Fiction | Book Chatter

Exit West
By Moshin Hamid
Riverhead Books, 9780735212206, February 2018, 256pp.

The Short of It:

Not at all what I was expecting.

The Rest of It:

When my book club selected this book several months ago at our yearly selection meeting, I was eager to read it because of all the reviews I had read but I skimmed those reviews because I didn’t want to know too much about it.

Well, I have to tell you that the story is very unique. In an unnamed, war-torn country, two people meet. Nadia is more head-strong and determined and Saeed is more soft-spoken and sincere but the two marry and find themselves transported to other countries as they try to escape the current war zone they are in. They move from country to country by going through doors, sometimes guarded, sometimes not.

It took me a little while to realize that they were actually going from country to country by these doors. Yes, it’s very “Narnia” and to be honest, I didn’t love this fantastical element. However, after discussing it with the group, I do understand the author’s choice to use it as a means to convey their immediate situation. It would be difficult to enter into a country and not know the language or to be hated, instantly, upon your arrival. Open the door, step through and immediately find yourselves in an uncomfortable situation.

Given the current state of the country I live in, I feel that the author did a good job of raising our awareness without shoving it down our throats. It hit all of us while discussing the book that the immigration issue is only going to get worse as people flee their countries out of desperation.

In the end, this was not a “fun” or entertaining read but it’s not a dark or depressing read either. The author keeps it somewhat light but it’s definitely a story that stays with you.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Her Pretty Face
By Robyn Harding
Gallery/Scout Press, 9781501174247, July 10, 2018, 352pp.

*No Spoilers*

The Short of It:

Compelling with an unexpected twist.

The Rest of It:

I really enjoyed Harding’s other book, The Party, so when I saw that she had a new book coming out, I quickly requested a review copy.

In Her Pretty Face, I expected a lot of backstabbing, catty remarks from arrogant women/girls, etc. The cover is slightly misleading in that regard. The other possibility? A tragic accident that leaves a beautiful woman marred for life. Nope.

What is safe to say, is that it’s about a women named Frances. She lives in a ritzy neighborhood and sends her kid to an expensive private school, but she and her son do not fit the stereotype. She’s a little on the plump side, and her son Marcus has some behavioral issues that make it difficult for him to make friends. Her one saving grace is that she’s married well. Her husband is pretty good-looking but she always feels frumpy beside him.

In walks Kate. She’s tall, beautiful and doesn’t give a rip what other people think of her. So when Frances becomes a social outcast after her kid pees in another kid’s water bottle, Kate comes to her rescue and they are instantly BFFs. Kate is everything that Frances aspires to be.

But there is something about Kate that Frances can’t quite put her finger on. She’s a little too daring and perfect. Kate’s son, Charles is really good to Marcus and because he’s his only friend, Frances puts her doubts behind her until she no longer can.

I plowed through this one. It’s a quick read and will have you picking it up whenever you can. The ending was a little slow in coming which I only noticed because the rest of it was read at a blistering pace. But there are twists, and secrets and although I figured out one twist I did not figure out the other.

All in all, I am very happy I picked it up. It was just what I needed for a good escape.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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