Reviewer: Samantha
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
What first drew me to Thirty Happens by Elizabeth Butts was the cover. The colors, the typewriter. I thought, ah yes, there is my kind of book. And it makes me happy to report that my initial thought was correct! The flow of the book really intrigued me from the get-go. The question that is posed in the synopsis of this story was clear to me immediately when I started reading as well: “If I could go back and change directions… would I?” Readers are immediately brought into Karyn’s world and begin to understand her dreams and ambitions. We journey with Karyn through college, internships, career and more. We see her struggle with a heart-aching decision and find peace once again, only to have it upturned by one simple offer. But all throughout, I found myself Karyn’s friend. There is a very poignant scene in this book that was tough to read as a fellow survivor, but added a depth to this novel that touched me on several levels.
Thirty Happens was an extremely well written women’s fiction that left me feeling happy and satisfied as I got to the ending. I found it to be very thought-provoking as well, in several different areas. I really connected with Karyn on her love of writing, and thought the reporter scenes that we were privy too quite enjoyable. And as someone who is enjoying her last year in her twenties, I could understand even more what Karyn was going through and her thought processes, because I ask myself a lot of the questions she did as well. Highly recommend.
