Review- Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

This post contains both Janhvi's and Sarika's reviews of Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire. 
Today, April 1, is Travis Maddox's birthday. Happy birthday, Travis! :* 
Here's our present for you. 

Goodreads Summary:

Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster. Can you love someone too much?
Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

Beautiful series:

Sarika's review of Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1)

JANHVI'S REVIEW:

Walking Disaster is the story of Beautiful Disaster told from Travis' point of view. When I first started Walking Disaster I thought it would be the exact same as Beautiful Disaster but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it had more to it than just the same dialogues.

It starts off with Travis in all his playboy glory and how his friendship begins with Abby followed by their bet. I was never a huge fan of Travis. I was always inclined more towards his best friend/ cousin Shepley, so I really wanted to get into Travis' head and to understand his feelings. I wanted to know the reason behind his anger issues, his possessiveness, why he fought, his behavior towards Abby and his dislike for love and relationships.

I was not at all satisfied in Travis' head. I just thought that we hardly got any real thoughts from him. I don't know if it was just me or what, but most of the scenes to me were just a description of his actions, not his emotions. I mean I get that he's a guy and impulsive, but I still expected more thoughts out of him. Abby portrayed her feelings extremely well in Beautiful Disaster.

In spite of this, I enjoyed Walking Disaster. It was a good read. But I mostly think I enjoyed it because I'd really liked Beautiful Disaster and this came close to a re read of sorts. I loved Shepley. The bond he and Travis shared was amazing. America was a loyal best friend. Abby was good as always. But again, I failed to see the reason Travis fell in love with her. I loved Travis' family as well.

The best part of the book though, was the epilogue. I love epilogues just as much as I love happy endings and the epilogue of Walking Disaster was perfect. After all the struggle, angst and drama seeing Travis and Abby settled and steady made me super happy for them. Walking Disaster is a must read for all the fans of Beautiful Disaster, Travis and New Adult. Though it was not as amazing as I wanted it to be it was still a really good read.

*Note: This copy was provided by Netgalley for an honest review. We thank the author and the publisher.

RATING:

SARIKA'S REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Jamie McGuire's Walking Disaster upon request from Net Galley. We love you and we thank you! 

* ALSO NOTE: This review is predominantly-okay, well- almost completely about Travis Maddox. 

I'm sorry, I can't help it. I love him. If you're going to read this, please please please bear with it. Thank you! 

Wait. 5 stars are not enough for this. A  million, billion, trillion, gazillion stars are also not enough. Hell, even if I pick each and every star in the universe, it still won't be enough. 

Walking Disaster is exceptionally and expectedly gorgeous and unbelievable. It deserves infinite stars because maybe, just maybe, that might be enough.

It's no surprise that I loved Beautiful Disaster. It was and still is the most beautifully disastrous and disastrously beautiful book I've ever read. 

It's also no surprise that I love good girl and bad boy romances and I love Abby Abernathy and Travis Maddox. They're the most dysfunctional and undreamed couple ever and they're adorable. 

It's no surprise that I love author Jamie McGuire. 

And lastly, it's no surprise that I fucking love Travis Maddox.
Walking Disaster is Beautiful Disaster told from Travis' point of view. It's not exactly word to word, line to line, para to para or even chapter to chapter Beautiful Disaster but we're in Travis' head and God only know how his brain works but it is simply stupefying to see him fall in love. And I know he's unreal. But oh well, a girl can dream and hope and that's what I'll do.

Travis Maddox. Is. Out. Of. This. World. Since the day I started reading Beautiful Disaster, I’ve been falling madly in love with him. Seriously, it’s not healthy I know but he is just so addictive. He is exceptional. Getting into Travis' head with Walking Disaster was an highly intoxicating experience, in the most gorgeous way possible. It's hard not to fall for him. And it's even harder to not fall for him hard. God, why isn't that guy real? I love him.

Yes, Travis is impulsive. Yes, Travis has anger issues. Yes, Travis is possessive. Yes, Travis sleeps with every girl but will beat up the guys who just talk to Abby. We see it all and we hate it all. But we fail to see that besides just being all of that plus hot and unreal, Travis' love is simply unimaginable, something that is very, very rare. He fights and he fights hard and he loves and he loves hard.

It is clear from my review of Beautiful Disaster that I love anything and everything about the book. It really makes no sense to again express my unending and undying love for all the characters, from Abby's best friend America and Travis' cousin Shepley (who are great individually and as a couple) to Trav's dad Jim and brothers Trenton, Thomas, Taylor, and Tyler. I love them all and I wish I could just go live with the Maddox family. Ah, and Abby of course. She is simply lovely. She and Trav are perfect.

Both the prologue and epilogue of Walking Disaster made me emotional. 

