That Crazy Perfect Someday

by Michael Mazza

Mafuri Long, UCSD marine biology grad, champion surfer, and only female to dominate a record eighty-foot wave, still has something to prove. Having achieved Internet fame, along with sponsorship from Google and Nike, she’s intent on winning 2024 Olympic gold. But when her father, a clinically depressed former Navy captain and widower, learns that his beloved supercarrier, the USS Hillary Rodham Clinton, is to be sunk, he draws Mafuri into a powerful undertow. Conflicts compound as Mafuri’s personal life comes undone via social media, and a vicious Aussie competitor levels bogus doping charges against her. Mafuri forms an unlikely friendship with an awkward teen, a Ferrari-driving professional gamer who will prove to be her support and ballast. Authentic, brutal, and at times funny, Mafuri lays it all out in a sprightly, hot-wired voice. From San Diego to Sydney, Key West, and Manila, That Crazy Perfect Someday goes beyond the sports/surf cliché to explore the depths of sorrow and hope, yearning and family bonds, and the bootstrap power of a bold young woman climbing back into the light.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Adult Fiction

318 pages, Paperback

Published June 20, 2017

About the author

Michael Mazza is a San Francisco Bay Area literary fiction writer whose stories have appeared in journals, including TINGE, ZYZZYVA, and BULL: Men’s Fiction. He is also an internationally acclaimed art and creative director working in the advertising industry. That Crazy Perfect Someday is his first novel.

Discover more at mazzastory.com
Follow him on Instagram @mazzastory

Reviews

[Stephanie (Reading is Better With Cupcakes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that That Crazy Perfect Someday may be my second book that I have ever read that is about surfing. I'm not a surfer, I have never even tried it, so I'm not too surprised about this.

Thanks to this book though, I wouldn't mind going out into the ocean. It made it sound pretty good. Too bad I am not into the outdoors and I am too much of a chicken to try.

But anyways...

That Crazy Perfect Someday is about Mafuri Long, a surfer girl who is some where between the ages of 20 and 30 as far as I could tell. She holds fame in the world for riding a record breaking wave. She is currently training for the upcoming Olympic Games. Her father is a depressed and troubled veteran and he mother passed away some time before this book began from cancer.

In short, this book is more or less about Mafuri Longs life and the things that happen in the course of time that this book is talking about. She is trying to help her father and keep him safe from himself while training hard for the Olympics. She wants gold. Like really wants it. It would be a life defining thing for her. Not much else matters. She needs to show the world she wasn't just that wave.

So we travel through her life with her on her way to the Olympic Games. And a lot of stuff happens.

So That Crazy Perfect Someday is technically set in the future, but not a very far off future. The year for the book is 2024. The world is essentially in a predicted state from where we are now. Some advances in technology and medicine - nothing to crazy from what we currently have. Drones in the air, cars that can drive themselves, etc. And the global warming has hit which has messed with the weather patterns and what not making them totally unpredictable. Is this why surfing is such a huge deal for Mafuri's world? I don't know, but it does seem to be the end all sport of the Olympics (is it a huge sport in the Olympics now?)

And of course this book talks a lot about surfing. There were definitely times I felt like I was out in the ocean along with Mafuri. Feeling the water on my skin and the sun beating down on me.

Character development wise, I did feel like there were a few bumps. There were times when I was really feeling Mafuri, and there were other times where I just was not. I would occasionally lose a bit of that feeling where she could be real, but it would come back. Or there were cases where other characters had vindictive attitudes and I didn't really feel their actions were quite on the mark for what was going on. I also wanted to feel more connections between the characters than I got, but part of that may just have been Mafuri's character (which we do see grow thankfully).

Also, there is some language use in the book, and it did throw me. Mafuri, the narrator, tended to not swear and use words such as "effing" and other softer terms for the harsher ones. But when other characters would swear, the harsher terms were used. It isn't a huge thing, but I found myself noticing it and to me it felt a bit weird. At first I thought Mazza was trying to not use swear words, but then they were there...and it just a tiny hiccup in the flow for me.

I will say this though, probably by the time I was 25% into the book I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to be there on that beach with Mafuri. I wanted to be surfing with her. I wanted to see what was going to happen next to her. Would she kiss that guy? What was she going to do about this new situation she found herself in? What was the heck was that person thinking? I wanted to know. And when I found myself at the end, I felt like I had made the journey with Mafuri. And I enjoyed it a lot.

I look forward to reading more of Michael Mazza's work.

