Customer Reviews

Boyfriends, Burritos & an Ocean of Trouble (Real Life)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Boyfriends, Burritos & An Ocean of Trouble" is a young adult novel with some romance that also deals with serious, real life teen issues. I loved it. I very highly recommend it to teen girls and adult women. This is the second book in the "Real Life" series, but you can read them in any order without missing information or spoiling the other books in the series.

The world-building was excellent in all areas and brought the story alive in my imagination. I liked the characters. They acted realistically and dealt with realistic, hard problems. I really cared about what happened to Bryn and the other main characters, so I had a hard time putting the novel down. The suspense/tension kept building throughout the story as the situation kept getting worse and worse. Despite the tough issues, the book was realistic but encouraging rather than depressing.

This was definitely a novel intended for Christians. Bryn found a strange, "RL" book with stories from the Bible about Jesus but they seemed written just for her and the situation she's going through. The Christian element was a main part of the story, but I didn't feel like the author was lecturing the reader or Bryn. It was just...comforting and challenging.

The minimal bad language was of the "he said a five letter word" type. There was no sex. Overall, I highly recommend this as a touching, well-written, clean novel.

I received this book from the publisher as a review copy.

The strange book mentioned in the title is the RL (Real Life) book that each girl reads while dealing with her real-life issues (as opposed to a fantasy adventure or historical fiction). This series provides a wholesome alternative to other series in popular literature, contemporary teen fiction.

In Boyfriends, Burritos& an Ocean of Trouble (Real Life), Bryn has been good at keeping secrets, even about her boyfriend's abusive behavior. When a car accident reveals the truth and unleashes trouble, her friends don't believe her, and her world unravels.

Her athlete boyfriend and friends blame her for the accident. When she decides to tell the truth and press charges, she is alienated by them. Her grandmother arrives to help her live through the process of going to court, and teaches her how to surf and make Mexican cuisine. She learns that telling the truth has a price as she faces name calling, threats, and more.

Like Jessie, she also finds a mysterious RL book that could hold the secret to riding out the tidal wave her life has become since the car accident. Through it, she learns about Yeshua, the main character, and the book seems to meet her where she is at, emotionally and spiritually.

This book can be easily read by students 5th grade and up. It's not a heavy book that promises false hope, but one that shows how a real girl faces her personal demons and tries to search for spiritual significance. In the next book Boyfriends, Burritos& an Ocean of Trouble (Real Life)), it is an abusive relationship and what happens when you stand up for the truth. In the first book, Motorcycles, Sushi& One Strange Book (Real Life), it is dealing with ADHD and a dysfunctional family.

5 stars for an excellent read -- can't wait to read the 3rd book, coming out in the fall! I'm passing my copy on to a middle school friend.

----Taken from review published in CHRISTIAN LIBRARY JOURNAL (April 2010).

I only downloaded this book because it was free on the Kindle. I enjoyed the quick read but I was slightly thrown by the religious undertones that become blatant by the end of the story. I typically don't read books of this genera, but it caught my eye. If the other books in the series become free, I would definitely read them as well.

I feel a lot of sympathy for Bryn, and had this book not had so much preaching in it, I would have given it four stars. Unfortunately, I'm not Christian and I don't have a very high tolerance for preaching. This book crosses the line for me. If you're Christian and fervently believe, all should be good and you will probably love the book. If you aren't and don't mind the preaching, read it for the support on how battered teens survive and recover. If you aren't Christian and can't stand preaching... you might want to look elsewhere.

In my opinion this was the best one of this book series. There was lots of action and God helps this girl through out her struggles. There are some harsh times but I guarantee that you'll love this one.

We read about it almost every day or hear it on the radio or TV. Girl/woman abused by boyfriend/husband. Or it might be boy abused, as well. Many times the abuse has been going on for weeks, months, even years. So why does the victim allow it to continue? Why don't they tell the authorities, their parents, or a good friend?

