The New Me by Halle Butler is a short novel about a 30 year old woman named Millie who is going through a quarter life crisis of sorts. Millie lives alone in her apartment and works a mundane temp job, where her boss perceives her as lazy and almost seems to have it out for her. What makes this novel interesting is Millie’s contradictory voice, marked with a combination of hopefulness and self-loathing. On the one hand, her life seems to be going no where fast. On the other hand, she strives toward self-improvement, or at least that’s what she tells herself. Millie oscillates between pessimism and optimism, giving the story its satirical tone. I’m not sure what it was about this book that resonated with me so deeply. It’s depressing and doesn’t offer much hope or insight for how to improve one’s life. Perhaps this is exactly why it resonated with me. Being around Millie’s age, and having experienced career struggles myself, I can understand her a little too well. And if we’re being honest, sometimes life just sucks.
Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin tells the story of several women and it features different characters’ points of view. The story mainly focuses on a woman whose life has been upended after she has an affair with a congressman during her college internship. Hmmm… an affair between a politician and a young intern. Does this story sound familiar to you? What’s great about this book is that it offers a new perspective on a real life political scandal. Aviva may have willingly partaken in an affair with a married politician, but she was young and naive, and he was in a position of power. After the affair, his career went on and her’s was halted. Gabrielle Zevin does not shy away from these harsh truths. Yet, her writing is so readable, and there’s a sense of optimism that comes through in Aviva’s strengths and talents as a character. Young Jane Young is ultimately an inspiring story. No spoilers, but I will say that by the end, Aviva does not let her past hold her back.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman is about Eleanor Oliphant, a character whose unlikable qualities quickly become quite charming. Eleanor has a tendency to say exactly what she is thinking, even when it’s not socially acceptable. What makes her so hilarious is that she’s completely unafraid to tell someone how she’s feeling, yet she is the first person to judge someone for being “rude.” The novel follows her life, as she works in an office and she gets to know Raymond, the IT guy who she initially finds off-putting. However, as the two get to know one another, Eleanor begins to understand the meaning of friendship and what it means to be loved. What I enjoyed about this book was Eleanor’s narration and characterization. Her judgmental observations about the world and about the people around her, while to some might be irksome, were thoroughly entertaining for me. I laughed out loud countless times. One moment I remember is when she first learns about Spongebob Squarepants, “a semi-human bath sponge with protruding front teeth.” The fact that people would enjoy such a thing makes Eleanor feel like the “normal” one. I also loved watching Eleanor grow closer to Raymond and learn to love herself and come to terms with events from her past. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is the perfect choice for a book discussion group!
Pawsitive Reads 