Jolene Stockman

Full review at: http://thebookshelfgargoyle.wordpress...

I received an ecopy of this book in return for an honest review.

Jawbreaker: Unlocking the (U)niverse is a short but substantial read aimed at young adults and focused around the tools required to create your identity the way you want and/or need it to be. Divided into short chapters centred around a theme, the book covers a range of personal development concepts in easy-to-understand language, with the added benefit of suggested activities that can be dipped or delved into depending on how deep the reader wants to go.

I was initially slightly put off by the chirpy, cheerleader-style language of the initial chapter, but quickly got over this as it swiftly became apparent that the content of the book was both relevant to the target age, and easy to apply to one's personal circumstances. One of the notable things about the content was the author's repeated acknowledgement that personal growth takes time. This is an important concept to grasp for the intended audience and it was reassuring to know that the book was not touting the suggestions as a quick-fix, two-minute solution to a perfect life.

This book will greatly appeal to the target audience and in particular, young women who are ready to undertake some basic introspection regarding how they want to be in the world.… (more)

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review*

Author
Jolene Stockman is an award winning writer, speaker, and an expert for Girlfriend Magazine Australia. She is a Master of Neuro Linguistic Programming, and one of the youngest in the world to achieve the Distinguished Toastmaster Award. Jolene lives in New Zealand, and is the author of Total Blueprint for World Domination. The Jelly Bean Crisis is her debut fiction.
Learn more at www.jolenestockman.com

Review
This book was every bit what I hoped it would be. A sweet relaxing read about a serious subject.
We often discuss if 16 is not to young for people to decide what they want with the rest of their lives. In the Netherlands where I live it is common for about 60% of the teenagers to hit that point when they are 16. I loved the way the author tackled that issue in this book.
Poppy, the main character, is easy to connect too. She is a young woman wanting the best in her life and actually a straight A student due to hard work combined with common sense. When she realizes that other people think it will come to them no matter what because it is what they want she starts to doubt herself. Wondering if she is making the right choices for herself. Her struggle is written out very realistic. As a person who made a career switch at 27 I could easily connect with that feeling.
What I also liked a lot was the way Poppy her friends where reacting and how life happened and things got weird between the friends because they where at different points in their lives. It was very real life how that was described.
I think this is a great book for every person who is at a point in her or his life where the question "is this it?" pops up. It gives you subjects to consider without making it complicated, difficult and all the bad that usually comes with a mood like that.… (more)

I am on such a contemporary kick this year. Every one of these books I pick up ends up blowing my mind. I'm actually surprised I practically ignored this genre for so long but happy that I've finally changed that! The Jelly Bean Crisis was a splendid novel and I'm happy to report that it's not just a pretty cover. This book really packs a punch and I devoured every page of it. I got so caught up in Poppy's story and I can tell you, ''one more page'' quickly turned into some lost sleep but it was totally worth it. It was really lovely, from start to finish.

Poppy is the protagonist in this book and a brilliant one at that. Her voice is really unique and strong. Her personality practically bursts through the pages. Obviously, being able to form a connection to the main character of a book is pretty important and thankfully I found that really easy. I felt like I knew Poppy from the get-go. As well as you can know a character who's going through a crisis like this, that is. It was so intriguing to watch Poppy just snap and to suddenly question everything she's ever known.

The Jelly Bean Crisis follows Poppy on her month long journey to find herself. All her life she's planned for one thing: college and a steady financial career. I felt really sorry for Poppy when she started freaking out and feeling like she had to make all her major life choices right now as a teenager. I enjoyed joining her as she dove headfirst into the search for what she really wanted! Poppy's Jelly Bean Theory is that you should eat the not-so-nice jelly beans first and then save the best for last. In this book we see her going against the theory she's held for many years and wondering if perhaps she should have been going for the red jelly beans- her favourite- the whole time.

Poppy gets up to a lot during her ''gap month'' in order to see if she can figure out which career path is perfect for her. We meet a whole host of interesting characters at each place and there are several minor characters who intrigued me. Poppy's friends annoyed me at parts but definitely redeemed themselves. Her Nana is a pretty awesome and wise woman and her relationship with her is really sweet to read about. The only thing I can say is that there wasn't enough of a certain love interest. Not really a flaw in the book- more of a personal preference and simply means he was such a great character, I wanted to read more about him!

Overall, I seriously enjoyed this book and I'm so glad I got the chance to read it. I'd recommend it to any contemporary fans, and anyone in that awkward stage in their life where they've got to figure out what they want from their future- which is probably everyone, right? Definitely one to look out for. It's a beautifully told story that you'll still be thinking about long after you finish reading it.… (more)