Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley
Release Date: August 6, 2009
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 285
Overall:
Four Little Words Written in Lipstick...
mean Emily must say goodbye to everything she knows. Emily Carson has always been a good girl. So when she throws a party the night her parents leave for vacation, she's sure she'll get busted. What Emily doesn't know is that her parents will never return. That their plane will go down. And the only thing left amidst the wreckage will be a tray table with the words: Emily please forgive me scrawled in lipstick—her mother's last words.
Now it's fall in New York City and Emily's trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Her public tragedy captures the attention of more than just the media—and soon two very different boys at her new school are pursuing her: the cute, popular Owen and the quirky chemistry partner slash pastry-baker-by-night, Anthony. But even with such delicious distractions, Emily can't let go of her mother's mysterious apology. Does she have the courage to face the truth?
With help of a whole new kind of family—one that includes a make-up artist to the stars, a teen model, and a wacky hairdresser—Emily must choose between the boy who makes her forget it all, and the one who encourages her to remember, and ultimately, heal.
Sometimes goodbye is just the beginning
My most favorite thing about this book were the characters. All of them were written superbly and felt real, because the issues they went through were relatable. I especially liked Trent, Emily's aunt's best friend, also a hair stylist. He was just hilarious! I found myself laughing out loud at some of his quirky comments. Jolie, Emily's aunt, was a great character because she was such an amateur at being a motherly figure and it was nice to read about her learning to be one. It was also entertaining to read about her trying to cook turkey. I could go on, but I'll just say that I really loved the characters.
The romance was a little dry, and wasn't all too unique in my opinion. I thought it was easily predictable and I didn't feel any connection between Emily and Owen. To me, it seemed only superficial. And I only felt a small spark between Emily and Anthony. I just wish that the novel included more dialogue between these characters. Then maybe it would've felt more real.
Creativity was not a problem in this novel, however. The plot itself was very creative, the part involving her mother's last words especially. The true reason for her mom's message was mind-boggling and completely shocking. This made the novel that much more enjoyable.
Lipstick Apology was a read full of many different emotions--happiness, sadness, anger, and much more. I was amazed by its context.
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