Monday, July 27, 2015

Hugo & Rose: A Novel

Every so often, I approach a book with a complete misunderstanding of its content. In 2003, when everyone was raving about The Da Vinci Code, I assumed it was a novel with some sort of literary merit. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was plot-driven, poorly-written froth. I had the opposite experience with Bridget Foley’s Hugo & Rose. When I read its description on Amazon, I thought it would be light summer reading but discovered it was a much heavier.

The story was slow to start, and I only persisted because I had read good reviews of the book. I could relate to Rose’s feelings of dissatisfaction with marriage, parenthood, and her post-childbirth body. I could relate less to her dream world, which I often found tedious and boring. I found the first half of the book uninspiring but ended up surprised by the turn it took in the second half, although that is not necessarily a positive thing.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Finding Audrey

Audrey is a teenager dealing with a serious anxiety disorder. She finds it difficult to socialize and even leave home—until she meets Linus. Finding Audrey is a young adult novel that tackles issues of depression, self-esteem, and young romance.

I read Finding Audrey because I am a fan of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series, which I find both entertaining and exasperating. Audrey was an easy read, but it was not as lightweight or humorous as Shopaholic. That said, although Audrey addresses serious issues (and contains strong language), the characters still seem to be unrealistically happy and stable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for a young adult novel.