This book started out really rocky for me. So rocky, in fact, that I almost put it down. The opening chapters are kind of hard to swallow. I am supposed to believe that this girl named Vassar Spore (Really?!) is this ridiculous caricature of an overachiever and her parents encourage this behavior to the point where it becomes OCD. No, I'm serious. This girl writes lists for everything. She has never had a relationship and doesn't want one because it would interfere with her studies and life goals. She is SO much of an overachiever that every night for one hour, she has a meeting with her parents called 'the hour of reflection' where they discuss the day, plan goals for the next, and plan future ones. It is like a life management hour. And it is ALL ridiculous. She has her entire day planned out and literally has ZERO time for fun. I thought it was all ridiculous and very hard to believe. The dialogue is corny, the tension is zero, and I was just completely unimpressed.But then she gets on the plane to Singapore. And then I fell in love. Somehow the combination of the really fun characters, traveling in Southeast Asia, the adventures Vassar goes on, and the fun writing really led me to enjoy this book. Vassar's grandma is just wonderful. She does some really absentminded things, but in spite of it all, she is truly a remarkable and lovable character. Vassar annoyed the shit out of me, however. Girl couldn't do ANYTHING right. And it did get to be a bit much, but it was still fun to ride along with her from one screwup to the next. The book is a guilty pleasure. It's lighthearted, enjoyable, and totally predictable. I knew almost from the very beginning how the plot was going to go down to the very letter. I even had the twist figured out--it's not that much of a twist either. The settings are wonderful and the descriptions of Asia had me really wanting to go there. Someday I will. It's not a perfect book. But it was a whole lot of fun, and sometimes this is EXACTLY the kind of read I need to renew my love for reading. I'm only sorry the author has not written any other books! I wish I had more of her work to sink my teeth into. I'm only sorry this one is over. When it was finished, I was suffering from withdrawals. If you are looking for a fun escape, this is the perfect book for that. I could not recommend it more.
