Monday, 4 March 2013
Published: August 2012 by Simon & Schuster
Source: sent to me by Heidi via a book swap
Rating: 5 paws
From the blurb: Lemon grew up with Stella, a single mom who wasn’t exactly maternal. Stella always had a drink in her hand and a new boyfriend every few months, and when things got out of hand, she would whisk Lemon off to a new town for a fresh beginning. Now, just as they are moving yet again, Lemon discovers that she is pregnant from a reckless encounter—with a guy Stella had been flirting with.On the verge of revisiting her mother’s mistakes, Lemon struggles to cope with the idea of herself as a young unmarried mother, as well as the fact that she’s never met her own father. Determined to have at least one big adventure before she has the baby, Lemon sets off on a cross-country road trip, intending not only to meet her father, but to figure out who she wants to be.
Fingerprints of You is Kristen-Paige Madonia’s debut novel.
Set in South Virginia, the story centres on seventeen year old Lemon Raine
Williams, and her mother, Stella. Stella and Lemon never stay in one place too
long as Stella is usually trying to escape an abusive boyfriend, and soon they
are on the road again. But this time is different, Lemon is leaving behind the
father of her unborn child. In a new town Lemon is befriended by Emmy and her
boyfriend, Dylan. Soon Lemon and Emmy are planning a holiday road trip and
Lemon has her heart set on San Francisco as she believes it’s where her father
still lives, a father she’s never met.
Fingerprints of You is a beautiful story. I have to admit
the reason I first wanted to read it was because of the amazing cover, which
was designed by the publisher and then finished off by a tattoo artist. And I
am so glad this cover is eye catching because I think every YA fan should read
it.
From the beginning Lemon is a very real and honest
character. It’s her seventeenth birthday and Stella has gone to the local tattoo
parlour to get a new tattoo, a hummingbird, and to flirt with one the artists,
Johnny. But Lemon has her eye on him too, and after they hook up, she finds
herself pregnant. Stella takes the news surprisingly well and moves them to a
new town, enrolling Lemon in a new high school where she meets Emmy, who turns
out to be a fantastic friend. Stella soon finds herself a new boyfriend, Simon,
and he’s different to all the rest.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between mother and daughter.
Lemon is quite independent and has had to watch her mother go through shitty
relationships and because of that she’s never quite felt at home anywhere
because they’re always moving. I liked that Stella, while still being a mum,
was able to give Lemon space and know when she should let her make decisions
and that she was proactive in her daughter’s pregnancy. She’s also tried to
make the best of any situation and given Lemon a good life.
The road trip was one of my favourite scenes in the book, I
felt as if I was with Lemon and Emmy as they made their cross country trip, and
in a recent twitter chat, I was able to ask Kristen-Paige if it’s a trip she’s
made and it is one she has made several times, which I think is what made it so
realistic.
Lemon’s time in San Francisco was just what she needed. I
could feel her anxiety about meeting her dad for the first time, and her need
to find someone to blame was understandable. I loved that things didn't turn
out as I expected, and there wasn't any unnecessary drama in this book, every
reaction and scene felt real and well thought out. I kept waiting for typical
YA scenes or characters to appear but they never did, making this book
compelling and heartfelt instead of angsty and drama-ridden. I also adored Aiden, a local boy she meets while there, and the way he never pressured her for anything.
There was also a lot of character progression, particularly
for Lemon and Stella. Stella is realising that Lemon is at an age where she
wants to see the world and make her own decisions, and Lemon is learning that
she might feel like she’s an adult but she’s still allowed to miss her mother
but she doesn't have to feel responsible for
her mother’s happiness.
Fingerprints of You is a unique and beautifully written
story of a teenage girl and is much more than a book about teenage pregnancy.
It’s about finding your family in not only relatives but in friends, and
figuring out where you belong.
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30 comments:
this one does sound really different.
This one sounds promising! Thanks for great review :) I had to add this to my to-read shelf!
I kind of love this books cover! It isn't something I would normally like but it looks so different and intriguing! And the fact it got 5 paws has me even more interested! It sounds like a really beautiful book. Great review Mandee! :)
I bought this because I thought it sounded awesome. The cover is absolutely stunning but I bought the Kindle edition. So glad it turned out to be as awesome as it sounded. It's not normally the type of book that I read, but I made an exception for this one because it sounded like something I might enjoy. So yay for 5 stars!
Woah, I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! I've been drawn to the cover for ages but never got the courage to pick it up. I'll have to add this to my shelves at once. Plus, road trips? Sold! :D
Fingerprints of You seems very character orientated with an emphasis on relationships, which is great, because a lot of books that I've read lately have lacked in those departments. I definitely need to read this one! Thanks for sharing this one - I'm glad you loved it.
