Below please see my mini reviews of BEAR by Julia Phillips and THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach. Click on the book covers to go to the Amazon link.
BOOK DESCRIPTION (FROM AMAZON)
They were sisters and they would last past the end of time.
Sam and Elena dream of another life. On the island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised, they and their mother struggle to survive. Sam works on the ferry that delivers wealthy mainlanders to their vacation homes while Elena bartends at the local golf club, but even together they can’t earn enough to get by, stirring their frustration about the limits that shape their existence.
Then one night on the boat, Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. Where is it going? What does it want? When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it’s time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. Enchanted by its presence, she throws into doubt the desire to escape and puts their long-held dream in danger.
A story about the bonds of sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among us—and within us—Bear is a propulsive, mythical, richly imagined novel from one of the most acclaimed young writers in America.
BOOK REVIEW
BEAR is beautifully written. There are some absolutely gorgeous passages in this book. That’s not the issue I had with it. The plot moved too slowly, and it was hard to keep my attention because there wasn’t much happening. I also did not like the ending. It was a great premise with fantastic writing, and it still fell flat for me. I love great writing, but I NEED a compelling story.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She’s immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe’s plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.
In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
Phoebe checks into a luxury hotel, which she has chosen as her “happy place,” in order to commit suicide. She ends up meeting the bride and is included in the “wedding week” festivities.
This is an interesting premise, and the narrator does a great job, but I feel this book is too lighthearted for a suicide topic. Suicide is a dark, deep, devastating thing. I would have liked to see fewer wedding-related activities, and I would have loved for the author to delve more into the reality of suicide.
Overall, though, it is an enjoyable read. I think I would have liked it better if suicide wasn’t even part of it. I can’t embrace the topic of suicide in a comedy. Suicide isn’t funny.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
QUESTION OF THE DAY: What do you think about putting the topic of suicide in a comedy?
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