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A review by mycouscous
Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti
3.0
I'm a librarian; my boyfriend's is a (part-time) farmer. So are the characters in this book, which might have been my subconscious reason for picking it up. That and a patron whose reading tastes align somewhat with mine recommended it to me.
Benny and Shrimp are the thirtysomething title characters. They're somewhat neurotic in their own ways, narrating this novel in alternating chapters. Their stories are told in an almost frenzied manner, jumping from one point to another and throwing in names rather quickly within their short chapters. It was a little hard to grasp at first, but I eventually was pulled in. For me, though, the two characters' voices didn't differ too greatly, despite them being very different people.
Mazetti does an admirable job of charting grief (or the lack thereof) and a budding relationship. The lovers' chemistry is undeniable even in print, but as a reader I did get frustrated by constant sniping/bickering. Was this the point?
It's a bittersweet story and a relatively quick read. Not recommended for fans of traditional romance, but possibly for fans of something like High Fidelity.
Benny and Shrimp are the thirtysomething title characters. They're somewhat neurotic in their own ways, narrating this novel in alternating chapters. Their stories are told in an almost frenzied manner, jumping from one point to another and throwing in names rather quickly within their short chapters. It was a little hard to grasp at first, but I eventually was pulled in. For me, though, the two characters' voices didn't differ too greatly, despite them being very different people.
Mazetti does an admirable job of charting grief (or the lack thereof) and a budding relationship. The lovers' chemistry is undeniable even in print, but as a reader I did get frustrated by constant sniping/bickering. Was this the point?
It's a bittersweet story and a relatively quick read. Not recommended for fans of traditional romance, but possibly for fans of something like High Fidelity.