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A review by elizabethh724
Split-Level by Sande Boritz Berger
3.0
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.
This book is close to a 3.5 as I enjoyed most of the book, refreshingly set in the mid 1970s. I enjoyed Alex's point of view as a somewhat inexperienced young wife with 2 young daughters she loves very much. This book gently guided us into the backdrop of the time, along with the pot smoking at parties and easy sexual banter. Alex started out pretty happy in her relationship although not really satisfied in the bedroom. The ovolacto vegetarian line threw me because she proceeds to make beef, chicken for her family. Her foray into swinging was gradual and then swift. Her family and inlaws didn't really understand although they warned her mostly of husband's straying ways. So as liberated as women might have felt, she was the one mostly judged for being with another woman's husband, while her husband may have *redacted* the wife of the man Alex was sleeping with, it seemed more Donny's idea than hers... she should have been more angry her husband might have *redacted* Paula except she didn't, maybe because she was out of love with him. The ending is a little ambiguous to me. Also, maybe because my parents generation in the 70s but I really DO not want to imagine those days of swinging and key parties so much.
Edit: I was contacted by the author via email (?!) requesting I alter my review as to not let out the big secret/ twist in the book. I did agree to click the spoiler box. I don't think the twist is that hard to figure out given the plot of swinging couples in the 70s. I also am curious if any other reviewers received this request from the author.
This book is close to a 3.5 as I enjoyed most of the book, refreshingly set in the mid 1970s. I enjoyed Alex's point of view as a somewhat inexperienced young wife with 2 young daughters she loves very much. This book gently guided us into the backdrop of the time, along with the pot smoking at parties and easy sexual banter. Alex started out pretty happy in her relationship although not really satisfied in the bedroom. The ovolacto vegetarian line threw me because she proceeds to make beef, chicken for her family. Her foray into swinging was gradual and then swift. Her family and inlaws didn't really understand although they warned her mostly of husband's straying ways. So as liberated as women might have felt, she was the one mostly judged for being with another woman's husband, while her husband may have *redacted* the wife of the man Alex was sleeping with, it seemed more Donny's idea than hers... she should have been more angry her husband might have *redacted* Paula except she didn't, maybe because she was out of love with him. The ending is a little ambiguous to me. Also, maybe because my parents generation in the 70s but I really DO not want to imagine those days of swinging and key parties so much.
Edit: I was contacted by the author via email (?!) requesting I alter my review as to not let out the big secret/ twist in the book. I did agree to click the spoiler box. I don't think the twist is that hard to figure out given the plot of swinging couples in the 70s. I also am curious if any other reviewers received this request from the author.