Last year I read and loved The New Me by Halle Butler. Jillian is Halle Butler’s first novel about a recent college graduate named Megan who works as a secretary at a gastroenterologist’s office. Megan despises most people, including her coworker, Jillian, a cheery mother who has recently purchased a dog she can’t afford.
Neither character is especially likable but both are interesting to read about. Jillian is willfully oblivious, as she can’t handle adult responsibilities and repeatedly makes dumb decisions, digging herself further into a hole. Yet, throughout her downfall, she remains weirdly optimistic.
On the other end of the spectrum, Megan is pessimistic and judgmental. She mocks other people to feel better about herself and pushes friends away, but she does so with a certain level of self-awareness. It’s clear that she is depressed and does not have the energy to feel better and to change her life. She continues every day to work a job she dislikes, to stay in a relationship she’s unhappy with, and to feel a general loathing for humanity.
Man, this book is dark but so damn funny. The dry, deadpan humor and the at times oversharing of disgusting information (i.e. about bodily functions, hygiene or lack thereof, etc.) makes it all feel so real. And the way you feel about the characters is constantly changing: going from sympathy to pure pity to total disdain back to pity, and sometimes all of it simultaneously. It’s the kind of book with characters who are not likable yet you are completely invested in their lives and can’t stop reading about them.
What I love about Halle Butler’s writing is its honesty, but her writing isn’t for everyone. It’s entertaining but not uplifting in the least. Seriously, this, along with The New Me, is my kind of book and I don’t know what that says about me! With that being said, I’m looking forward to reading the next novel she writes.
Pawsitive Reads 