Manicpixiedreamgirl

by Tom Leveen

[Angie]

Manicpixiedreamgirl had me at the title. I knew exactly what this book was going to be about without even reading the blurb, and I was excited for it. Alternating between the one night that changes everything, and the three years leading up to it, we follow Tyler as he pines after Becky. He saw her on the first day of high school and she stayed with him, even though they didn't speak until he joined the drama club sophomore year. But by then he was dating Sydney. Now he has his chance to see if his manic, pixie, dream girl is actually the girl for him.

While I did like Manicpixiedreamgirl overall, I found myself bored with it at times. Which is a shame, since it's such a short book. That did make it feel longer since the story would drag in places. Tyler is head over heels for Becky but never does anything about it. Then he gets a girlfriend, and stays with her for two years despite his feelings for someone else. Although, Sydney is partly to blame too, since she admits to know that his affections lie elsewhere. But, it's the same thing over and over. Tyler says he's happy with Sydney even though he doesn't love her, then he hangs out with Becky (as just friends), then he's alone and all of his thoughts are of Becky. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. There's something up with that girl that Tyler doesn't see and it needs to come out eventually! As do his feelings for her.

I did find the story very realistic though. I'm sure at one point we've all had a crush who we thought was unattainable but kept our interest while we moved on with our lives, whether that involved a relationship or not. I also liked how there wasn't any big dramatics when everything comes out in the open. Sydney is a very down to the earth and understanding person, and just tells Tyler like it is, and I think she understood that it was kind of on her for dragging out this relationship too. And Becky wasn't quite so manic, and off the rails (unlike John Green's MPDGs), so I was sympathetic toward her when she told Tyler about her problems. The only character I felt lacked depth were Becky's parents who are the root of her issues. They were very flat and clearly served the role of villains.

In the end, I liked Manicpixiedreamgirl. It was a different take on romance which I really enjoyed. Yes, it's kind of an entire story centered around insta-love, but Tyler does realize that maybe he has a hero complex which is why he's so focused on Becky. That's not exactly a good foundation for a relationship, but it does lead them to what I thought was a great friendship. The ending is a bit open, with the reader not knowing what comes next for them, but it does leave us with some idea.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.