Review: Easy by Tamara Webber

18 September, 2012 Reviews 33 comments

So somebody told me this book was like Beautiful Disaster but not completely horrible, woman hating and nonsensical.  I snorted, thanked them for the rec and went on my merry way.

So let me express this in the most calm and reasonable way I can.  Easy by Tamara Webber is fantastic and wonderful and that person was 100% right.

I have to admit, the book and I didn’t get off to a great start.  It begins with Jacqueline at college, bummed from getting dumped by her longterm boyfriend, almost getting raped before Lucas rescues her.  So, for someone who is adamantly against rape being used and glossed over just to further a plot or have the hero seem heroic, I was decidedly unimpressed.

But it soon becomes clear that Webber has taken the topic of rape extremely seriously.  In fact, by the end of the novel I was cheering and punching the air because this book was the best I’ve ever read an author handle the subject for contemporary readers.

Normally, in books where the female MC is almost raped and saved by the hero, the rapist gets beaten up and left behind and the heroine goes on her merry way.  And sometimes the rapist harasses her and the author covers the trauma for the heroine until the rapist is killed by the hero in the final battle and those two get to run off into the sunset.

What a freakin’ relief that Webber takes it really damn seriously – even though the beginning of the novel would lead you to believe that she wouldn’t.  There was a point near the end of the novel where Jacqueline has to talk to a bunch of sorority girls about rape and I wanted to cry and cheer and do a little girl power dance.

So I loved Jacqueline, I loved Lucas, I loved most of this book.  I thought it was well written and reasonably well-paced and you know what?  Seemed like it was actually written about college kids who actually do college things.  I’m really glad I picked this one up.  It was, indeed, a really fun, lovely read that I highly endorse.  Also, Jacqueline’s slap down on Kennedy was epic – right to the end.  She kicked serious butt.

33 Responses to “Review: Easy by Tamara Webber”

  1. cynicalsapphire

    I’ve seen lots of good reviews of this one and added it to my ‘might buy even though it’s a self-pub’ list. Not a huge list, but an honorable one. Glad you loved it. Isn’t it funny when you start a book with your judgment face on and it just charms that face right off anyway?

    • KatKennedy

      @cynicalsapphire I totally had my judgement face on! It was RIGHT there – but this book stripped it away.

  2. rabbitsfortea

    Oh yay. I’ve added this to my TBR after reading Webber’s Between the Lines (which was not too bad either) and only JUST started reading this after seeing all the rave reviews on GR.

    • KatKennedy

      @Kara_M I’m swiftly growing fond of contempt. I usually don’t like it, but I’ve had a pretty successful string of them.

  4. AnimeGirlAlex

    That’s good to know!
    I had heard of this book before but I was put off by the Beautiful Disaster comparision – because I’m not touching that with a 10 foot pole – but it sounds like Easy is something I would like. 
     
    I do hate when rape is glossed over and I’m glad this story doesn’t do it. 

    • KatKennedy

      @AnimeGirlAlex Give it a try. It’s not expensive and it definitely doesn’t gloss over the rape thing.

  5. bitchie

    It really bugs me how often this book is compared to Beautiful Disaster, because really, the ONLY similarity is that it features people in college. That’s it. No crazy jealous over the top hero, no stupid heroine, and all the other women aren’t featured as stupid slutty bitches who only want to hang all over the hero.

  6. Mary BookSwarm

    I”ve been going back and forth with this one, mostly because I’m a wishy-washy chick. But I think I’m going to have to check it out just so I can have that same expression as Success Baby!

  7. karakarina

    *phew* so glad you liked this book! This is one of my top 10 New Adult contemporaries. I adore Tammara because her writing empowers women, and I also really happy for her that her books are getting published by one of the traditional publishers very soon. Yay for girl power and for making the right choices! We need more YA like that.

  8. Angela Wiebe

    I am so disappointed that this book gets compared to Beautiful Disastor’s, that was a horrible book and from what you say Easy shouldn’t be in the same category. I definitely want to read this one now. 

