Book Review: “Eighteen” by Jenny Jaeckel

“Eighteen” by Jenny Jaeckel (2022)

Genre: Fiction

Page Length: 183 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

Arriving in a rain-swept city after a solo bus journey, eighteen-year-old Talia’s world breaks wide open. Soon she is chasing chickens, telling bad jokes to a prospective boss, fielding a roommate’s insults about her décor, all the while homesick for a place that never existed. Funny, harsh, touching, and uniquely observant, Talia speaks to the reader as if to a best friend.

In a chance encounter Talia meets George, a young man whose passion for building sailboats sparks a conversation that leads to much more. When a sailing job takes George away to Mexico, Talia struggles with ghosts from her troubled past until a growing faith in herself brings her to take a bold decision, stepping into the unknown in a way she never has before.

Reminiscent of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Colette’s Claudine, Eighteen is an intimate coming-of-age exploration of love, friendship, sexuality, and self-discovery.

Review:

Eighteen follows the story of Tania who is navigating her new adult life. She just started out in college dealing with homesickness, making new friends, crushes, and living life on her own. She’s overwhelmed yet excited by all of the opportunities coming her way. From the descriptive writing that Jaeckel brings in her novels, Talia can instantly connect with readers. She brought me back to my first days of university living. The novel captures all of the excitement and uncertainty of trying to start a new chapter in your life.

Talia’s story is an overarching theme of growing up and figuring out how to be an adult. Even though there is some difference such as the book being set in the 90s some elements of college are still the same. I could connect to Talia’s struggles of picking a career field, navigating relationships (especially considering her upbringing), and figuring out who she is as a person. It’s a novel about experiencing a firsts and Jaeckel weaves the story together elegantly but also makes the characters feel very real. Talia experiences friendships, heartbreaks, grief, happiness, and readers are first row seats to her journey.

I not only enjoyed the characters but the smooth progression of the story. Talia’s character development has solid pacing and even when the story ends it shows that she’s still growing as we all do throughout life. I’ve read Jacekel’s novels before and enjoyed her human-centered stories that allow you to sink into the text. Eighteen was a heartfelt and interesting rollercoaster ride of a novel that I recommend.

Final Verdict:

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.