Author Jamie McGuire's writing is, just like the title of her series- beautiful. Thank you, Jamie McGuire. Thank you so damn much for Travis Maddox. And thank you, Net Galley, for letting me have him before everyone else could. But most importantly, thank you to my best friend and fellow blogger Janhvi for giving me Beautiful Disaster and Travis Maddox. 

Walking Disaster. Is. Wow. Just wow. 

RATING:

*NOTE: My rating for Walking Disaster is infinite. But a 5 on 5 will do for now. 

Review- Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Goodreads Summary:

INTENSE. DANGEROUS. ADDICTIVE.

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

REVIEW:

I have no clue how to even begin writing a review for Beautiful Disaster, which is exactly what the title says it is- a beautiful disaster. 

After reading some reviews for Beautiful Disaster, it is clear that this is a book that readers will either love or loathe. I know that there are certain readers who found the book to be a little too out of the world, but honestly, when it comes to reading, it's an escape for me, like music is, and as long as I can escape into a new world and feel like I'm a part of it by doing nothing but simply reading, it works for me. Beautiful Disaster did exactly that. It worked. In its own messed up, disruptive, disturbing and different way, it was beautiful. And like my favourite band Boys Like Girls say in their song Let Go- 

there's beauty in the breakdown. 

It's just like what Abby says- when it's right and when it's good... it's beautiful.

Abigail 'Abby' Abernathy, daughter of famous gambler Mick Abernathy, moves to a new town for college along with her best friend, America to start a new life and leave her past behind. She was a well formed and well-rounded character. Abby is strong, simple and sweet. Her past was a complete cracker. It was variant, something that I'd never read of before and I loved getting to know every bit of it. For me, Abby is the luckiest girl in the world, but that's only because of my immense love for Travis.

Travis... Travis is... he's unbelievable, exceptional and completely mind blowing. Keeping aside his gorgeous looks and intricate tattoos, he was extremely nice as a person. Gentle and kind aren't the words that can be used to describe Travis, but in his own twisted way, he was that too. He calls Abby 'Pigeon' or 'Pidge' which is so F-ing adorable. His family of five brothers, Trenton, Thomas, Taylor and Tyler and Travis himself with his dad Jim was a bunch of joyful and charming people. Although Travis does seem a little over protective and over possessive, I think it's absolutely fine to be that way, because in the end, love does make the world go round and that's whats happened to the fighter and player- he is in love. I seriously want to hug Jamie McGuire for creating such an extraordinary character. Trav is my book boyfriend, he is perfect. I love him. Too much. 

Abby and Travis share a totally messed up, complicated yet simply beautiful relationship. It was amazing to see how a simple friendship and a simple bet can be so life-changing. I read that some people found the relationship to be quite abusive, but it is not. It is what it is and whatever it is, it is beautiful. I loved seeing how Abby and Travis went from being friends to best friends to lovers. It was amazing. 
Yes, the ending did seem a little crazy and not so believable. Yes, it didn't make sense for Travis to go around having sex with other girls while beating the shit out of the guys who just tried to talk to Abby. Then again, I'm happy that they both get their happily ever after, which they truly deserve and work things out. 

Shepley's following line from the book perfectly describes Abby and Travis.

“I wish you and Travis would just get your shit together! You're a goddamn tornado! When you're happy, it's love and peace and butterflies. When you're pissed, you take the whole fucking world down with you!” 

Abby's best friend America and Travis' cousin Shepley also shared a wonderful relationship. They were adorable and did things their own way which was cute. As individual characters, I liked how Mare was with Abby throughout even when Abby seemed to not return the same gesture. It was a little confusing to see America support Abby and Travis' relationship at one point and go against the idea of them being together the next instance. Nonetheless, the two girls shared a lovely relation and their friendship was fun to read. Shepley, on the other hand, is the prefect guy. He was absolutely beaut and excellent. Too bad he was made to stand next to Travis. I loved Shep for who he was as a person, but I loved Travis more. I would love to know more about Mare and Shep. *subtle hinting, Jamie*

Beautiful Disaster has been one of the most amazing books that I've read. I admit that it was over the top and surreal at times and it is a bit too much- too much of drama, but come on, we all want to believe that love happens and it does- in the most inexplicable and unimaginable ways possible. 
Jamie McGuire has written a beautiful story with characters that are beautiful in their own way. The author has crafted a beautiful story that will stay with me forever, bring a smile to my face, a pounding beat to my heart and a thousand crazy thoughts in my head every time I think of it- which is most of the time. There were some very very minute editorial mistakes in the book, but seriously, who cares when the story in itself weaves its charm and finds a way to your heart where you hold it dear. 

A cheerful, moving, sad and happy and intense read all at once, Beautiful Disaster is disastrously beautiful and beautifully disastrous. You will love it or loathe it. I loved it. Truly, madly and deeply.

RATING:

Sarika