Author: Tamara Sheward

Publisher: Academy Chicago Publishers

ISBN: 978-0-89733-565-2

Tamara Steward moved to Queensland, Australia after living all of her life in New Jersey. Tamara has travelled to over thirty countries and has worked as a journalist since the age of twenty.

Bad Karma is a well-written, girly travel novel featuring friends Tamara and her pal Elissa. With no worries and only one destination in mind, the duo set off to visit Southeast Asia hoping to experience something different from their usual day-to-day lives. Tamara and her friend are almost at once thrown into adventure and within their first couple of days, Tamara meets a hotel clerk who compares her to the legendary Xena. Later while wandering through an Asian town, the two chums notice how different people are in the Southeast to the Westerns. Well obviously!

From a pig’s head on a stick to other local but disgusting delicacies, these are a just a few weird things that get the girls talking. And the whole behaviour of society over in the Eastern countries shocks the girls from time to time. AND as for finding a place to kip for the night, think on! Not only do the twosome realise that sometimes its harder then you think to find a hotel room, they also realise it’s hard to find a bathroom that isn’t infested with cockroaches.

But for Tamara, beer is always on her mind and she is determined to make her friend love the stuff too. So they try and get as drunk as is humanly possible during their time in Asia.

This book was funny in many places but I found the swearing put me off a little. I also found Elissa extremely rude, there was hardly a chapter where she wasn’t shouting and swearing at some poor local who wasn’t that clued up with his English.

Was there any need for all that? Elissa is supposed to be a teacher, so God help the poor children who she teaches if they dare to differ from her opinion.

The swearing cheapened what could have been an extremely good book. However, I do recommend this read for anyone who wishes to read a travel book with a difference. It really does have you laughing in places i.e when Tamara makes a mess of the dinner reception she has kindly been invited to and jinxes the hosts. This is humour at its best.

There are some amusing chapter titles: Begging to Differ, Hello to What Unfortunately Is and The Wannabe Bootlegger Blues. And talking of chapters, be sure not to skip The Disco Bus!

Over all, I rather enjoyed Bad Karma. It has all the right ingredients to keep the reader hooked from wit and humour to adventure into the unknown. Good stuff minus the swearing.

The above review was contributed by: Jessica Roberts: Jessica has been a book reviewer for a newspaper and a national women's magazine and is working on a novel. To read more of Jessica's reviews CLICK HERE 

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