Love, Jacaranda

Full disclosure: I'm a HUGE Alex Flinn fan. Her newest book, Love, Jacaranda, is an epistolary novel (it's told all in e-mails) and the style works beautifully. Main character Jacaranda is a foster child, living in Miami, working as a Publix bagger. Her life changes dramatically after a video of an impromptu singing performance goes viral, and a mysterious benefactor - "John Smith" - sends an emissary to offer Jacaranda the opportunity to attend a boarding school for the performing arts in Michigan.Though "Mr. Smith" wants to remain anonymous, Jacaranda e-mails him regularly about her life and experiences, and the story unfolds through her emails. Her suitemate's cousin Jarvis takes an interest in her, and the development of their love story is so sweet.The book is a retelling of the 1912 novel Daddy Long Legs, and as with her fairy tale retellings, Flinn does an excellent job of updating and modernizing an older text for a new generation of readers. Highly recommend!

This is my favorite of Alex Flinn's books! Jacaranda, a talented singer with a past she thinks she needs to hide, finds her life forever changed after a video of her singing goes viral. This story provides a fascinating inside view of a prestigious boarding school for the performing arts as well as a dream-come-true journey that will inspire every reader entering Jacaranda's world. Add in a mysterious, beautiful romance, layered, interesting characters, plus a heroine you'll fall in love with, and you'll read it in one sitting like I did. LOVED IT!

I loved the characters, I loved the premise and I loved the writing.