51/50: The Magical Adventures Of A Single Life (2000) - Plot & Excerpts
Kristen writes a brutally honest account of her quest for life in 51/50. She is 30, a recovering alcoholic, and just happens to have herpes. Throw in a serious daddy issue, and you've got a disaster walking. In this true story, Kristen documents each of the 51 dates she goes on in a year with a no-holds-barred approach. As she tries to fix her life and find the man of her dreams, readers who may have been put off by her initially may just begin to root for her after all. No matter how flawed she is, and regardless of the fact that she prays to her ancestors and Mother Earth, she never gives up. This story drags a bit at times, but contains a little bit of everything with a large dose of crazy. Overall, a fun read. I am a bit mystified by some of the negative comments on this book. Granted, it was not perfect (for a few reasons), but you can't seriously give the book a low rating just because she didn't end up with the guy you wanted her to. Or because you didn't like the topic itself. Or that she counts two of the "dates" when they were with her dad and other relatives. That's just weird to me. That's like saying you didn't like what/how she wrote because of the color of her hair. It's her life and her book and she can do as she pleases. I thought the "dates" with the family members were endearing and anyway, it was clear by that point in the book that she was already on the verge of learning why she was doing all this in the first place: not to find a man, but to find herself. So the dates were pretty much a moot point by then.I was sometimes thrown by the jumping around through time and people, but I always caught up with her quickly so I didn't mind too much. I appreciated her honest and clear telling of her experiences even if I sometimes felt they were a bit oversimplified or harsh, even. I am amazed she got away with writing what she did about some of the men. I can only assume she "changed names and stories" well enough to mask who she was talking about so they would allow her to publish this (or not sue her). Ultimately I came away happy to be allowed to share in a true and truly life-changing story.
What do You think about 51/50: The Magical Adventures Of A Single Life (2000)?
I found it to be a slow read and I didn't think her transitions from present to past flowed well.
—horcrux1369
A good read, makes me so glad that I'm not single.
—Danielle
