Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley - Review

This is the second novel by Jennifer Jabaley that I have read over the past few weeks and it was very similar to her newer one, Crush Control. You can see my review of that here.

Book Summary:

Sometimes a good-bye is just the beginning...

When Emily Carson's parents die in a plane crash, she's left with nothing but her mother's last words scrawled in lipstick on a tray table: "Emily, please forgive me."

Now it's fall and Emily moves to New York City - where she attracts the attention of two very different boys: the cute, popular Owen, and her quirky chemistry partner, Anthony. With the help of some surprising new friends, Emily must choose between the boy who helps her forget and the one who encourages her to remember, and ultimately heal.

Debut author Jennifer Jabaley has written a wonderful, feel-good romantic comedy with real emotional depth. Full of lovably wacky characters, Lipstick Apology is a heartwarming story about the true meaning of forgiveness.

My Thoughts:

This novel was good, the story was interesting especially the mystery of what Emily's mother meant by her apology written on the airplane tray. Upon first glance, I really did like the cover but then again, I like both of the covers of Jennifer's books I have reviewed - they are colorful and really do catch the eye.

I think that the love story was a bit predictable, in fact, I could predict exactly what would happen between Anthony and Emily long before the author gave any clues away but this was the same theme as her other book. Jabaley's main characters are a bit chaotic, and that theme also followed through. I do think that she relates well to teenagers today on their quest to be included and not an outcast and she addresses that issue with this novel. I also love how Jabaley's main characters always take up for the underdog, that is a great model to put out there for teenagers.

The main storyline, Emily's quest to determine her mother's reason for the lipstick apology was believable...and the ending was as well and I appreciated the message that we are all human and make mistakes and that doesn't mean we are bad people. We should remember what was great about each other and our happy memories.

This book was a short, sweet read, and I appreciated the break from some of my heavier reading. I would recommend it to those who enjoy young adult contemporary fiction.

Favorite Passages:

"You think it will be that way forever - but here's the thing - life just keeps on going. People are forgotten and details get fuzzy. You have to work really hard to both let go and hold on."

"By the day's end I realized that there were a zillion ways to apologize to someone, but none of them mattered if you never opened your mouth."

"When you figure out you want so spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." (From "When Harry Met Sally")