shaimahmad 's review for:

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

3.0

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Having finished Alison Espach’s The Wedding People, I found it quite ordinary and unremarkable despite all the hype. It’s a very 21st-century slice-of-life story without any deeply compelling themes, though I could empathize with Phoebe and the reflections on marriage resonated with me. If I had read this book five years ago, I might have dismissed it as pointless, but right now it felt like the right book at the right time. Despite its melancholic tone, it carried a strangely healing quality, exploring marriage, aging, parent-child relationships, and depression while weaving in moments of humor and tenderness. Adult life is often heavy with facades, and in her despair Phoebe finds herself among strangers and realizes she can be unreserved, free, and open—and in turn, others open up to her, allowing her world to slowly brighten. Still, parts of the story fell flat for me, particularly when her ex-husband appears at the hotel, which felt idealized and unrealistic, and many of the relationships seemed too instant and conveniently formed. The novel is heavy on dialogue, the plot is reasonably tight, and the language is easy to read, but I wouldn’t call it “absurdly funny” as the blurb suggests. I did enjoy aspects like the Newport, Rhode Island setting and the way Espach uses Phoebe’s presence as a mirror for everyone else’s truths, though the coincidences felt a bit manufactured. Overall, it’s an engaging read if you’re in the mood for quiet introspection and a cast of characters figuring out what they really want in life, but it didn’t leave me with the lasting impact I had hoped for.