Mundie Moms

Monday, June 18, 2018

THIS TINY PERFECT WORLD by Lauren Gibaldi / Book Review #ThisTinyPerfectWorld


By: Lauren Gibaldi
Published by: Harper Teen
Released on: February 27th, 2018
Purchase from: The Publisher | Amazon | B&N
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Rating: 4 stars
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review

A contemporary “clean teen” coming-of-age story about a small-town girl who opens her eyes to life’s endless possibilities

When Penny wins a scholarship to a prestigious theater camp, she thinks it’s the start of a perfect summer. But when she arrives at camp, Penny is thrust into a world of competition and self-doubt. And as she meets new friends, including Chase, a talented young actor with big-city dreams, she begins to realize that her own dreams may be bigger than she ever imagined.


A clean teen, coming of age story about a girl who is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life. Does she take the safe road that's been mapped out for her, or does take the chance on the exciting opportunity that has presented itself to her? I totally remember having those same mixed emotions when you hit that crossroad of what you want to do with your life. Do you follow the road you've always had mapped out in front of you, or take the road that has exciting opportunities? There are so many what ifs, but sometimes you just have to choose, and don't look back.

I really liked Penny. She's a character who was incredibly easy for me to relate to. Most relatable are the feelings and thoughts she has when she finds herself at the crossroads of needing to discover herself, and what she really wants to do in life. I felt like the choices she makes, and the things she contemplates were realistic ones. Had I been in her exact situation, I would done the same thing. I also liked that she doesn't just accept things for how they are now. I like that she takes the chance. 

I never wanted to go to theater camp, until now. The camp was the perfect addition to this story. It allowed Penny to not only have her safety net of those from her small town (her dad, long time best friend Faye and her boyfriend Logan), she also mets new friends, Sam and Chase. Camp definitely opens Penny's eyes, and expanded her own world views of what is out there for her. It also introduced her to what different people are like, and made her realize there are other possibilities for her than the small town life and taking over the family business.  

While there's a romance, I liked that the focus on the story is Penny and her choices. I admire her for not being influenced by her relationship with Logan, though she does have some tough choices to make. I liked Logan, and his support of Penny. I loved the father/daughter relationship in this book. Both Penny and her dad are very supportive of the choices they both make in this book. 

I was pleasantly surprised with all that Lauren included in her story. I really liked Penny's story arch, and her growth as a character. I wasn't excepting to relate to her the way I did. I also loved the unexpected surprises I didn't see coming. I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect read to kick off my summer reading. 

1 comment:

  1. Stunning review Katie :D So glad you ended up enjoying this book so very much. <3 I think that cover is so very gorgeous. Sigh. Not a story for me, sadly, but it looks awesome :D

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