By Rainbow Rowell
Genre Adult contemporary
Rating ⭐⭐
Synopsis
Georgie is a successful writer on a TV show. Her marriage is struggling but until she can't go with her husband and kids out of town for Christmas, she thought things would be OK. When her husband takes the kids and leaves without her she's scared her marriage may be unfixable. Discovering a way she can talk to her husband from the past on her mom's old landline, Georgie tries to fix her marriage before it ever started.
First Sentence
Georgie pulled into the driveway, swerving to miss a bike.
Well, folks, this is my third Rainbow Rowell and I didn't much like it any more than her others. As always I love Rowell's writing. It's very well done and makes things vividly clear. Her stories are always engrossing and draw me in. I can't put them down.
I read this one for book club and it was a great discussion. There's much to talk about in these pages. The idea of (if you could do it all over again, would you make the same choices?) was a wonderful topic for discussion. So writing and plot were great. What's my problem, you ask? The characters. I finally discovered what it is about Rowell's books that I don't like and it's the characters. They have too many issues that don't mesh well with one another.
Obviously there needs to be conflict in a story, and Rowell creates it with these issue-y characters. I don't have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the way these issues meet. I think she creates toxic relationships. Relationships that will never work out. There's opposites attract and then there's this. Relationships that are...well....toxic. Hopeless.
I thought Neil (Georgie's husband) was a whiny little mope who blamed all his choices and resulting reactions to those choices on Georgie. Did I think Georgie was perfect? No. But I thought she was who she was and who she'd always been and just because she had goals and a future to work for and Neal didn't, he resented her.
So....yeah. I thought the book was written well and did exactly what it was supposed to do. Make you think and discuss. I just don't like reading about toxic relationships. There's no hope in them.
Should you read it?
I guess you could and you'd probably like it. I however, think you wouldn't miss out on anything if you skipped it.
I generally like Rainbow Rowell's books, but I was never drawn to this one. The story didn't appeal to me as much as her other books. I'm glad it was good pick for your book club though! I can imagine it led to a really interesting discussion.
ReplyDeleteIt was a good one for discussion.
DeleteI can't totally understand where you're coming from even though I saw it differently than you did. But, yeah, I get why it didn't work for you. :)
ReplyDeleteI meant, I can totally understand... *curses the typo gods*
DeleteI understood what you meant.
DeleteI haven't had a chance to read this yet but I'm hoping to soon. I'm really hoping I'll like the characters better than you did but I don't think I will judging by what you thought of them! I can't stand annoying characters and this book seems to have quite a few of them. Perhaps I'll read it with a book club though or do a discussion post on it, like you did, to get the most out of it. Lovely review, Jenny!
ReplyDeleteLaura @BlueEyeBooks
Thank you. I hope you like the characters better than I did and can enjoy the book.
DeleteI enjoyed Attachments and Fangirl, but the her other books don't interest me much. I'll stay away from this one.
ReplyDeleteAttachments is the only book of hers I haven't read yet. I intend to. Maybe it will be the one I end up liking.
DeleteI've had a hard time getting into Rowell's novels; I know she's a very popular writer, but her stories just aren't ones that I've loved. So I think I'll pass on this one. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, if you don't like her books I wouldn't bother. You're not missing out.
DeleteThis is the only book by her that I have not read. I started it when it was new and it didn't grab me at all. You should read 'Kindred Spirits' by her. It was a World Book Night book, only 60 pages, but it is not a depressing story. I read it a couple nights ago and liked it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about this one. I'll have to check it out.
DeleteI liked the two Rowell books I've read. Eventually I'll probably read this one, but I'm not rushing. Sorry it was a disappointment for you. It's hard to enjoy a book if you can't stand the characters/relationships!
ReplyDeleteIt's very hard.
DeleteI finally finished this one. It wasn't my favorite Rowell book, but it was alright. It was a bit slow. I felt like the middle of the book was more of the same stuff. I don't like toxic relationships either, but I didn't feel like Georgie and Neal had one. I agree that Neal felt some resentment towards Georgie though.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I felt like his resentment would make things toxic forever.
DeleteI liked this one, which I read for a book club at the library, but was surprised by how much other people didn't like it... this one definitely doesn't hold up to scrutiny, and I agree that sometimes it was hard to know why Georgie was fighting to hold on to Neal.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I didn't get it. It was a great one for a good book club discussion though.
DeleteI usually love Rowell but, yeah, Neal was incredibly irritating in this story.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Someone agrees with me!
DeleteI'm not familiar with this author but it sounds like I'll have to give this book a pass. There's a fine line between complicated/interesting relationships and hopelessly toxic ones.
ReplyDeleteSo far I haven't been impressed with her books. You're not missing anything in my opinion.
DeleteI have only read Attachments and I thought it was sweeeeet...... not really my kind of book but it was perfect timing to read I guess. I feel like unlikeable characters is the new thing and it has broke a few books for me or made me so I'm not interested. Eleanor and Park is the only one I may actually read. Great opinion Jenny.
ReplyDeleteI love this review. I haven't read Rainbow Rowell and I feel a little left out, but I don't think I'd enjoy toxic relationships like that. I enjoy flawed characters, but that doesn't sound appealing to me.
ReplyDeleteI've no desire to read this one actually. And I loved Attachments! I liked Eleanor and Park too, but Attachments remains my favorite of hers.
ReplyDelete