Where I Belong

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book in which there was such a bitchy, snobby, self-centered, egotistical girl as a main character. Those types are usually saved for the main character’s enemy. I also don’t think I’ve ever read another book which changed my feelings about the character and her attitude so many different times over the course of the novel as I did with this book and it’s main character, Corrine.

I originally picked this up expecting to read a light romance. The cover kind of gives off that kind of impression, don’t you think? But it wasn’t. This is more of a story about friendship, and family. The romance is an off-to-the-side kind of thing, and it’s very subtle.

Corrine changed a lot through this novel. Through shoveling horse manure, ‘cheap’ parties, a few visits to Sonic, and an abrupt visit from a equally snobby friend, it was really interesting to see Corrine’s views and thoughts change. The change was really subtle, too, and you wouldn’t really notice it. But looking from how she was at the beginning to how she was at the end really shows how much she changed, even when you didn’t realize it. And that’s kind of what I liked about this – the subtle, gradual change of character. It wasn’t an abrupt, overnight thing. It seems more realistic and believable this way.

However, I had a hard time believing another aspect of this book. The beginning, actually, with the paparazzi. Everyone Corrine knows is rich. Every kid that Corrine knows has rich parents, just like her. But she’s the only one that seems to have to worry about the paparazzi, and about her face appearing in magazines and newspapers when she doesn’t want it to. Why would paparazzi trail you just because your parents are rich and successful? Sure, they’d probably trail movie stars. Actresses. Models. Undeniably rich people. But Corrine is none of those things but rich. And everyone she knows is just like her. Why is the paparazzi just trailing her? That’s the part I don’t really get. Why?

Corrine really gained my respect towards the end of the book, especially when she took her brother to Sonic (‘aw’ moment ). But that ending… I just… No. No, no, no. I get that the author was trying to that Corrine let go of all those things and was kind of ‘moving on,’ but that was not the way to do it. The ending didn’t really sit right with me, and… eh. First, Corrine throws herself at one guy, then at another. Because of a football game. To me, she’s just reverted back into that silly, shallow girl she was at the beginning. It’s kind of like she’s following the limelight, and ‘likes’ whichever guy has everyone’s attention at the moment. Like I said, the ending just didn’t sit right with me. It also kind of left me staring at the last page going “Huh? That’s it?”

But overall, this was a nice, light book, and a welcomed break from all those heavy YA paranormal and fantasy romances. The romance was kind of an iffy thing for me, because it seemed to drift in and out. The paparazzi and that ending didn’t really sit right with me either, but I did enjoy reading about how Corrine changed. In the end, everything comes together and finishes off seamlessly. This doesn’t really shove any important life lessons or preachy lectures in your face, which is something I really liked about it. It follows Corrine’s emotional journey, and isn’t really heavy – the plot’s simple and easy to process.

I won’t go as far as to say I really enjoyed this, but it isn’t like I disliked it, either. This book was more in the middle. I was okay with it, but I’m not really a fan of it. Disliked the beginning, loved the middle, and the ending… :-/