Monday, April 6, 2015

ARC Review: Narvla's Celtic New Year

Title: Narvla's Celtic New Year
Author: Therese Gilardi
Source: ARC via NetGalley
Publication Date: April 6, 2015
Rating: ☆☆☆
Narvla’s life is as precisely choreographed as the routines that have made her a national step-dancing champion. She has a loyal best friend, a devoted boyfriend, and a lock on admission to her dream college, the University of Notre Dame. Until her mother is named U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, and her life unravels. First Narvla receives a disturbing picture of her boyfriend and her best friend. Then she struggles to qualify for the Irish elite step-dancing squad, and her grades plummet.

But the biggest obstacle in Narvla’s new life is Dublin Boy, a cheeky musician with a disdain for academics and a distrust of Americans. Although Narvla is upset when she’s paired with Dublin Boy for the most important semester of her life, her real concern is the growing attraction she feels toward him. As the Celtic New Year unfolds, Narvla is pushed to abandon her lifelong need for control and embrace the charm of the unexpected.

My Review

When I first saw Narvla's Celtic New Year by Therese Gilardi on NetGalley, I knew that I had to request it. I'm an Irish-American and I love learning more and more about my culture (my name is Erin...), so I really wanted to see how Irish-inspired YA would entertain me. In the case of this book, I'd say it's pretty solid, and I enjoyed it, despite finding a few flaws and errors.

The writing in this novel is okay. It's definitely a quick read, and I could see many readers finishing it in one sitting. (I probably would have if it weren't for a nasty case of the stomach flu.) However, I found myself a bit frustrated because many of the paragraphs didn't flow together, especially when Gilardi has Narvla narrating about one thing, and the next paragraph is completely unrelated or occurs hours after the preceding paragraph. The book could have used some section breaks so that the reader does not become too confused or disappointed.

I'm not saying that this is the best YA book out there, but it's a cute read. You may want to pick it up between Halloween and Christmas to get you in the mood for the holidays. And ff you're a fan of the Anna and the French Kiss books by Stephanie Perkins, you may want to check this book out, especially if you enjoyed Anna and Isla. The characters in Narvla's Celtic New Year are fun and fresh, and there is definitely a swoon-worthy boy that you won't want to miss. It's definitely worth the read.
Therese Gilardi

About Therese Gilardi

Therese Gilardi lives with her own Irish Man, fluffy dogs, and Viennese hare in the hills above Los Angeles. Therese adores blue cameos, Irish pub music, and the Paris metro. Therese would love to connect with you.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3340313.Therese_Gilardi twitter.com/ThereseGilardi facebook.com/ThereseGilardiAuthor

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