This review is based on a copy provided by the publisher through Irish Banana Blog Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

Find more of my reviews here:
http://readingwithcupcakes.blogspot.com/

[Ionia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm usually not much for books that are set in the future, but this one was different. First of all, it was believable and there wasn't a tremendous amount of boring tech descriptions so that worked for me and second, I loved the big wave surfing descriptions.

The characters in this novel are unique and kept me interested throughout the story, particularly what was going on with the main character's father. I liked the plot and pacing of this story and thought the author did a really good job of coming up with interesting new ideas. This book made me wonder what's in the future and if things will be like he described them--thought provoking.

The way he combined the future and the past as well as the way the characters reacted to the situations they found themselves in made this an exciting read from the first page to the last. You should give this book a try, it was worth the time to read. What I liked most, was the level of creativity the author used. This book makes you dream.

This review based on a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[cassie wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Hayley Chwazik-Gee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel packs in so many events and characters! It was a quick read (especially for someone who’s as enthralled by surfing as me!), but I did think that a lot of the dialogue was awkward and disjointed.

[Nora · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was on a recommended summer reading list, so that's where we start. Mafuri is the main character, a twenty something Olympic surfing hopeful with some fairly realistic trip ups in her way. Her voice as main character is interesting, and the author seamlessly inserts surf jargon and Naval jargon into the mix without ever sounding forced or condescending. Frankly, it was a storyline I would not have likely chosen for myself, but it was a good beach read.
Without going on a soapbox, I will say that my biggest beef with the author is the rampant unnecessary liberal crap. (For the record, I feel the same about unnecessary conservative cramp. Unless the point is intentionally political, go easy.) If you need a detail to make the story work, by all means, give us the detail. Piling on bit after bit after bit of liberal dogma when it doesn't impact the storyline a single whit is tedious. It cost you a star, Mr. Mazza. Seriously, naming two naval vessels after the Clintons? That's just one silly bit.
Anyway, I wish there was a final chapter here. Things I wanted resolved never got tied up, but still in all it was a nice summer read

[Ew Lake · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this male author stunk at creating a great female main character. Book was billed as a climate change/surfing/sci-fi/beach-bag must-have - it did not deliver.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although, this story takes place in the future, it feels like real places. For example, when Mafuri traveled for her surfing competition, I felt like I was there right with her. Yet, I know that Mafuri had a passion for the sport of surfing. She was the only female to dominate a eighty foot wave. That in itself is a great feat for anyone. However, I didn't really feel the great passion that Mafuri had for surfing. It seemed a little muted with the rivalry from other competitors being a focus of the story.

Additionally, I was very intrigued by Mafuri's father. He seemed like he had a great story to share having been a former Navy captain of the former USS Nimitz and present USS Hillary Rodham Clinton. Again, when the story finally focused on this part of the story, there did not seem to be a lot of sharing. In fact, I don't remember some of the details in this section of the story. What I did read showed me that Mr. Mazza can write. I will check out some of his other work.

[Max Vitro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic ride. Like the twist and turns down a pumping head-high wave, Mazza takes through the trial and tribulation of a surfer girl in the near future that seems too real not to believe. His imagination and way with words set the stage for the development of characters you could have sworn you met in person and the depiction of the San Diego surf scene sends this Cali boy right home. This book is a, "serious ripper," they might say. I'll keep this one nearby for when I long for home and seek Mazza's spark. (He's a great guy too)

[Pres Maxson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really impressed with this. Such a great character study of a beautiful, flawed-but-not-too-flawed woman. We see her manage and often struggle with family, friendships, injury, and other career setbacks — all to somehow feel good as readers about her future. I didn't want the book to end, which is one reason why I enjoyed the ending so much. I'm left to picture Mafuri's future for myself, with plenty of complications still ahead. That's my favorite kind of story.

[Renee Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

won this on a Goodreads Giveaway and I am so glad I did, it was so good. From the surfing to the car details to the relationships, just a great book. Worth the read. Really good book.

[Lori Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprise story of a young successful surfer and where her life takes her.

[Ashley]

This book is most definitely a page-turner. The format of this book is really interesting as it reads more like long diary entries. This book is fast-paced, intriguing, beach read.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable crazy witty read- I will miss the main character as I've finished this book! Hope the author puts out another book with her in it- she's wicked rad. Constantly surprised at the twists and turns of this book.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ann Theis]

Booklist

[vvb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a fun way to get into the surf world with a female perspective.

This story also gets into tackling the hardships in life that come with sports, fame, relationships (family and friends).

Admired the protagonist's courage and perseverance.

Had me watching some YouTube GoPro footage by surfers on Australian waves.