A Review of David Nicholls' "One Day"

Let me start off by saying, I want you to read this novel but only so you can tell me what you thought of it because as far as my reaction goes… I’m undecided. I’m not using my usual format for this review because it is quite an unusual book. And (since I’m starting off with all these side notes) I’d also like to apologize for the lateness of this post (it’s been a crazy week) and I also want to take a moment to announce the official launch date of my novel (Amber Frost) which will be made available Dec. 7 through ireadiwrite Publishing!!

Ok, back to business.

So I was pretty excited about reading One Day – I’d heard great things. It’s an International bestseller, the film adaptation has already completed filming, it’s been getting some amazing reviews and I’ve always had a weakness for an interesting love-story (not to mention the author, David Nicholls, just looks like a really cool, interesting guy) but this… was not what I expected.

I think my main issue with this novel is the characters. I didn’t love them, for the most part I didn’t even like them but through it all, I was completely fascinated by them. The protagonist, Emma (Em) Morley, is an idiot – there’s no avoiding that fact. No matter how badly I wanted her to be clever and confident and secure in herself, she was not. Though I enjoyed her sense of humor and inner dialogue, I was so frustrated by the poor choices she made that I frequently found myself wincing and groaning out loud. And then there’s Dexter – the douche bag. He really is a douche bag; he takes his friendship with Em (and just about everything else in his life) for granted, he’s self-possessed, disrespectful, egotistical and arrogant, and despite it all, Em loves him and you will too (and you may even hate yourself a little bit for it). Why? Because for some strange, inexplicable reason, we are often attracted to the people who are the least worthy of our love. That’s just the way it is and this is certainly the case with Dexter Mayhew.

The timeline of One Day, though unique, only added to my frustration with this novel. The plot moves at an unusual pace and leaves many gaps as the story leaps forward a year at a time, revisiting Em and Dexter’s relationship every July 15th, starting in 1988 and ending July 15th, 2007. Many of the events and details that you will crave to read the most are only hinted at because they do not fall on this specific, crucial day. July 15th is the only day that Nicholls provides us access to though he does follow his characters through 20 years of their relationship; it’s contradictory and frustrating and because of this, you may not be able to put it down. The entire novel (characters, plot and all the details in-between) was unsatisfying as a whole but that was ultimately what kept me turning the pages and left me craving more.

On the book’s cover The Guardian proclaims this novel to be “roaringly funny”. Apparently “The Guardian” is easily excited or at least prone to exaggeration. Obviously my sense of humor is on a whole different plane (good or bad who knows!?) or maybe I just didn’t “get it”. Either way, I don’t know how anyone could consider this a “funny” book; it’s actually quite a sad book. I think Tony Parsons’s endorsement was more honest when he described One Day to be “about the heartbreaking gap between the way we were and the way we are”. I wish I said that – let’s pretend I did as it sums up One Day quite well.

So while I can’t really decide how I feel about this book, and I definitely won’t read it again, I will say that it is still, for some indefinable reason, worth reading. One Day is interesting, unique and completely irritating. I hated it, then I loved it, then I hated it some more but I think, just like Dexter and Em’s relationship, that was sort of the point.

Would love to know your thoughts if you’ve read it. If you haven’t, you can borrow my copy because there’s one thing I’m certain of - it was not worth the $17.95 cover price I paid. I think I’ll have to stick with ebooks from now on. Hey… did I mention there’s this really great ebook (Amber Frost) coming out on Dec.7th? Mark your calendars...

Suzi

Review of Twilight Author, Stephenie Meyer's New Novel

Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight Series) released a new book today (June 5th) entitled The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner.  After reading it, of course I had to write about it.  There are some spoilers ahead but I won't give away anything that happens in the novel, only what doesn't happen.  Hopefully my review may help you decide if you're going to by this novella or wait until noon June 7th to read online for FREE at breetanner.com

Disappointments?

I was hoping Meyer might explore Riley and Victoria’s characters more. Riley's character and motivations are touched upon but only briefly – very little new information is shared other than a slightly darker, more manipulative side to him than one may have expected. Nothing new about Victoria is revealed – a definite disappointment as her character, though significant to the plot in the first three novels of the Twilight Series, has very little depth.

Also, there is a brief period near the end of Eclipse, when Bella faints and is unconscious for several minutes. It would have been nice to see from Bree’s perspective what went on during this time but unfortunately, her eyes were closed and her ears were covered. I think Meyer missed out on a good opportunity here to exploit her narrator of choice.

Impressed?

Only by the end. You know what happens to Bree, you recognize the scene and the dialogue from Eclipse – you know it’s coming. The last two lines of the novel, even though they are lines of dialogue repeated from Eclipse, still gave me chills. Excellent ending - definitely my favorite part (and I'm not trying to be funny).

What will the Twi-hards think?

There was some excitement generated over the prospect of seeing the characters of Bella and Edward (and the rest of the Cullens) through Bree’s eyes. What interested me (and may disappoint fans of the series) was that Bree did not swoon over Edward’s supernatural good-looks, found absolutely nothing notable about Bella (other than the fact that she was human) and though she was confused over Edward and Bella’s relationship, she certainly didn’t see anything obviously intense or magical about their love for one another. I think this may piss off some fans but really just amused me.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner has nothing to do with Edward, Bella or their relationship which (in my opinion) is not necessarily a weakness. Bree’s perspective does compliment the original story (Eclipse) well and fill in some of the blanks. The continuity between the two stories is also well thought-out and intriguing, and I think that this further examination and understanding of the Twilight world will please (if not thrill) fans.

To Sum it Up:

Stephenie Meyer is a good story-teller. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is interesting and well-paced, it will keep the reader turning pages. Would I read it again though? Probably not. Though it was intriguing and complimented Eclipse well, Meyer’s forte is obviously in the romance genre and though there were brief glimpses of her skill in her new novella, (to borrow an over-used Meyerism) it “pales in comparison” to the rest of the Twilight Series.


Overall Rating: 7 (out of 10)
It was good - I'd even go so far as to say pretty good, but it was still far from amazing.

Have you read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner?  What did you think?

Suzi