Last word first: 4/5 stars!
Description: Four flats, four sets of tenants, and one mystery. At least one of the residents of 66 Star Street is in for a major life change. But who will it be? These neighbors have no idea that a smart-mouthed, (almost) all-knowing spirit is stalking their lives, looking to make some changes.
My thoughts: Matt and Maeve are madly in love, yet seem to be living a strangely empty life. Lydia and her two Polish roommates hate each other... or do they? Katie definitely loves Conall, but they just can't seem to make it work. And Jemima... well, don't get me started on Jemima.
The people of 66 Star Street are a bit of a crazy bunch, but you can't help but love them. Marian Keyes has an incredible gift for creating characters that stick with you, the kind of characters you are going to miss when you finish the book. With keen insight and amazing talent for making every situation amusing, Keyes takes the reader on a journey through these lives, and the lives they touch.
There's also a bit of a mystery. Exactly who is the strange spirit narrating the story, which life is it going to change, and in what way? I don't know if maybe I'm just dense, but it did take me quite a while to figure out what was going on. Even then, there were a few pieces that eluded me until almost the very end. Which is perfect, exactly how I like it.
It did take me a few chapters to get into this book. There is a large cast of main characters, and their storylines don't start to intersect other than geographically until fairly far on in the book. For me, this made it a bit tough to get into the story. Once I did get into it, I loved it. So if you start out and it's feeling a bit slow, I encourage you to keep on reading.
Content warnings: This is an adult novel. There is a fair bit of foul language, and sexual content (moderately graphic). I don't want to to give any spoilers, but there are also a few distressing situations, though I thought they were well-managed so as not to be overly disturbing.
Marian Keyes in her own words: "I was a month overdue and I often wonder what my life would have been like if I'd been born on time and been a dynamic, sunny Leo, instead of a perfectionist Virgo; it was a hard lesson to learn and since then I’ve always been very punctual." - from the bio on her website.
6 comments:
Sounds like a good book.
http://fantasysink.blogspot.com/
I haven't read any books by this author but I have heard good things about her. I think she is a very popular chick-lit author here in the UK. Maybe I should start with this one. Thanks for the review :)
You've been splashed with an award!
http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/2009/11/mermaid-award.html
Great review! I haven't read Keyes yet but I have "This charming man" on my man, I saw this one at the bookstore too though, and I thought it looked interesting. Glad you enjoyed it! I like books with huge casts of characters so I might try this one.
Keyes has a new book??? How did I not know this???? It sounds so different from her others, and I can't wait to read it. Thanks for your review!!
@Book Chick City: You should give one of her books a read. I liked Sushi for Beginners a lot, that might be a good place to start.
@kay: If you love ensemble casts, this is a great choice for you. Actually, most of the Keyes novels I've read have a large cast.
@Connie: Thanks for reading my review! I did find this book quite different from the other Keyes I've read in some ways, but my favorite things about her writing are still here.
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