  10. Lizzys Dark Ficiton

    It is nice that an author takes the issue of rape seriously and not as a cop-out for an easy way to create drama.  I don’t think I’ll enjoy this book as much as you, since I’m pretty picky when it comes to contemporary novels and that boring beginning will make me want to head-desk, but I’ll definitely pass on a recommendation to my friends that do.

    • KatKennedy

      @Lizzys Dark Ficiton the beginning wasn’t boring – It was only problematic because I thought the rape was going to be dismissed. Does that make sense?

      • lizzylessard

         @KatKennedy  @Lizzys Ooooo.  I completely misunderstood that.  In that case, I’ll probably give this one a try.

  11. majibookshelf

    oh yes, I remember that part when the leader of the sorority banged her gravel (?) and was like WE NEED TO STAND UP FOR EACH OTHER DAMN IT! and I’m like *sheds tear*. This book was so beautiful, and yes at the beginning i thought it would be a normal contemporary, but my god it was SO MUCH MORE!
     
    great review!! 
     
    – Juhina @ <a href=”http://www.majibookshelf.blogspot.com”>Maji Bookshelf</a>
     

  12. Sarah saz101

    <em>”I have to admit, the book and I didn’t get off to a great start.  It begins with Jacque­line at col­lege, bummed from get­ting dumped by her longterm boyfriend, almost get­ting raped before Lucas res­cues her.  So, for some­one who is adamantly against rape being used and glossed over just to fur­ther a plot or have the hero seem heroic, I was decid­edly unimpressed.”</em>
     
    Oh HELL YES. So imagine my surprise when… well, it turns AMAZING. And Webber doesn’t just gloss over it, but spends the rest of the book making a surprising, impressive commentary on it.
     
    And I love that she really asks hard, uncomfortable questions about it, and how it comes to a head with the leader of the sorority basically saying ‘WTF YOU BUNCH OF MORONS. We’re together in this!’ and *CHEERS*!
     
    And I REALLY think it’s worth mentioning that it’s a self-pub that’s damned GOOD. I think there’s a propensity to judge self-pubbed books on that label alone, and Easy <em>blows it out of the water</em>.
    HELLS YES!
     
    FABULOUS review! ♥

    • KatKennedy

      @Sarah saz101 I try not to make assumptions about self pubbed books. I’ve read too many good ones not to take well-recommended ones seriously.

      • Sarah saz101

         @KatKennedy  @Sarah YES. The first sel-pub I ever read was seriously dissapointing, and I made a snap judgment, so I’ve been learning, lately, to, well, do what you said. I know I have this propensity to do just that, but after reading Easy, and taking Courtney Milan as an example I’m seriously making myself lose the prejudice ;D

  13. makeshiftjen

    I loved this book right from the get go. I immediately become invested whenever a character is threatened and demand retribution. (I guess I’m one of those “white knight” supporters. Gahhh.) I do agree that using rape as an instrumental to garner sympathy and gives the white knight some savin’ do doesn’t have much appeal, but the fact that the event was something that didn’t just disappear once Jacqueline fell in lurve was a winning point for me. It never became “just a memory.” It was like the event was a character in itself, a demon that followed her everywhere she went. It was never just swept under the rug. The most impressive part was the struggle itself, because it shows the author’s ability to write HUMAN CHARACTERS with real feelings and demons to face. The awesome romance was just an added bonus. 
     
    LOVED THIS BOOK. I will read everything by this author, ever.
     
    And a jubilant “hell yes” to college-age characters. MORE, PLEASE.

    • KatKennedy

      @makeshiftjen yes! And they were amazingly realistic college aged kids too!

  14. christinashoe

    I am obsessed with this book right now. And I totally LOVED when she had to talk about rape to the sorority people, and the leader girl was totally amazing. And Lucas is amazing too. That is all.

  15. readingwishes

    I’ve had my eye on this since the endless, rave reviews started streaming in. Easy sounds amazing and to hear you enjoyed it so much, makes me want to get myself a copy all the more!
     
    Re (GIF): Booty rocking much! She’s moving that enthusiastically and passionately, it looks like she’s about to fall over…

  16. Review: Easy by Tammara Webber

    […] no spoiler to acknowledge that Easy opens with an attempted sexual assault. As other reviewers have commented, it’s deeply disquieting when books use rape as a plot device and move […]