Pearl Hardcover – March 1, 2016

This book was comprised of several things I love: traipsing around New York City, boarding school drama, and a main character you desperately want to root for. Pearl is the daughter of a drug addicted, has-been rock star. Unlike the typical rock star tale, Pearl and her mother are not filthy rich—they are far from it, living in a slum and struggling to get by. Pearl is a victim of her circumstances but when her mom goes away to rehab, Pearl’s wealthy uncle sends her to boarding school. This is her chance to start over and all she has to do is not blow it. Easy, right?HA.The author’s writing style is as flawless and beautiful as it was in SUGAR, one of my all-time favorite books, so once again I was delighted to be transported into an incredibly realistic situation as I read PEARL. I slipped into her shoes, I understood why she screwed up when she did, why she made the choices she did, why she felt so freaking worthless all the time. I loved when she loved and I cried when she cried. AND BOY DID I CRY. That is the magic of this novel: the way that it makes you feel.It really put into perspective how things aren’t black and white. You’re not just good or bad, worthy or unworthy. Friends can be friends, and sometimes they’re not so much. Sometimes you are alone, but sometimes, you’re not. Pearl, or PJ, as she transformed herself, finds a way to rise from the burning ashes of her mother’s bad influences and become the person she deserves to be.If you’re a fan of Sarah Dessen or Maggie Stiefvater, you’ll love this book.Some of my favorite lines:"The cloud-smudged sky, rows and rows of granite headstones, and my ashen heart are like a black-and-white photo, a snapshot captured during some other lifetime."“The only enemy you have is yourself. Stay there, with her, until you aren’t enemies anymore.”"I try to like him less, because the truth is he causes the pain in the center of my chest that burns like frigid poison, and yet he possesses the elixir too."

I really dig the author's writing style. There's something about it that really draws me in and wraps me up the in the story being told. Much like Sugar , Pearl is a raw and gritty story that proves life isn't perfect, but it's still worth living.Pearl was a wonderful main character. She was flawed and battled with her own demons. I loved that through everything she was still someone we could root for. The struggles that she faced in the wake of her mother's addiction were realistically done and painted a true to life picture of how addiction affects everyone in an addict's life. Pearl's story is one worth reading.I love character driven books and Pearl is definitely a favorite for this year.

I quickly got caught up in Pearl's world, and the slow build of her growth and maturity unfolded with beautiful imagery and intense conversations. As a reader, I enjoyed learning about each character who interacts with Pearl, and I appreciated that her journey was not the typical Cinderella story. Good read!

It was a good book. It was a pretty basic coming of age story. It was refreshing to see a young girl completely on her own have 2 paths laid before her and actually choose the steady one. I began to lose interest over halfway through although I had to finish because I had to know what became of the characters. I would've loved more detailed character development but overall it was satisfying.

I loved Pearl. I didn't want to put it down! There were times when your heart broke for her, when you cheered her on, and times when you wanted to sit her down and tell her to make something of herself and quit the drugs before she ended up like her mother.I really thought I had the ending figured out, but it didn't happen like I thought it would, though it was still great.

I really loved this book. Beautifully written, I was immediately drawn to PJ and her journey. The characters were vividly drawn and the tension between PJ and her mother was very well done. After going through some incredibly difficult times, PJ comes to grips with her mother's journey and her own. I will be reading Ms. Hall's past releases and looking very forward to future ones.

This beautifully written novel explores the ways in which we need to forge new pathways instead of remaining stick in old patterns. The protagonist has myriad experiences, both good and bad, leading her to look within herself to discover how she can move past her history to define who she wants to be. I highly recommend this novel.

In general, I liked this book. My main issue is that it tackles so much time in the characters’ lives but does so in such a brief way. I wanted to know more about Pearl. Her relationships (except with her roommate) seemed to brief. I didn’t get attached. It all felt one-dimensional. I would have just liked more. Maybe if it just spanned one year. Same length, more detail. I enjoyed it, but no where near as much as I loved Sugar.

This was not a terrible book - my problem is that I misjudged what this book was about. I thought it was going to be about the relationship between Pearl and her drug addicted, faded rock star mother JJ. But it really turned out to be more of a love story. It was all a bit too angsty-teen twilight style love story (without the vampires) which is lovely but really not my style at all. I found myself getting quite bored with the storyline - I was hoping for something a little bit grittier. Great for fans of romance but just not my cup of tea.