Nothing Is Predictable is a contemporary romantic fiction novel written by Adalina Mae. Zara was American-born to Lebanese Christian parents who returned to Lebanon when she was an infant. While she was the proverbial apple of his eye, Zara soon learned to fear her daddy when he had been drinking. A mild-mannered, charitable and caring man who was successful in business, he soon turned to drink every evening, and the family's fortunes began to dwindle. Zara's siblings were older than she and at boarding school during the worst of the drunken rages, but the one evening that had the biggest impact upon her happened when she was eight years old. Throughout her adult life, she'd find herself back in that nightmarish reality in her dreams. She'd be running with her mother to hide in the musty, rat-infested storeroom of a neighbor, listening for the heavy, drunken steps of her beloved daddy who had turned, once again, into some sort of monster. As he wrenched the door open, she would scream until the walls echoed. That evening, her mother was beaten so badly she lost consciousness and nothing Zara could do would stop the rain of blows. Zara grew up to be the sole support of her mother, and was both a popular singer and a successful businesswoman, but her faith in men and belief in the myth of happily ever after would remain on shaky ground indeed.

Adalina Mae's contemporary romantic fiction novel, Nothing Is Predictable, introduces the reader to a thoroughly likable and engaging main character. Zara has her rough edges and a tendency to mask her feelings with seeming disdain, but her strength, resilience, and love of adventure make following her story a joy. Mae addresses serious topics in this tale of romantic misadventure. Zara's memories of her abusive father and her childhood rape by a neighbor sadly inform her attitudes about, and relations with, men, leaving her adrift and unable to feel that something could be predictable about her life. Nothing Is Predictable is a well-written and moving tale that's a pleasure to read. It's most highly recommended.

Born in the United States, and living much of her childhood in her parents' native Lebanon, Zara often felt like she did not fit into either culture. Add in the fact that her next older sibling was ten years older than her, and her father’s alcoholism worsened over the years, Zara had more life challenges. Her father was a successful and loving man when he was sober, frightening when he was inebriated. He died tragically at a young age, leaving Zara caring for her mother. Adalina Mae, author of the novel Nothing is Predictable, presents a realistic, multicultural story. The book covers several decades of Zara’s life, from childhood to mid-thirties, detailing her singing and business careers, as well as a failed marriage and several serious love relationships. Zara illustrates the resilience and courage of a woman who has experienced trauma, betrayal, and other heartbreaking situations. Her commitment to her family always remained the most important aspect of her life.

Nothing is Predictable is both an entertaining and a thought-provoking novel, due to the excellent writing skills of author Adalina Mae. While there are fun and humorous scenes, there are also difficult ones – similar to real life. The tone of Ms. Mae’s storytelling is memoir-like, told in a chronological sequence. There is a seemingly effortless flow in this easy-to-read book. Yet, there is much substance within the book, filled with important life lessons. The ending is unforeseen, explaining some of the struggles of Zara’s life. There are still some loose ends – just like life. Well done!

Born to Lebanese emigrants Youssif and Amal, Zara is in search of herself as she shares in this inspirational tale. Moving between the States and Lebanon during her childhood, Zara is challenged with where exactly her true place is. With her mother fluctuating between running from the alcoholic abuse of her husband and attempting to find temporary solace by agreeing with the man, Zara’s introduction into the adult world is tremulous at best. As Zara struggles through life and ultimately achieves her own success as a businesswoman, she reaches this conclusion: “My life’s incidents have taught me that nothing is predictable and nothing can last forever.” Zara wears her mistakes in life choices as a badge in remembrance of the many curves life can throw. While she admits to growing up in fear, distress, and instability, while making her own relationship mistakes, she admits to being all the stronger for her experiences. Married once and the victim of several failed romances, Zara comes out on top.

Nothing is Predictable by Adalina Mae is an interesting journey through the life of a family who emigrated from Lebanon in the 1950s, only to return repeatedly to their home country before settling on America as a home. Adalina Mae is quite candid in her portrayal of Zara. Incorporating the native idiosyncrasies of the Lebanese language with the more contemporary English of America, the author successfully creates a vivid image of her main character in this example of memoir style realistic fiction. The addition of photographs at the end is a nice touch. I enjoyed this story and had to constantly remind myself that this is fiction.

Zara is a US citizen, born in LA to Lebanese parents. When she introduces herself, the reader immediately gets the impression of someone who could be real fun, someone who lives life fully, and someone who loves to party, but beneath the outside beauty and the exuberance she exudes, there is a kind of darkness about her, a darkness she’s carried with her from childhood. Zara is a troubled girl because of a traumatic incident that happened when she was a child, an incident that will leave her waking with nightmares, even as she matures into a beautiful woman, seeking meaning and happiness.

Nothing Is Predictable by Adalina Mae chronicles the life of a young woman fighting to make sense out of life, a journey to unveil her true identity and to create the life she wants, and the reader will watch her moving across countries, testing the waters in different relationships. Can she create a beautiful life of her dreams with the recurrent nightmares? There is a lot that readers will enjoy in this story. Zara is a very compelling and a well-developed character and I enjoyed the way the author explores her psychologically. In a story that is fast-paced and filled with unpredictable moments, readers will find themselves turning the pages, itching to discover what happens next to this heroine.

