Ordinary World by Elisa Lorello

**THIS BOOK REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE NOVEL FAKING IT!**

For what purpose did we have to be together this time? There was nothing left to teach, nothing to trade, and nothing to negotiate. This time, we had to be ourselves, and the only thing we really shared was a past-life incarnation. 

-from Ordinary World by Elisa Lorello

 

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Ordinary World by Elisa Lorello is the sequel to her novel Faking It. I'm going to warn you one more time that this book review contains spoilers for Faking It, so if you have not read Faking It {and I highly recommend it if you love chick-lit! Read my review of it here}, don't keep reading this book review!! 

I really didn't think that Faking It needed a sequel; for once I actually appreciated the way an author tied up a book so well that I didn't need more, no matter how much I loved the characters. The ending was not what I had been expecting, but it was very grown-up and realistic which impressed me more than the average chick-lit/girl-gets-the-guy-of-her-dreams book. But I'm not going to lie: when I found out there was a sequel I felt like it was like Christmas morning! That's how much I love the characters Elisa Lorello has created.

Ordinary World starts off shocking and tragic: on Sam and Andi's fifth wedding anniversary, Sam steps out to buy some sparkling cider and is killed by a drunk driver. Months into her grieving, Andi discovers her anniversary gift from Sam - plane tickets to Italy. She decides to take the trip in an attempt to rediscover herself {again} and coincidentally runs into Devin, the male-escort-turned-art-dealer. They rekindle their friendship and find that they still have things to teach each other: more lessons in love, loss, friendship, grief, and identity.

If you read Ordinary World as a stand-alone novel, it's exactly what you'd expect in this genre: there are some very convenient coincidences, a predictable plot, and a lot of repetition. However, if you read and loved Faking It you're much more forgiving of these flaws because you've grown to love the characters so much that they can do no wrong {that's my story, anyway!}. I've read a lot of books about loss and grief lately {not on purpose! - Chasing Rainbows, Paint It Black, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close...} but none have affected me as much as Ordinary World. I cried practically through the whole darn book; I think I missed Sam as much as Andi did! That is what I love about Elisa Lorello's writing, she makes her characters so easy to care about that I'm much more forgiving if the content isn't absolutely perfect.

 

That is not to say the content is less than enjoyable in Ordinary World. Lorello's way of capturing Andi's grief and response to her husband's death is so realistic it will have you crying for Andi while being frustrated with her at the same time. Andi shuffles back and forth with being sad and angry and optimistic so much so that it does get daunting at times and I feel that the book could have been condensed a little bit. But in the end Andi's journey is so inspiring, hopeful and heartwarming that your perseverance as a reader is rewarded. 

Bottom Line: If you read and loved Faking It, you've got to read this one! But please, don't read this without reading Faking It first or you will break my heart! // 4/5 stars.

Do you have a Kindle? These books are available on Amazon for only $1.99 & $2.99 [here & here]!! If you're an Amazon Prime member you can borrow them for free through the Lending Library! Get on it! 

And don't forget: Elisa Lorello's new novel, Adulation, comes out November 6!