The Silver Linings Playbook

Front Book Cover (Original) 2008

The Silver Linings Playbook
By Matthew Quick

"As if he were Yoda, and I were Luke Skywalker... Training on the Dagobah System..."

About the Author
Matthew Quick grew up in Oaklyn, New Jersey. He graduated from Collingswood High School and has a degree in English Literature from La Salle University. Quick was an English teacher in Haddonfield, NJ, before he quit to write his novel. He currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife who is also a novelist.

The Story
Pat Peoples has recently returned home after being released from a psychiatric hospital, after having a mental breakdown, when his wife Nikki, suggested that they have "Apart time". He has spent the past 4 years living in the hospital, and has finally moved back into his parents house in his old neighbourhood.
Pat believes that his life is a movie it is being produced by God, and that his "Silver Lining" in life will be the reunion between him and his estranged wife. He works to try to get his life back on track through self-improvement, so when the time comes, Nikki will want him back. However, Pat soon meets a young woman by the name of Tiffany, who has a strange obsession with him and starts to follow him around. After a while, the two become friends and Pat learns about her life before and after losing her job when her husband passed. Pat is a huge fan of the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team, and from this, he starts to rebuild his relationship with his brother. We learn that Pat also attends therapist sessions to help him to cope with his life, and to help him move on from what was once his "old movie" life he had become accustomed to.

Will Pat be able to get over Nikki and move on with his life?
Or, will he realise the truth and fall back into oblivion?

Characters
The use of characters in this story are limited. By limited I do not mean there are only a few, but limited meaning to suggest that we don't learn a lot about other characters throughout the story. Our most beloved characters are listed below:

• Pat Peoples - Acts as the narrator of our story, our beloved sweetheart and main protaganist.
• Jake Peoples - Pat's younger brother, and fellow Eagles fan
• Tiffany Maxwell - Female lead character, the young lady in which our story begins to revolve around.
• Ronnie - Pats best friend and neighbour. Ronnie is also Veronica's husband and Emily's father.
• Cliff Patel - Pat's therapist after being released from the "bad place" and a member of the "Asian Invasion".

The characters mentioned above are all important in our story because they have a special relationship with the main character. They each have a story to tell, and are special in more than one way to Pat.
Other characters mentioned, but are not elaborated upon, throughout the story include: Danny, Scott, Jeanie, Patrick, Veronica and Emily.
Our main characters, detailed above have helped contribute to the creation of "Pat" in the readers mind, and it tells of how they have built friendships and foundations around Pat, helped him in his mentally deranged state, carried him through life and protected him from his past, but that still doesn't stop him from wanting the one thing that keeps the story afloat.
Nikki.
Nikki is Pats estranged wife who throughout the story we never meet, we are forced to build a character in our mind from how Pat describes her from his past. She is an English Literature teacher at Jefferson High School, and is a huge fan of Sylvia Plath and Hemingway.

Plot Lines
At the start of the story we learn that Pat has just returned from a mental health facility, and that he is trying to get his life back together and self-improve. He starts by working out for a number of hours each day and then going for long runs. To show he is serious, Pat indulges in Nikki's favourite authors in an attempt to win her back.
He does this to prove he is a new man and that he is able to change for the better.
The fact that Pat really wants to learn, and wants to change his personality really intrigued me.
Another thing that I loved about the story, is how Nikki was never actually present in a scene. Any conversation that is exchanged between Nikki and Pat was always through letters. Anything we learnt about her was from Pat telling the reader himself, or from conversations with another character in the book.
The final element I enjoyed about the story, was how all the male characters in the book had the same amount of passion for the Eagles as Pat did. This helped me, as the reader, connect people together and realise how strong the relationships actually are.

OVERALL

Story: 7/10

Characterisation: 7½/10

Re-readable: Maybe

Recommend to a friend: Yes

Overall I rate this book: 7/10

Keeping in mind that this is only my second review, I have been nervous about writing for this book because I didn't know what to make of the story itself. It was very powerful and gives you a real insight into alternative life experiences and just how difficult it can be, no matter how old you are. Whilst reading you are following the hard times of Pat's life, learning how he copes with everyday problems and rebuilding relationships with people from his past.
I love how Matthew Quick has managed to keep you interested at the best of times, and show you how much life can lift you up and also bring you down.

Theatrical Poster

I liked the storyline and the characters very much, but at the same time the way in which Pat Peoples was portrayed made me think he was a little immature. When reading what he is telling the audience, whether it be what he did in the institute, or what he plans on doing in the future, he repeats most things he says quite a few times. I understand he is adjusting to his life again, but I couldn't quite get used to how his character was played out.
However, I also loved how Pat was portrayed in this way, because we were able to learn that you can change when something so drastic happens in your life, and that it does take time to adjust to everything that is new around you.

The Silver Linings Playbook was released as a movie in November 2012 in the United States and the United Kingdom. It stars Bradley Cooper as Pat (surname changed to Solitano), and Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany Maxwell.
Like in most film adaptations of books, the film differs quite a bit from the storyline in the novel.

I recommend this book to fans of Contemporary Romance

Other Books by Matthew Quick

1. Sorta Like a Rockstar
2. Boy21

For Fans of:

• Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)
• John Boyne (The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas)
• Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)

If you liked this, you'll also like:

• Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

Beautiful Disaster

Beautiful DISASTER 

Front Book Cover

Written by Jamie McGuire

Intense, Dangerous, Addictive... Meet Your New Obsession.

