Alex, Approximately Review

Book: Alex, Approximately

Author: Jenn Bennett

Rating (of 5):

Synopsis: The one guy Bailey Rydell can’t stand is actually the boy of her dreams—she just doesn’t know it yet.

Classic movie fan Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online as Alex. Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new archnemesis. But life is a whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever it is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.

I just finished Alex, Approximately, the perfect summer-y contemporary ( which was great to read while it was snowing outside)! It gave me all the warm, fuzzy, happy feelings and I adored every second of it! I must have read about 70% of it in one sitting because I simply could not put it down! I had been hearing the hype about this for a while, and I was scared it would not live up to expectations, but I am in love! It was everything and more!

The thing I loved the most was Bailey’s character development! She goes from Artful Dodger to being confident in herself without loosing what she is passionate about and who she truly is! And, to make it better, it was not only because she fell in love! In so many contemporaries the girls change for the “better”  thanks to the guy of their dreams. But not Bailey! She was slowly becoming bolder and bolder as the book went on, making decisions and friends for herself!

Another thing I loved was how the more serious things were done. In so many books the characters have some strange backstory that is just kind of there. But in Alex, Approximately, the characters were actively living with and overcoming their fears and their pasts. It added an interesting element to the story, seeing the two main characters cope with their pasts and learn how to better handle their pain.

Also, the families in these books were awesome! While they were far from perfect, I loved how the families had such a big role in the story! They actually spent time with their family and held up their obligations, which was so refreshing! Plus, the dads actually acted like dads and not robots, which I seem to find happens in a lot of books (the robot thing, anyways).

The setting of a small town in California is so perfect for a summer romance! The surfing vibes in the town and the cutesy boardwalk were just perfect! I adored how the surfing theme was consistent through the book, as well as the film references. Jenn Bennett could have dropped those things, like so many authors do, but she kept referencing their passions and they stayed in as a huge part of the book! It was so fun to keep hearing old movie quotes or learn something new about weather conditions when surfing!

The writing in this book was perfect for the setting! It was laid back and simple, while still describing things in great detail! I could completely imagine myself standing next to the churro cart or sitting up on the dunes watching Porter surf! Just another aspect that made me love this book even more!

And, lastly, no spoilers, but the ending was all I could have ever asked for!

Overall, I loved this book (if you couldn’t tell…). There is no part of it that I didn’t adore! I gave it 5/5 stars, of course! I highly recommend you check this one out for you next read!

Have you read Alex, Approximately? What did you think? Comment below so we can chat about books!

(Image and synopsis from Goodreads)