Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Swanna In Love”, by Jennifer Belle, Akashic Books, January 30 2024. On Tour with Suzy Approved Book Tours

Wow! Jennifer Belle, the Author of “Swanna In Love” has written a captivating, intriguing and unique story that is amazing. The Genres for this novel are Coming of Age, Family, Adult, Contemporary Fiction, and Fiction. The timeline in this story is set in 1982, Swanna Swain, fourteen years old, is the only one left at camp. Finally, she is picked up by her mother and her mother’s new Russian Artistic boy-friend. They go to pick up Madding, her younger brother from his camp and head to an Art Colony in Vermont, that doesn’t allow children.

In this well written, shocking and witty story, Jennifer Belle describes her colorful and dramatic characters as complex, complicated, quirky, dysfunctional and very addicting to read about. I couldn’t put the book down, and there are times, I wanted to shake Swanna’s mother, and father. Don’t ask what I wanted to do to the mother’s boyfriend. I became very involved and worried about Swanna. Swanna tries calling her father collect, and either he doesn’t answer the phone, and when he does speak to her, he doesn’t hear or listen. Both Swanna and Madding have to sleep outside in a truck, since they aren’t allowed inside, Is it any wonder that Swanna is looking for a diversion?

Although Swanna seems more mature for her age, and extremely intelligent in some ways, she does make questionable choices. In this coming of age novel, Swanna explores her sexuality, and her feelings of love. There are some twists and turns and some OMG moments. I highly recommend this thought-provoking and memorable novel. I look forward to reading more of Jennifer Belle’s Books.