Resch Reads and Reviews

Review/Blog Tour/Giveaway: Hope and Other Punchlines by Julie Buxbaum

SYNOPSIS:

Sometimes looking to the past helps you find your future.

Abbi Hope Goldstein is like every other teenager, with a few smallish exceptions: her famous alter ego, Baby Hope, is the subject of internet memes, she has asthma, and sometimes people spontaneously burst into tears when they recognize her. Abbi has lived almost her entire life in the shadow of the terrorist attacks of September 11. On that fateful day, she was captured in what became an iconic photograph: in the picture, Abbi (aka “Baby Hope”) wears a birthday crown and grasps a red balloon; just behind her, the South Tower of the World Trade Center is collapsing.

Now, fifteen years later, Abbi is desperate for anonymity and decides to spend the summer before her seventeenth birthday incognito as a counselor at Knights Day Camp two towns away. She’s psyched for eight weeks in the company of four-year-olds, none of whom have ever heard of Baby Hope.

Too bad Noah Stern, whose own world was irrevocably shattered on that terrible day, has a similar summer plan. Noah believes his meeting Baby Hope is fate. Abbi is sure it’s a disaster. Soon, though, the two team up to ask difficult questions about the history behind the Baby Hope photo. But is either of them ready to hear the answers?

REVIEW:

*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*

This book was phenomenal, another amazing read and outstanding story from Julie Buxbaum. With each passing hour since I closed this novel, I find myself become filled with awe over the moving, beautiful story I just read. Truly, a stunning, poignant, masterpiece about healing from the past and finding yourself.

A rich, complex, dimensional story line carries the plot. With the heavy hearts of 9/11 weighing down upon us, Julie crafts a moving tale in the perfect balance of serenity and grief, humor and heartache. The story centers around Abbi and Noah. Noah spends the summer seeking answers and slowly realizes that maybe it’s more about the journey than the destination. In contrast, Abbi desperately wants to be more than “Baby Hope” and over the course of the novel realizes that a moment in her life doesn’t need to define life as it is.

Filled with friendship and romance, my heart was swelling with pure joy. Upon a first kiss, I found myself silently fist pumping and cheering. I wanted to skip down the hallway and share my elation with others. But the story expands so much further. Noah’s best friend, Jack, who is the perfect companion adds much needed humor and wisdom throughout the story. Abbi’s family, who isn’t your ordinary family but compliment Abbi so well, add a fun home dynamic to the story. In comparison, Noah’s family is still navigating how to be a family and connect with each other in this world.

I think this level of depth is what really elevates Julie Buxbaum’s writing. The characters have histories and expanded families, drama, and pasts, all of which flow effortlessly off the page. This is the type of story that leaves a smile on your face and hope in your heart. The type of novel you hug at the end because it was just that good.

LINKS:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Julie Buxbaum is the New York Times best selling author of Tell Me Three Things, her young adult debut, What to Say Next and the forthcoming Hope and other Punchlines (out May 7, 2019.) She’s also the author of two critically acclaimed novels for adults: The Opposite of Love and After You. Her work has been translated into twenty-five languages. Julie’s writing has appeared in various publications, including The New York Times. She is a former lawyer and graduate of Harvard Law School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and more books than is reasonable. Visit Julie online at www.juliebuxbaum.com and follow @juliebux on Twitter.

CONNECT TO THE AUTHOR:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

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FOLLOW THE TOUR:

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