5 paws? I NEED to read this book! I love that so much attention was paid to the cover. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this! Awesome review as always, Mandee! xx :)
I thought this one was very well written and realistic, so I'm glad to see another favorable review! This is such a quiet book, but really worth the read.
THE COVER IS TOO PRETTY!!! I seriously think I'm going to love this book though. Books that are very character-centric win out for me. I'll be on the lookout for the paperback release (which is GOING TO HAVE THIS COVER... please?). Also, what a name for a girl, Lemon. From that alone I'd have my ears perked up.
The cover of the book is so gorgeous, Mandee. I would want to read the book just by taking a look at that cover.
I'm glad to hear that the content is as gorgeous as the cover. I love that there are road trips. Road trip books are my favorite. The characters all seem really fantastic.
Lovely review, Mandee! :)
I got this one in October when I got to see the author at an event. After her reading it I knew I had to get a copy but haven't read it yet. You definitely have me wanting to pick it up right now though!
This sounds lovely! Gorgeous review Mands :) And, you're right the cover is amazing!
This sounds like a wonderful book! Great review, Mandee. That's an excellent book swap.
Ohmygosh! Fingerprints of You sounds exactly like the type of story I love! How have I not heard of this before?? I must read it and thank you so much for reviewing, so now I know about it. Beautiful review!
I have been dying to read this book for a long long time. I think Tara/Fiction Folio had a really great review of it too, and UGH. I need to get my butt to a library.
I hope you are doing well, M. I feel like things are so busy lately I haven't had much time to stop in and say hi. Great review, and I'm glad you enjoyed this one so much. Have a great week!
Oh, yes, this cover is pretty unforgettable. I added this to my wishlist the first time I saw it. Still, I'm happy to know there's a real, wonderful story behind it too.
GReat review!
Lemon sounds like a great and interesting character. The story behind the character sounds great too. I still want to read this one!
Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog
I haven;t read a book on teenage pregnancy in a long time and I think we need more books on this troubling topic. I am so glad to here that this is a book that lives up to the cover and the characters show growth.
This sounds really interesting. I love the cover, and I'm glad to hear the story more than lived up to the promise! San Francisco is one of my favourite cities and I always like to see it again in books, and I do love a good road trip scene or two! Great review. :)
Oh, oh, oh! SOOOO GLAD you loved this one, Mandee! I received it from my library but had to return it before I got to it. I'll add it back to my request list and hopefully check it out again soon.
I definitely have to agree with you about the cover. When I first saw it I thought it was stunning and it does not surprise me that that type of detail is done my a tattoo artist since it looks so professional and like a tattoo.
By the sounds of it, it actually ties in with the plot too which is always great.
This wouldn't be my usual book on teenage pregnancy, but I like the sound of it being free from cliché YA conventions.
Fabulous review, Mandee and thanks for the rec! :)
I'm so glad you enjoyed this one, Mandee! The mother/daughter relationship in this one sounds fantastic, partially because it's so unconventional and filled with difficulties. I'd love to read it just to see what it's like for Lemon to meet her father she never knew while knowing she was carrying a child who wouldn't know their father (presumably) either.
Sounds really good but also like a very emotional read! So I'm going to put it on my wishlist and wait till I'm on a right frame of mind for it.
Cover art is so subjective because the cover is why I *didn't* want to read it. It reminded me of an Ed Hardy shirt. Do you have Ed Hardy out there? I didn't even bother looking at the description b/c of the cover but now it seems like something I'd want to read. To the library!
Ooh, this sounds absolutely fantastic! And I totally love the cover too, because BEAUTIFUL TATTOO. I'm glad that you liked it. I think I will too-- I adore issues and road trips...that sounded weird. LOL. Fantastic review, girly! (:
Loves,
Megan@The Book Babe
This sounds like such a compelling novel! I want to read it because the characters sound like people I'd want to get to know, and the story sounds really complex and interesting. Stella and Lemon really do make quite the pair, huh?
So glad you enjoyed this one! I was also drawn in by the cover, and I started it, but got distracted by other reading commitments. I can't wait to get back to it now. Lovely review!
I've been wanting to get my hands on this one, and I'm glad to hear it's so outstanding. Love the cover too. Sounds like my kind of emotional read.
I remember you featuring this one on a StS vlog and it caught my eye for the same reason you mentioned: that gorgeous cover! I haven't been reading contemporary books for the longest time but I used to quite a bit. I'll definitely keep this one in mind after reading your review! I loved how you described Lemon and her relationship with her mother. The idea of her going out to find and meet her dad is something I'd really want to witness as well. The road-trip scene you mentioned sounds really fun too :) Thanks for the awesome review!
Oups, forgot to mention: I wanted to let you know I've added you to me new blogroll ♥
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