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lucyt980's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hannahjay_'s review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoying reading the ‘stag’ side and found it a lot more interacting and enjoying when following the plot. The ending of the ‘stag’ half was also more interesting
The ‘hens’ half was a bit bland and after reading the stag half first, I thought I knew what was going to happen. The ending connects up and it’s a shock to the system, but I felt like reading the ‘hen’ half was a bit of a drag and I just wanted to get to the end of it.
I really enjoying reading the ‘stag’ side and found it a lot more interacting and enjoying when following the plot. The ending of the ‘stag’ half was also more interesting
The ‘hens’ half was a bit bland and after reading the stag half first, I thought I knew what was going to happen. The ending connects up and it’s a shock to the system, but I felt like reading the ‘hen’ half was a bit of a drag and I just wanted to get to the end of it.
lubleu's review
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
rosettes's review
1.0
not a read i would recommend. personally felt that this book was very poorly written, and the plot was rather cliche and dreary, and it took a very long time to get from one place to another with redundant words. the book was also very superficial and i really couldn't wait for it to be finished (my obsessiveness to finish books prevailed). glad it's over!
thebeautyofpaper's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
2.75
cherrysoda's review
3.0
A novel idea: but unfortunately as with a lot of Mike gayles pre-2020 work it was a miss for me.
I loved the idea of a novel split in half, and Helens perspective was an amusing enough read, but Phil’s was a bit trash to be honest. It was so cliche and really felt like it was written for the lads (maybe I’m just the wrong audience then) with men listing after attractive females even when they are supposedly madly in love with another. Also why are what seem like fairly shitty men (read not really career driven, only mildly attractive and morally ambiguous) ending up with very successful, beautiful and all round great women? Like in alarmist every relationship it felt like the make was really kicking out which made be very conscious this had been written for a man, by a man.
I was tossing up between 2 and 3 stars and only went with the higher due to actually finishing the book (high hasn’t happened for a few books recently for me)
…so I’d say either just read half the book aka the Hens (and know it has an ending which leaves a LOT to the imagination) or stay away and try one of Gayle’s reads from the 2020’s and beyond.
I loved the idea of a novel split in half, and Helens perspective was an amusing enough read, but Phil’s was a bit trash to be honest. It was so cliche and really felt like it was written for the lads (maybe I’m just the wrong audience then) with men listing after attractive females even when they are supposedly madly in love with another. Also why are what seem like fairly shitty men (read not really career driven, only mildly attractive and morally ambiguous) ending up with very successful, beautiful and all round great women? Like in alarmist every relationship it felt like the make was really kicking out which made be very conscious this had been written for a man, by a man.
I was tossing up between 2 and 3 stars and only went with the higher due to actually finishing the book (high hasn’t happened for a few books recently for me)
…so I’d say either just read half the book aka the Hens (and know it has an ending which leaves a LOT to the imagination) or stay away and try one of Gayle’s reads from the 2020’s and beyond.
lizwhite25's review
3.0
This book was simultaneously better and worse than I was expecting it to be. The gimick that the book is reversed and you can start it either way is one I have seen before but never indulged in, so I was quite looking forward to it.
I really didn't love the book from the ladies hen do side of things and preferred it vastly from the male point of view in Amsterdam. Whether this is because it was less bitchy, or set in a pretty European city is to be decided, but, for me, it was simply because the book was written by a man. The points of view was better when the male characters were involved which is unsurprising when the author is male, and the women seemed to be somewhat stereo typically written and portrayed.
It was an enjoyable enough quick read, but I wouldn't jump to read anything by him again.
I really didn't love the book from the ladies hen do side of things and preferred it vastly from the male point of view in Amsterdam. Whether this is because it was less bitchy, or set in a pretty European city is to be decided, but, for me, it was simply because the book was written by a man. The points of view was better when the male characters were involved which is unsurprising when the author is male, and the women seemed to be somewhat stereo typically written and portrayed.
It was an enjoyable enough quick read, but I wouldn't jump to read anything by him again.
margenotbutter's review
3.0
I read the Stag weekend before the Hen and on reflection I think I should have read them the other way around. I think Mike Gayle did a good job of creating the dynamics of the friendship groups, though there was an extraordinary amount of obnoxious characters in the book. I wish there had been a proper resolution though!
mrsbooknerd's review
4.0
There were a number of reasons that I liked this book, the overlap of events despite the seperate Stag and Hen weekends, the depth in other characters beyond Phil and Helen and mostly I liked that I was genuinely involved in whether or not they would end up getting married.
I prefered the Stag party to the Hen party just because I took a bit of a dislike to Helen and a couple of the other female characters such as Phil's sister. I'm not sure why Helen seemed so unrelatable to me but I didn't really want Phil to end up with her! Regardless of my personal feelings towards the characters, I really enjoyed this book. Classic Mike Gayle!
I prefered the Stag party to the Hen party just because I took a bit of a dislike to Helen and a couple of the other female characters such as Phil's sister. I'm not sure why Helen seemed so unrelatable to me but I didn't really want Phil to end up with her! Regardless of my personal feelings towards the characters, I really enjoyed this book. Classic Mike Gayle!
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