The narrative voice is powerful and very clear. I enjoyed the fact that the story is told in the first person narrative. The narrator introduces the psychological conflict right at the beginning: “I am gazing around at all the other patrons, my mind racing with thoughts of how I got here and why I’ve ended up single, with no children, married once, divorced once, then engaged twice after my divorce. Along with a few short-term dysfunctional relationships.” Readers will undoubtedly enjoy the narrative, the drama, the humor, and those moments they’ll wish they were the protagonist, because there is a lot of humanity in this beautiful story.

Can a woman, abused and oppressed in childhood by a father, ever feel safe with men and can such a woman ever learn to trust men and to develop good and healthy relationships with them? This is the central question in Adalina Mae’s Nothing Is Predictable, a very inspirational tale with powerful social, psychological, and cultural underpinnings. Fans of women's fiction will love this story. Meet Zara, a woman who at six suffered her first instance of abuse and who loses a father at eight and has to take care of her mother alone. Readers are introduced to family dynamics where the father physically and verbally abuses mother and daughter, and both mother and daughter find themselves fleeing for their safety. Plus Zara had been repeatedly abused by an older man while she was a child. Zara will grow up traumatized by the abuse she experienced in childhood and will build a wall around her which makes relationships with men difficult. Follow her painful journey as she suffers in her relationships, gets married and divorced, and is single in her thirties. Can she overcome the hurts she experienced as a child and what will it take for her to learn to trust and to feel safe with men?

This is a story about abuse and trauma and how this affects the life of the protagonist; a story that reflects the struggles of many women who suffer in silence and who can’t understand why love is so difficult. I enjoyed the thought pattern that drives this story. Adalina Mae has created a compelling character in Zara, deeply flawed and human, a character that readers can easily relate to. The writing is great and the scenes are focused. The story has psychological depth, filled with emotional moments that explore the vulnerability in the characters, but surprises will put smiles on the faces of readers. Nothing Is Predictable is emotionally rich, real, and infused with a life of its own.

Nothing Is Predictable by Adalina Mae is a book about a young woman named Zara and her life journey, and how her past affects her love life and relationships in particular. Most of the story is told through Zara’s own perspective in the first person. Zara takes us back to her earliest childhood memories growing up as a Lebanese-American in the US as well as Lebanon, her parents' relationship, the growing abusiveness of her father and his physical abuse toward his family, sexual molestation in her childhood, her siblings, her college life and romantic relationships, including the various ups and downs and challenges in them, all the way up to her present moment as she reflects on her life and how she came to be the person she is due to the sum total of her experiences.

Nothing Is Predictable by Adalina Mae provides a psychological insight into how early relationships affect not only who we become in later life, but also affect our relationships with people, especially close or intimate relationships. Zara is a strong, independent woman, who - due to her past abuse and the violent behavior of her father - has never really had any male role model to look up to. She comes across as very relatable. I thought her mother also reflects a common tendency of women to accept violence or abuse just for the sake of “keeping the family together,” which ultimately does no good as children pick up easily on dysfunctional relationships anyway. Adalina’s crisp narrative brings this fact out beautifully and, overall, this is a good read!

Nothing Is Predictable by Adalina Mae is the story of a woman who fights her way out of her troubled past, but her past is always there to haunt her. Zara had just been a child when her father accidentally killed himself while he was drunk out of his mind. That one memory has a terrible impact on Zara and how she sees men and her relationships with them. She cannot create romantic attachments, no matter how hard she tries. Emotionally detached and unable to connect with anyone, Zara wants love, but she has no idea how to find it.

Even though her life had a rough start, she is a fighter and she will not bow down to the hardships of her life. She is ready to fight for what she wants and she will get it at all costs. She wants a full life, a life filled with love, trust, emotional fulfillment and nothing that would terrify her in intimacy. But it is hard. Her past experiences and the trauma of living with her deranged alcoholic father are stopping her from moving forward. Can she find herself in the process? Can she get the life she wants and deserves?

Intense, fast paced and moving, Nothing Is Predictable is a real journey through human life and the ups and downs a person feels. Zara’s life, her character and her development were very emotional and intense at times, but the way the author made the mood lighter with her witty humor was really fun. Some themes in the novel were dark, such as abuse and loss but the author kept the tempo and the atmosphere alive and had me reading on. So thought-provoking and brilliant.

Totally agree with your review Ray. definitely a strong woman.
I loved this story.

I love Zara in this story. I Follow the posts written on this book. I was so taken by the resilience and strength of Zara. This book should be promoted world wide.

I hear a movie is probably in the making. I will be the first one lining up to watch it.

I also love Adalina's story Nothing Is Predictable.
I am Lebanese, and I completely connected with the character and understood her cultural battles.

Once I knew that Ms Mae is Zara in her childhood years, I couldn't but help respect her more for coming out and sharing with the world her story.

Please make a movie on this.