The Blonde Diaries

Chick Lit Review: Burning the Map

A couple of months ago I stumbled upon a used book sale at my former local library. I was not expecting much in the way of chick lit books there for sale but I was pleasantly surprised. One of the gems I happened to find was Burning the Map by Lauren Caldwell. Burning the Map is a story about Casey Evers, a recent law school graduate, who apparently is set. She has a steady boyfriend, a law degree, has passed the bar, and has a job her classmates are envious for waiting for her after her vacation. But while everything seems good on paper, is Casey really happy? Is this the life Casey imagined for herself? As you read the book, you find yourself experiencing the ups and downs along with Casey and wanting to throw caution to the wind and follow your dreams. So how does it turn out? I won’t say. You have to read the book.

My overall opinion of the book: A+. I really enjoyed this book because I could relate to it. Not too long ago I was graduating college and everything seemed right on paper but it wasn’t. I too took some difficult roads and struggled along the way. I did have many highs to counterbalance the lows so that it all wasn’t so bad and I had a lot of fun. Basically, if you have experience the quarter-life crisis or feel like you might be entering your own, pick up this book as you will soon realize that this is normal and everyone experiences it. While this is just a fictional book, reading Casey and her experiences is uplifting and reaffirms that life works in strange ways and you will get where you need to be at the end.

I also liked Lauren Caldwell’s writing style. She wasn’t in your face chick lit like other authors. She used standard fictional language if that makes sense. She also kept away from getting too graphic in the “love interest” scenes which I always appreciate. The book kept you reading wanting to know how it ended and didn’t give away many clues as you read it (ie wasn’t too predictable).

So here is the cover. Check your local library for a copy or Amazon.com has copies available for $11!