Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?
Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?
Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.
This was my first time reading Sarah Ockler and it definitely won't be my last. Thankfully this book was pushed into my hands with high recommendation so I moved it up my TBR. Within the first chapter, it’s pretty clear that you’re not in for a typical YA contemporary; however, it still contains all those elements that make a really great summer read. There’s so much to love in this book, but it’s the fresh voice of Jude’s character that makes this book something special.
It’s hard to put my finger on what makes Jude so different from other YA narrators. There are obvious things that make her stand out, but there’s something in her voice and her thoughts that are unique to her. She’ll say or think something and if you knew her in real life you’d probably shake your head and say, “That’s so Jude.” She’s bright and quirky, yet so accessible. And she’s in that transition between high school and the rest of her life, where it seems you have too much space and not enough time, that gives her a perfect opportunity to grow.
It seems with a title like Book of Broken Hearts, that romance would be a big part of this book. And it plays a role, but it’s not the focus. While Emilio is great, I actually feel like he’s the weakest part of the book. I never really got a chance to fall for him or grasp on to the nuances of his personality. But this wasn’t that big of a deal because I feel like he’s a catalyst for Jude to face some issues and to find out who she is outside her family.
Family is at the heart of this novel, with Jude’s father who has Alzheimer’s and her sisters who are significantly older than her. She’s grown up under their influence and after they’ve all been scorned by a Vargas boy, Jude takes an oath when she’s 12 to never date a Vargas boy. And, of course, Emilio is a Vargas. So in developing a relationship with him, she’s really learning who she is outside of the influence of her sisters. A lot of her triumph comes from learning to voice her own opinions and feelings and to speak up for herself, even over the volume of her sisters. The Alzheimer storyline is heartbreaking, yet there are moments of such joy that it’s hard to let her father’s progressing illness get you completely down.
I could probably talk about a lot of other components of this book – it’s just one of those stories that miraculously contains so much more than it appears to. There are the rebuilding motorcycles and the freedom that comes from that, and the way that Jude grows apart from her high school best friend as many of us unfortunately do. There’s the way the author brings in other books and the literary world as an influence in Jude’s life, and the feeling that there’s a nostalgic summer air around the whole book. It’s an accomplished and wonderful novel that impressed me so much.