About the Author
Jamie McGuire was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was raised in Blackwell, and graduated High School in 1997 where she then went on to attend Northern Oklahoma College. She later graduated with a degree in Radiography. She now lives with her husband and 3 children in Enid, OK.

The Story
Beautiful Disaster is the story of a teen named Abby Abernathy who is a good girl by day and an even more well behaved girl by night. She doesn't drink, smoke or swear and works her hardest to be the best she can be during her studies. She then crosses paths with a certain young male who is known to be the "walking one night stand" on college campus, Travis Maddox. Travis is tall, sexy, well built and wildly covered in tattoos. After spending his nights making money from a floating fight club, he grabs the hottest girl he can find and continues his well known notorious "Lothario" personality into the early hours of the morning.
After getting to know each other Travis offers to help tutor Abby in one of her classes, she agrees, thus a bond grows between them.
Travis realises that Abby is resistant to his charms, and tries to trick her into his life with a simple bet. If he loses he must remain celibate for a month. But if Abby loses, she must live with Travis at his apartment for the same amount of time.
Travis may have finally met his match which could lead into dangerous and unimaginable territory for the pair of them. With the help of their friends they work to try to see past each others differences and work out a way to keep a cool head around each other.

Will Travis be able to keep his cool?
Will Abby be able to escape her colourful, yet daunting past?

Good girl. 

Bad boy. 

Imminent disaster. 

Or... 

The start of something beautiful?

Characters

There are a range of characters included in this story. Our main characters and further friends are listed below:

• Abby Abernathy - Main female protagonist. Good Girl on campus and0 our favourite character
• Travis Maddox - Also known as "Mad Dog" in the circle, our main male protagonist and all around bad boy
• Shepley - Travis' cousin and roommate at Eastern University and America's boyfriend.
• America - Abby's best friend who travelled to college with Abby to help her escape the past
• Parker Hayes - A young man in Abby's classes who is fascinated by her, and her sweet charms
• Finch - Abby and America's homosexual best friend they met on campus.

The above characters are the most common to be a part of the story. Each of the characters have been carefully planned by our author and worked on to the highest standards. They each have their own background stories, and a way of dropping in and out of the main story line when necessary. Friendships and relationships are bonded through these characters, and you know they are going to last a lifetime.
Other Characters mentioned include; Brazil, Adam, Brad, Mick and Chris. These characters are only mentioned in passing, if they seem to appear in a chapter, but they also play small but important roles in the story line overall.

Plot Lines

I have been sat on the edge of my seat many times when reading novels in the past, but never have I actually fallen off of one. The suspense left at the end of some of the chapters in this book left me speechless and craving more. When it came to times that I was not able to read on at that moment in time, all I could think about was, "What happens next? I have to know!"

McGuire has managed to keep me reading no matter what the circumstances are. Like all writers she likes to leave her audience hanging with a cliffhanger here and there at the end of chapters, however what McGuire has managed to do is not only make an interesting end to a chapter full of tension and suspense, she has also managed to make a chapter that ended with nothing, still make you want to turn the page, and say "Well? What happened?" 

No matter what the circumstances, something interesting was always going on and made you want to continue.
You always worry about an ending when reading a book, because you don't want it to be dissapointing, but then you don't also want it to be the most "amazing" ending in the world, because it seems too obvious. When writing books the beginnings and endings are always the hardest to do, but once you are into the story you find it hard to stop.
In my personal opinion, the ending was pretty good. It made me smile and think "Wow. I loved that book." All I want from reading a book, is just to be able to say that I really enjoyed it.
I am going to let you decide on what you think of the ending, because LADIES... You are not going to want to miss this book out of your collection. It is a story of a lifetime and I promise that you will NOT regret it.

OVERALL

Story:  8/10

Characterisation: 7½/10
Re-readable: Yes (Cant wait to read it again)

Recommend to a friend: Yes  (Recommended the book to a friend after only reading this first 2 chapters)

Overall I rate this book with a: 8/10

I have never been so impressed with a book before, it had me in tears of laughter and sadness and overall made me feel like I was the one living the story. It will give you butterflies, and make you wish you were able to become Abby Abernathy yourself.

I can't stop thinking about this book and how much I want to read it all over again, just to feel the butterflies I had the first time I picked it up.
Jamie McGuire has managed to capture the heart of this reader and leave me wanting more. She has portrayed the characters in a way that it makes you feel as if you know them personally.

I was mesmerised the whole time reading through this book. 416 pages in a day and a half and I still want more. I look forward to seeing how "Walking Disaster" turns out in the sequel, due for release in April 2013.
This was the first novel I have read by Jamie McGuire and I can't wait to read another.

Rumours have surfaced of a  Beautiful Disaster movie ladies, keep your eyes peeled in 2013. It's going to be a memorable year.

I recommend this book to people that are fans of Romance. 



Other Books by Jamie McGuire

1. Providence - Paranormal Romance. Start of Providence trilogy
2. Requiem - Second installment to the Providence series.
3. Eden - Final installment of the Providence series.
4. Walking Disaster - Due for release April 2013 in the UK

For Fans of:

• Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook)
• Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Travelers Wife)
• Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush Hush)

If you liked this, you'll also like:

• My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick
• In Honor - Jessi Kirby
• Dear John - Nicholas Sparks