A review by ebonyutley
Friends in Napa by Sheila Yasmin Marikar

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 

I liked the opulence of Friends in Napa. I was on the estate with them, learning about the wine, imagining the food, googling glassware and other expensive things. It was ridiculous and over the top and fun. I loved that the main characters were people of color. Mindy Kaling’s representation is why I read the books in her imprint. I also appreciate mature characters who reach the middle of their lives and wonder whether they can start over. Philosophically, the questions are big, interesting, and worth exploring through a decadent escape. I also appreciated the author’s vocabulary; I learned a few new words not just about wine. But that’s all the praise I’ve got. 

 

The climax was underwhelming, the dénouement was unrealistic, and the characters were cloying at times—too on the nose, too predictable, too annoying. Oddly, the entire book is very PG as if there were a censorial directive not to use words the words sex, erection, or murder. The author is so timid in discussing vices that she usually just doesn’t. I spent so much of the book wondering—did they have sex, was he cheating, did they get high? What actually happened? I imagine the target book club audience would have liked a sex scene or a fully unpacked murder. I just couldn’t understand why the author couldn’t just tell the story. It’s like she wrote around her own plot. There’s no reason for it. Sure, some important details are revealed in the last chapters, but not enough to justify a whole book of “wait, what just happened?”