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A review by jacki_f
The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler
3.0
Esme Garland is a whipsmart 23 year old English student studying for a PhD in art history at Columbia University. Her boyfriend, