Now I wanna go to Ireland: A review about “Love & Luck” by Jenna Evans Welsh
Jenna Evan Welsh is not a new author in my radar, about two years ago I stumbled into her debut novel Love & Gelato, not expecting much from it I found myself enjoying every page of it. When I decided to pick up Love & Luck I knew that a good time was guarantied, and it surely didn’t disappoint! The main reason I wanted to read this book (other than the fact that I enjoyed JEW’s stories) is the fact that a few weeks ago I binged Normal People and it made me want to read/watch more stories that were set in Ireland.
The book starts when Addie and Ian, siblings, have a massive argument over something that happened over the summer, they on a family vacation in Ireland for their aunt’s wedding, but it has felt like the worst summer ever. When Addie and Ian are left alone by the rest of their family (thinking they are going to go to Italy to visit Addie’s best friend Lina), Addison and Ian get into one of the most adventurous and healing road trips of their life with their new friend, Rowan. Roaming through all sorts of different parts of Ireland with very specific tasks, these three people find themselves healing, learning, and most important; healing.
This book tackles heartache, friendship, and real-life problems in a way that feels like you're being guided through it swiftly. One of the things that I enjoyed the most was the fact that these three teenagers are faced with problems that aren’t “cliché” or that feel like their life is a little too perfect.
The family dynamic that is shown in the book is one of my favorites so far in a YA novel, sometimes in YA novels it feels like the family is not important for the characters, almost like they’re alienated from them. The book makes sure you know that this family unit is tight and that they trust each other, which is very nice to see.
I do believe that this book came at me at just the right time, I really enjoy that while it’s sweet and an adventure in itself, you also are able to feel for the characters (especially Addie and Rowan) when their problems surface. It makes them human, because, like it is stated in the book, healing is a long process and to be honest, sometimes you forget about it, or more like you try to not look at it in the eye.
Overall this is a feel-good book that brings hope to those in the progress of healing from any sort of heartbreak, which as shown in the book is not only the romantic kind. A great and quick summer read that anyone can enjoy and definitely feel identified with at least one of the characters from the book.
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