Only One Opinion (The Big Crunch)

Review of The Big Crunch, by Pete Hautman. On sale January 2011.


Quickie: Cute love story, but where was the ending?

Full: I chose this book because I wanted to read something light, something happy. The Big Crunch delivered... I think.

June's family moves every few months due to her father's job, and she has learned not to attach to people. She's learned which social circle to hang out with because they're semi-interesting -but not so interesting as to make her miss them. She's not looking for love, but doesn't refuse when Jerry, the shy-ish awkward guy running for class president asks her out. Jerry is safe. Jerry isn't complicated and he doesn't make her heart go pitter-patter.

One day as she listens to Jerry talk about his friend Wes (who, by the way, sort of-kind of slammed him into a locker that day) and all the terrible things he's done to Jerry, she decides that Jerry just sounds wimpy and whiny.

Meanwhile, Wes and June keep bumping into one another. Sometimes literally. They collide in a convenience store and Wes accidentally gives June a black eye. Lots of awkward exchanges happen between the two of them, and some are really cute.

As you probably have guessed, Wes and June start to fall for each other. This is all well and good, until June's family has to move again. Wes and June talk on the phone, they text, they think about one another. But it's just not the same as being together. You can't dance with your man if he's in another state.

They try their best to fix that problem, and I'm semi-sure they succeed. The end didn't have much in the way of a conclusion. It was more like somebody hit the pause button and said, "The end!". I was taken completely by surprise when I realized I was on the last page.

Overall, the book was written in what I call, "Tunnel-Of-Love Vision". As in, they're in love, so nothing else is of any importance at all. The whole book was purely about the love story. Definitely an "emotion based" book, not an action-packed adventure. That was fine with me, it's what I was looking for. But I wouldn't have minded a bit more substance to the story.

It wasn't a bad book, not at all, I enjoyed it. I just wish there would have been more of an ending.

3.5 out of 5 stars.