Author Nancy Rue's novel, BOYFRIENDS, BURRITOS AND AN OCEAN OF TROUBLE, deals with the subject of abuse. Through her fictional characters, Bryn and her abusive boyfriend, Preston, the author provides a glimpse into possible reasons people do not report what's happening to them. Preston is popular, good looking, and Bryn thinks she's lucky to be his girlfriend. She keeps quiet about his hitting her, until they are in an auto accident and the truth is revealed. When her father insists on pressing charges against Preston, Bryn learns just how far Preston will go to protect his reputation and his future.

Bryn's mother and sister are away. That leaves Bryn and her father, who avoid discussing what they don't want to talk about, to deal with what soon escalates into threats and intimidation unless they drop the charges. Can Grandmother Mim who comes to stay until Bryn's mother returns home and gives Bryn surfing lessons while helping her through the days leading up to the trial and the trial itself, a book called RL (Real Life) that tells Bryn stories about Jeshua, and Shaun, a gorgeous new guy, help Bryn overcome her distrust of boys and put her life back together?

The author has written a story that anyone who's been in the same situation as Bryn can relate to. They'll understand her reluctance and fear to tell on the abuser. Perhaps seeing how Bryn deals with the situation will encourage them to act. This novel would make a good supplemental reader for classrooms to let young people know they're not alone and they need to admit the truth to stop the abuse. Also, the book would be a useful resource for school counselors when dealing with their subjects. I recommend this novel for teen readers and their parents, as well.

Paperback courtesy of Zondervan and Z Street Team

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Nancy Rue's YA books are like a breath of fresh air in Christian young adult fiction. While there are several good CF YA authors already in place, her stories are not just fluff and romance. She takes serious subjects and puts it in a teen's perspective with situations and answering questions that no one else pays attention to.

This book does not shy away from realistic issues that teens face. I'm sure that there are probably some parents who will think that this book is too mature for their teens and while it is their right, I believe that learning about how to handle this kind of situation will benefit teens. Bryn has found herself in an abusive relationship with almost no one to turn to. Many teen girls are either in this kind of relationship currently or have had abusive boyfriend in the past but never told a single person. The story shows the helplessness, fear and shame that comes with being in this situation. The behavior that she has to put up with is unbearable and even though I don't condone physical abuse from both sides, I really wanted this guy to feel the same pain and agony that he put on Bryn.However, there is some hope for Bryn as she finds this in her new relationship with her grandmother, the new guy she meets, and surfing.

I was particularly excited that parts of the book took place in my hometown area of Virginia Beach. I love seeing places I know show up in books so it was a very nice surprise and Rue portrayed our area very nicely. And kudos for mentioning burritos!

Some might complain that this book is preachy due to the Christian overtones found in the overall story and in the book that Bryn finds. However, I am going to have to disagree with this. Yes, I read a lot of Christian books and am a practicing member of the faith. BUT for a young adult fiction book, this story features so much more than just religion. Bryn is obviously going through A LOT of emotions and is involved in a dangerous situation with no one to turn to and almost no help in sight. It's her choice to turn to her faith to put her trust in and the way that Rue handles it is not at all in your face or proselytizing type of way. Pretty much all I can say is a quote from 12 step programs: "Take what you like and leave the rest." Because what Rue says in this book is something that a lot of teen girls need to hear but no one ever tells them and you can choose what you want out of this book. HIGHLY recommended.

I couldn't put "Boyfriends, Burritos and an Ocean of Trouble" down once I started reading it. It was written from the point of view of a 15 year old girl who's grandmother, dad and God helped her through a most troubling time in her young life. Very well written.

This book was an easy to read chick-lit style book with some serious under-tones. The religious elements didn't come in until about half way through, by which time you will most likely be hooked and even if you weren't really interested would probably keep reading to see where the story goes. It covers a serious issue very well and I think it would be a good read for teen girls.

I love this book. Very quick read! loved it. I will continue to read the author. got it for free on my kindle when they had it for free.