A review by pomoevareads
Some Maintenance Required by Marie-Renée Lavoie

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is my third book by this author and I love the way she writes characters. In Some Maintenance Required we meet Laurie, a young woman of about 18 or 19 years old. She lives in Quebec with both of her parents who work blue collar jobs. Laurie is working at a bakery and taking college classes and spending time with her friend Sonia when a young girl moves in next door. The scruffy little Cindy has no manners and is not well cared for her by her parents. Laurie and her mother Suzanne offer Cindy a respite from home in their own home where Suzanne makes pancakes and desserts and Laurie sets up imaginary getaways for Cindy. Laurie gets hired to work in a restaurant and gets her first car which is often requiring maintenance but thankfully her father works at a garage. This is 1993 and pinup calendars adorn the garage walls and the men working there are crude to say the least but it shows that they care for Laurie too. 

This is a coming of age story about an average person and her family. There is nothing particularly extraordinary about them and yet Lavoie makes them come so clearly off the page. The author infuses some humour into her dialogue and scenes here and there and adds some sadness to keep the reader unsettled. 

Reflecting the early 90s well, I found myself remembering the crude comments men would make at the time and how far we have come since then. Laurie is ahead of her time and mature for her age. Her mother Suzanne is an avid reader who only wants the best for her daughter. She urges her to go to school and encourages her to fall in love. 

I am buddy reading this book with the #booktwinbuddyreads group for a discussion this month. I really enjoyed this one, perhaps not as much as Autopsy of a Boring Wife, but close and recommend this author to others. 
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