that I can get into but this author did a wonderful job It is full of eerie and mystery and chills, without anything even happening yet. great review.

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  4. i do enjoy coming of age stories and Lu sounds like a character I could connect with

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  5. I missed the read now option for this one and this publisher never approves me. This sounds like a cute and fun book!

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    1. Yeah, I happened to be at my computer right when the "read now" email popped up. That usually doesn't happen to me!

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  6. Totally Breaking Bad. Lol. Quirky story is quirky. I'm curious, though. :)

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    1. Agree! This is not nearly as dark or morally complex as BB. I'm a huge fan of the show.

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  7. Whoa! I didn't think this book would actually be like that, like, at all. With such a feel-good cover, I thought it would be about road trips or finding oneself in a college setting! But this is a really a pleasant surprise. It's original as far as premises go. Will check it out!

    Faye at The Social Potato

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    1. I love the cover, but maybe you're right...

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  8. This book seems so good! :D And I love the sound of Lulu's character, someone I can relate to as well. And the setting sounds amazing and authentically written! Thanks for the lovely review, Jen. :) x

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  9. This one sounds really interesting to me. I'm hoping to read it in March, so I'll have to see what I think.

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  10. I am reading this one soon - looking forward to it!

    Kate @ Ex Libris

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