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A review by craftyhilary
Husband Material by Alexis Hall
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In preparation for reading this book (thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review!), I re-read Boyfriend Material, which definitely holds up. It's one of the few books that caused me to genuinely laugh out loud repeatedly, and even though I knew what was coming this time, I still found the humor hilarious and the emotional stuff intense.
Husband Material is, in many ways, a very different book. We get the same large and delightful cast of characters, which was wonderful. But rather than a single narrative arc, it uses the "four weddings and a funeral" model (quite literally), in which a series of major events cause the main characters to more fully examine their relationship and how it fits (or doesn't) within cultural norms.
I don't remember if I had this initial reaction to Boyfriend Material, but I found Husband Material incredibly stressful, to the point that I skimmed some bits because my anxiety was spiraling. Luc and Oliver are such a wonderful couple that I was desperately worried about them every time they had a disagreement.
I think the questions raised here -- the heteronormative nature of traditional marriage, the communities with which we do or don't identify, the fraught relationships we have even with family we love -- are fascinating and well-expressed. That said, this felt a bit disjointed as a side effect of the narrative structure, and I felt as if we kept revisiting and not resolving a lot of questions till the end, where things were wrapped up a bit too neatly for me.
All that said, I enjoyed Husband Material a great deal, and I suspect I'll like it even better on the re-read, when I won't be so stressed out about everyone's happiness!
Husband Material is, in many ways, a very different book. We get the same large and delightful cast of characters, which was wonderful. But rather than a single narrative arc, it uses the "four weddings and a funeral" model (quite literally), in which a series of major events cause the main characters to more fully examine their relationship and how it fits (or doesn't) within cultural norms.
I don't remember if I had this initial reaction to Boyfriend Material, but I found Husband Material incredibly stressful, to the point that I skimmed some bits because my anxiety was spiraling. Luc and Oliver are such a wonderful couple that I was desperately worried about them every time they had a disagreement.
I think the questions raised here -- the heteronormative nature of traditional marriage, the communities with which we do or don't identify, the fraught relationships we have even with family we love -- are fascinating and well-expressed. That said, this felt a bit disjointed as a side effect of the narrative structure, and I felt as if we kept revisiting and not resolving a lot of questions till the end, where things were wrapped up a bit too neatly for me.
All that said, I enjoyed Husband Material a great deal, and I suspect I'll like it even better on the re-read, when I won't be so stressed out about everyone's happiness!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Grief, and Death of parent