Review: The Wrong Girl

The Wrong Girl by Zoe Foster

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Fun and very easy to read, I really wanted to like Foster's writing efforts. But I just can't move past how terribly bland the writing is.

I love a good hit of chick lit every now and then (Ok, nearly every second book I read...) and always try to consider them in comparison with other chick lit because there is no point comparing them to anything else. So, Monica McInerney and Nora Roberts are the gold standard. Their prose is nothing special, but they do have an engaging way of writing that makes you feel things. I just didn't get anything from Foster. Which is a shame because the plot is decent enough and the characters are both likeable and believable (though Lily and Simone's friendship did puzzle me a little - her friendship with Alice made far more sense and should have been given more time). The writing is just bland, rushed and uninspired. Perhaps reading it straight after a McInerney effort didn't help matters, even if I thought that had not been a best effort either.

I must admit that while this book (and Foster's others) have been on my radar for some time I have never been tempted to pick one up and I actually won this copy at the launch of Kindling: A Writer's Edit Anthology. I think I will give the others a chance though, because this book wasn't a complete flop.



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Book Review: Spin the Bottle

Spin the Bottle by Monica McInerney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Monica McInerney at her best - successful woman struggling with life (but probably in denial), gives up the lot and flees to Ireland. There are the same themes we've seen before from McInerney, but don't think this is a bad thing because we all know that these are the reasons we read and love her books. McInerney has found a successful formula, and I really hope she sticks to it.

This book is a lot predictable, a lot enjoyable and very easy to read. It certainly falls into that 'beach/holiday read' category, and if you like other McInerney books this won't disappoint.

There isn't much else to say really. 'Spin the Bootle' won't excite you or blow your mind with incredible prose, but it will tick all the boxes required for good chick lit.

Book Review: Who's That Girl?

Who's That Girl? by Alexandra Potter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Up against other chick lit, this book isn't great. The potential is there, but the execution was off. And all because of the time travelling. It was just too unbelievable. Other than that I really enjoyed it.

The plot is good, the characters well done (in terms of chick lit remember) and the ending was too fraught. It followed the same lines of those that have come before. I see why they added the time travel element - it's the point of difference. But it just hasn't worked. The premise is good - meeting your younger self. It raises a lot of questions: would you change anything? Should you change anything? Because it was these experiences that made you who you are.

Anyway, this is a book that could have been great, but it just didn't quite come off this time.

Book Review: Those Faraday Girls

Those Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

****SPOILER ALERT****

Three stars because of the ending. I hated it. No resolutions, corny or otherwise. To put it simply, books like this aren't meant to be realistic. There should be a joyful endings where all the troubles are swept away. And because of this, my normal strategy doesn't apply to judging it. I always like to judge a book within its category, so in this case chick lit, but because of the ending it doesn't work. What I'm saying is, that this book is trying to be something it's not. Which is a shame because it's great.

The characters are great - very dynamic. And the story itself works well. It's captivating and hard to put down. It's also massive so when you get to the end only to find nothings happened, one feels rather frustrated.

This is the second time I've read it, and I am a fan of McInerny. She does the genre well normally, but by trying to think outside the box she's cheated her reader of what they really want: a happy ending.

Book Review: The House of Memories

The House of Memories by Monica McInerney
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was disappointed with this effort from McInerney, who I consider one of my favourite writers within the chick-lit/light women's fiction category. It just wasn't convincing - I didn't believe in the characters struggles like I have in the other books I have read by McInerney.

It is not that these struggles were impossible, Ella and her families struggles are incredibly sad, but I felt unmoved by the writing. And moving writing is generally what I love about McInerney! The characters were unconvincing, and their personalities were not thought out. I took issue particularly with the way Jess was written - it felt so absurd that someone could exist in that way. Usually, no matter the character and how unrealistic they may be, McInerney is able to convince me of the opposite.

Overall, I feel that this is a poor effort on McInerney's part, and possibly her publisher's, as I feel she has rushed through this book. There are details missing, things that don't add up and unlike McInerney's usual style, the ending just happens. It is hardly a resolution: one minute they all appear to hate each other, next minute they're "moving on" together (not as if nothing has happened, but certainly without any narrative discussion).

A rushed and unconvincing set of characters and storyline makes for an unhappy loyal reader.