Just Pru
New Adult, Contemporary, Chick Lit
March 2, 2015
Publisher through Netgalley
When twenty-five-year-old Pru Anderson—braless, pajama-clad, and clutching her cat, Chuck—is rescued from her burning Los Angeles apartment, the thing that scares her most is meeting the neighbors. New people make her hide in the bathroom, counting by sevens, but when her home is destroyed, she must turn strangers into friends … or crawl back to the controlling parents she only recently escaped.
What would her idol, Pepper Hathaway, do? That’s a no brainer: the detective-slash-supermodel heroine from Pru's favorite TV series would take no prisoners while looking fierce in a tankini and stilettos. So when the chance comes to live with her upstairs neighbor, Ellen, a playwright, Pru goes for it.
Thus begin the adventures of Pru, who's never had a job, a friend, or a first kiss. Swept into Ellen's whirlwind life, Pru begins to build her own, as director's assistant for a new play, muse to brooding actor Blake, and possible love interest to adorably neurotic neighbor, Adam.
Only one thing can derail Pru's exhilarating ride. Well, actually, it's two things—and they're in a car headed straight for LA to torpedo her life. When the past that nearly destroyed her comes calling, who will she be: a Prudence or a Pepper?
While others found this book funny and quirky, I found this heartfelt and awe-inspiring instead. It’s not everyday that we meet a character who knows and owns her own struggle while overcoming it little by little. Just Pru was a book everyone should definitely try.
Prudence or Pru wasn’t your average heroine who was blessed by the fiction gods with confidence, social skills, and good people to surround her. She has problems talking to people and looking at their eyes. A little step outside of her comfort zone can make her hurl, and her confidence inexistent. The simplest things can make her go panic and she grew up with no idea how to live like a normal person. Sheltered, antisocial, anxious were the best words I can think off when describing her. But despite all these, she was a character you can’t help but love, not pity.
This book basically sums up her adventure towards normalcy, and how to deal with her parents who can’t seem to trust her own actions and decisions. This book didn’t need a bitchy or a bully antagonist because her parents were already fulfilling that role. Aside from Pru’s lack of confidence, it was her parents who did the worst job in guiding their child to living her life.
Anne Pfeffer did a wonderful job in showing Pru’s struggle. Though I’m still a bit curious with how and where and what started Pru’s neuroses, this book did good in representing a person who goes through life while facing her own anxieties. Character development was done wonderfully and wasn’t done instantly. It was real and believable because instead of suddenly changing drastically, Pru’s development was done in baby steps. I was so proud of Pru I wanted to hug her after finishing this.
I love the story, and how it brought out a lot of emotions and feelings inside me. I was actually feeling overwhelmed when I finished reading this. So obviously this ends on a happy note, BUT I won’t tell you who she ends up with. Yes, this also has romance on the side but it wasn’t the main focus of the story, it just played a role in Pru’s journey.
While seeing Pru balance her anxiety and coping with life, the author made me struggle a bit on who to root for Pru’s happily ever after. Adam or Blake? Both had potential in winning over our heroine but as you go along the story there will be moments when you love, then hate, and then love each of these guys again. I like it when an author keeps me curious on who will it be in the end while making me like both love interest.
Aside from making us guess who to root for, the author also did a good job with the minor characters a.k.a. the neighbors, especially Ellen. The neighbors and Ellen played a big part on Pru’s change. They were like the support group Pru didn’t know existed. Who would have thought the fire that burnt down her place would also burn down her own world and would be the first step towards her becoming a person outside her shell.
Just Pru was one of those books you can’t help but adore and set a place in your heart because of how wonderful and inspiring the story was. It was a delight reading this and I definitely recommend this to those who wants to read something feel-good and inspiring.