Aussie Book Review: A Straight Line to My Heart by Bill Condon

Title: A Straight Line to My Heart
Author: Bill Condon
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Purchase Book: Amazon / FishPondWorld

Opening Paragraph:
There’s nothing quite as good as folding into a book and shutting the world outside. If I pick the right one I can be beautiful, or fall in love , or live happily ever after. Maybe even all three. If you can’t get a boy, get a book. That’s my motto.

My Thoughts

With a start like that, I knew there was no doubt I wasn’t going to love this book to such crush-worthy proportions. This story made me laugh and sigh and giggle and almost cry so sincerely that I want to give it a review that it truly deserves, but alas I’ve accepted that the best I can do for A Straight Line to My Heart is simply gush about it and hope you’ll take my word that this book needs to be read and enjoyed. It’s that good in my opinion.

When I started reading Tiff’s story that was shared in a first person narrative, I swear I actually felt like we were having a conversation and speaking the same language. Have you ever done that? Fallen into a book so hard that you actually feel like you’re conversing with the characters? Well that’s what happened to me. Tiff is snarky and funny and so unabashedly honest that I would have loved about a hundred more pages of her story. And if I have any complaint about this book, it’s exactly that… I didn’t get enough. I selfishly wanted more.

This book is Aussie-awesome just like the other stories that come from this magical land of literary greatness. And truly, there’s nothing particularly grand or explosive about these stories, but that’s what makes them so perfectly unique and splendid. A Straight Line to My Heart is a simple, honest and very real story about life… a glimpse into someone’s life for such a short period of time that you feel so connected in that moment that you struggle to let go when the story ends. It’s about friendship, about life, about love and wondering if it is all worthwhile and hoping it actually is. So I think that’s what makes it so perfect for me, I can relate and I want to hang on so much longer than the length of the book.

Now I’ve included quotes in my reviews before, you know pieces of the story I don’t want to forget. Well, there’s one scene in this book that just amazed me with how truly adorable it felt. See, there’s a boy in this book and he’s not perfect or hunktastic by any means but there’s something about this guy that holy hale I just wanted to hug him. I want to share with you a note that he wrote to Tiff. I’m telling you that moment was just so perfect that I read it a few times and smiled like the biggest dork for that entire scene and longer to tell you the truth. See he hands her this note that reads:

Tiffany,
I like you but you mightn’t feel the same about me, and I wouldn’t blame you. To save us both from any awkward moments, I’ve figured out an easy way to do this. Nod if you’re even slightly interested in getting to know me. Write me a ten page explanation if you’re not.
Davey.

That note and the last scene will be branded in my brain for quite some time. So, I hope others read this gem and enjoy it as much as I did. It really ranks up there with the other great Aussie books I’ve raved about. Loved it!!

Two more favorite quotes:
You take away her pretty and my plain and what you get underneath is about the same: a couple of girls looking to be found.

I’m not into class. I’m into people.

5 Snowflakes