A review by katharinaamaliae
The Wedding People by Alison Espach

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

How easy to be dead. How lucky to be alive, even for just one day.

"The Wedding People" by Alison Espach is a great summer read for people who don't want a typical summer read. It was nothing like I expected it to be, but I found myself pleasantly surprised. Phoebe, our protagonist was immediately likeable to me and I could see myself in her in so many ways. I also really enjoyed Alison Espachs writing style; it pulls you into the story right from the jump and always made me want to keep reading. There were some moments where I genuinely had to laugh out loud and there were lots of moments that made me smile, probably because the characters were so incredibly likeable. 
However, something that really bothered me was the depiction of depression in "The Wedding People". Depression is something incredibly complex and the protagonists overnight change from suicidal to pretty much perfectly okay may be something that could potentially happen, but in most cases it's very far from reality. I liked the overall hopeful tone and message of the book, but Phoebe's "healing journey" felt extremely rushed and fake after the first quarter of the book. Her initial struggles kind of felt like a second priority then and while I enjoyed the romance plot and the themes of loyalty and friendship I just wished there would've been more room left for Phoebe to recognize that just because she's doing better, her depression hasn't magically disappeared. 
But overall, I have to say that I had a good time reading "The Wedding People" and I think the characters are going to stick with me for some time. 
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