Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas (Review by Sara D’Onofrio)

Rating: 2.5/5

I think I’ve finally decided that Penelope Douglas books are a hit or miss for me. Sometimes I fly through them and start recommending them to everything, and then other times, I leave feeling so disappointed. Unfortunately, it was the latter for me with this book. What annoys me more is when a storyline HAS the potential to be great, but then the writing falls flat. I felt like most of this book was written on such a superficial level. The effect of Annie’s passing on Mischa could have been explained on a deeper level and given the reader an opportunity to really feel Mischa’s pain. Her death felt glossed over even though it was a main point in the story. There was no discussion of how Mischa and his dad came back together and what their reconciliation was like for both of them. It was pretty evident who Mischa’s mother was, but it felt so rushed to have their only interaction be in her office for all of three pages. How did Mischa’s dad feel about hearing from her? What did he have to say to his son when he found out he made contact? What did he think about finally getting his family heirloom back in the rightful hands? Moments that I expected to be bigger and make me feel a deep connection to the characters, felt brief and shallow. The one saving grace with any of Penelope Douglas’s books… her ability to write an intimate scene! The library and drive-in scenes, for me, were top notch. The tension was off the charts, and I could actually imagine those moments in my head. The scene was set so clearly, and each movement, breath, graze, I literally felt. Overall, not my favorite book of hers, but it won’t stop me from reading more!