Review by knkoch - The Husbands

knkoch 's review for:

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

3.0

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was my choice for a book club discussion, and I think it generally fit what I was looking for pretty well. I found it similar to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Midnight Library. I probably liked it about on the level of those two books, which means it was a little bit of a letdown from what I was hoping. Unfortunately, in being similar to those books and other stories (movies like 'Groundhog Day' and the extraordinary 'Palm Springs'), this felt a bit formulaic and mechanical to me, the sort of thing I've started to see the seams on. The overall arc and some of the experiences within it didn't necessarily surprise me, as I think someone stuck in a situation like this

(a magical revolving door of husbands)

usually has to get out of it or end up in roughly the place you'd expect by the end nine times out of ten. I suppose the humor and desperation of the main character impressed me the most, as well as some of the well-drawn specifics of her life and situation. I liked the way time kept moving, and that the alternate realities were ultimately realistic and somewhat connected. Overall, this isn't the sort of story I'm likely to keep heading towards in the future, but it was a fast and entertaining read.

Content Warnings