Dora's Jinx Book Review

Heyo!!

Time to try something new. I am going to be reviewing some books from time to time, first up Dora's Jinx by Boom Baumgartner

I am lucky enough to have met and know the author of this book in real life which is hugely exciting for me! Being connected with other creative people is inspiring and empowering because it can trigger creativity in you. Anyway, on with the review.

I will attempt to keep this as spoiler free as possible as I personally HATE spoilers!

Dora the main protagonist of the book is someone I can relate with on many, many levels which made this a great book to me. She is struggling with something we all face at some point, trying desperately to avoid becoming what everyone expects of her. Due to certain circumstances she also feels invisible, and when she isn't invisible it is for reasons she finds embarrassing.

As if being a teenager in high school is not hard enough there is the added down side of having somewhat embarrassing family connections. Which can definitely subtract from your cool factor.

There is also the issue of friends, throughout the course of the novel Dora struggles to make friends and it takes her time to realize what the word truly means. Having a boyfriend is something she desperately wants but none of them seem to even notice she is in the room. In the end she finds that connection and true friendship mean a lot more then the romantic ideal of being in a "relationship" like society expects of everyone.

This book includes fantasy, friendly banter, a bit of mystery, adventure, good story/plot, relatable characters, and true growth for the protagonist. All things which I love in a book and admire in writing.

I really like Dora because she struggles with forming her own identity while receiving pressure from family and society. What is expected of her is not what she wants, from how she dresses and the effects that has on those around her, to where and who she is supposed to spend her time around. Thrift store clothes and weird, nerdy, and unpopular friends are things I have in common with her that I wouldn't change for the world.

Dora's Jinx is a book which I would recommend to anyone! I think it is important as it highlights the power and magic of friendship over romantic relationships, which is prevalent in teen fiction today. This will definitely be enjoyable for those on the asexual spectrum as well because it doesn't focus around love/sex/romance like most books.

Last words on this are go and get this book so you can enjoy this fun adventure as well!!!  :)

Stay cool (er...nerdy...whatever is you)!

Mary