The Bombshell

Loved this book. Very easy read yet rich in content. Fabulous writing, story and characters. Very thought provoking. Would highly recommend for book clubs !

I really enjoyed this book. I recommend it to book lovers everywhere!

This book surprised me with how good it was. The Bombshell follows Severine, a 17-year-old girl with dreams of moving to Los Angeles to become a famous actress. But instead, she's kidnapped by three young men and eventually becomes the face of a radical movement in Corsica, gaining unexpected fame through televised broadcasts. Darrow Farr’s writing is vivid and descriptive, especially in capturing Severine’s fear and uncertainty during her abduction. You really feel what she’s going through.One of my favorite aspects of this book was the setting. The descriptions of Corsica were beautiful. Honestly, I hadn’t heard of Corsica before reading this book. The author brings the island to life while slowly building out each character in a way that makes you feel like you truly know them. Watching how each of them responds to the injustices faced by Corsicans, and how those responses shape their decisions, felt relevant to a lot of what’s happening in the world today (this story takes place in 1993).Severine was a complicated character. I had to remind myself she’s only 17, because her thinking sometimes felt… off. When she joins the group, Soffiu di Liberta, I was constantly wondering if she doing this for survival? Has she developed Stockholm syndrome? Does she crave acceptance or fame? Or is it about personal revenge? Maybe it’s a mix of all these things. What made it more engaging is that the book itself doesn’t shy away from these questions because other characters ask them too. The more I learned about Severine, the more interesting she and her motive became.Petru was my favorite character. He’s dynamic and thoughtful. He is the one who doesn’t immediately trust Severine’s motives, which I appreciated. His heart is fully in the revolution, but he’s not naive.Tittu is the quietest and youngest member of the group of men. He gives me a nerdy and sweet vibe.Bruno, the oldest is intelligent but sometimes unsure of himself. He is the leader of this group, handsome, and you can imagine where that will lead to.While I really enjoyed this book, I did find myself questioning Severine’s motivations in the beginning, and I was a bit disturbed by some of the romantic interests. But once the plot picks up in the final part of the book, I couldn't put it down. I was completely invested in what would happen to these four “friends” I had grown attached to.The ending left me wanting a bit more, but it still offered a sense of closure. I chose The Bombshell as my BOTM pick. This one I probably would’ve overlooked in a bookstore, and I’m so glad I didn’t.

Was für ein tolles Buch. So packend, ich hab buchstäblich alles stehen und liegen lassen, um zu lesen. Das kommt leider viel zu selten vor.Kurz zur Geschichte: die siebzehnjährige Severine, reiche Tochter eines französischen Politikers, wird in Korsika entführt, um einen politischen Gefangenen freizupressen. Es kommt, wie es kommen muss, alles entwickelt sich ganz anders als geplant und die Entführung eskaliert in eine Revolution.Die Geschichte wird durch die Augen Severines erzählt, ein Teenager mit großen Träumen und der Kompromisslosigkeit der Jugend im Herzen. Dieser Blickwinkel ist für mich das Besondere an diesem Roman. Einem Lebensgefühl nachzuspüren, das noch nicht von den Lasten des Alltags gebügelt und von den Enttäuschungen und Erfahrungen des Erwachsenseins geformt wurde, sondern reine Lebenslust und volles Wagnis auf allen Ebenen.Dieser Roman hat alles was es braucht: eine spannende Geschichte, tolle Charaktere, Tiefe und dieses gewisse Etwas, eine Lebendigkeit, die förmlich vibriert und nicht mehr loslässt.Absolute Leseempfehlung.

Refreshing female main character. Irreverent. But the consequences were real enough that it was not smug. Couldn’t put it down.