I don't know how I came across this title in the first place, but I'm so glad I did! The first thing that I noticed was the beautiful and shiny cover. The title was appealing too: Becoming Bonnie. I clicked on the link and found out the novel was about Bonnie, from Bonnie and Clyde. Late 20's, Dallas, Texas. Prohibition and depression. I quickly added it to the TBR. A couple of weeks later I saw the book on Netgalley and immediately requested it. It didn't have many reviews yet.

As soon as I started the book, I knew it would be a special one. And I know because I hated having to put it down! I was so deeply immersed in the story that I kept thinking about what would happen even when I was at work. And when I wasn't reading, I was looking for pictures of Bonnie and Clyde and reading the Wikipedia page. I had seen the movie but didn't remember much about it. Now I want to know everything there is to know about this woman.

I don't know exactly why I found this story so wonderful, but I guess it just clicked with me. I think Jenni L Walsh (who by the way seems lovely) is an amazing storyteller. You know when you're reading a book and absolutely everything makes sense? Sometimes I read novels that I enjoy but I don't understand certain decisions and find myself wishing some things had been different. In Becoming Bonnie, everything happened just the way I hoped. Bonnie's coming of age, the events that unfolded, the relationship with her family, friends, and lovers. And the author managed to introduce every historical aspect in a smart and smooth way, so you understood why Bonnie chose to do what she did because of the context and what was going on around her.

This is not a book full of twists of surprises, but the story of a very special girl who's trying to figure out her life. And despite knowing how it all would end, I still couldn't get enough of her story. Keep in mind that Clyde doesn't show up much at first, but I thought he was a great character (at least, for now).

I loved Bonnie. I love how she changed so much from the first page to the last, how she matured, how she became fearless. How she learned to say no, to stand up for herself and discover what she really wanted to do with her life. And I can't wait to follow her and Clyde's adventures in the sequel!

Becoming Bonnie was not what I expected. It started slow, and took most of the book to get to the actual Bonnie and Clyde duo uniting. There are no bank robberies or crime sprees. Rather, Jennifer Walsh has written a coming of age tale that turns her title character from an innocent, into a "sadder but wiser girl." From there she finally unites the infamous couple, only to leave her reader wanting more. These final chapters keep Becoming Bonnie from being a complete disappointment. On another note, although being classified as historical fiction, this book felt more like YA.

This novel about Bonnie Parker, of the infamous Bonnie and Clyde, is so well written I didn't even notice at first that it's written in present tense, which I normally don't like.

The characterization was very well done too, with the best part being the evolution of Bonnie becoming the figure we picture her as (it's certainly an appropriately titled novel). Although this is a novel about how Bonnie met and fell in love with Clyde, I wouldn't call it a romance. It's more about a young woman finding herself in a chaotic world and learning what she really wants from it and from the people in her life. Blanche's character was compelling too and I almost wish for a sequel done in Blanche's voice. Knowing in real life, Blanche is the only survivor out of their group, her voice would make a good narrative for a sequel, but I don't know if the author has plans for a sequel at all.

Additionally, although Bonnie is a teenager throughout the book and there is nothing inappropriate in it for teens to read, I wouldn't call it a young adult novel (nor is it marketed as such, though I see some people on Goodreads have tagged it). Bonnie is very young, but she's very much living her life as an adult, and it deals with adult themes, so it doesn't have a young adult feel to it.

There are a few deviations from the factual timeline in the beginning but it does come together. At first, it seemed like Clyde was being introduced way too early, but then it became clear that he and Bonnie don't really formally meet until much later and so he was more of this shadowy, mysterious, background figure. It wound up working really well and made an excellent, believable story line. Keep in mind, this is not a tale of Bonnie and Clyde's life together, it's really about Bonnie's life before Clyde and everything that led them together. They don't really meet till near the end and the novel ends well before their crime spree. You might think that would make it boring, but it really doesn't. I read the entire second half of it in one day, I felt so compelled to finish it.

Advanced review copy from publisher via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

an excellent job of re-imagining a tale many of us think we know well - the love story of the infamous Bonnie & Clyde duo.

Everyone's heard of Bonnie and Clyde, but how many of us know anything about them other than that they were notorious criminals? BECOMING BONNIE gives us a glimpse into the life of Bonnie Parker before she became one half of that infamous duo. Pulling both from historical research and her own imagination, author Jenni L. Walsh introduces us to Bonnelyn, a poor Texan teenager with big dreams, and takes us through her family struggles, her relationship troubles, and her introduction to the glitzy underworld of the 1920s. The story is fast-paced and engaging, and I loved Bonnelyn so much that I kept flipping pages, hoping desperately for a better fate than the one we know she ends up with.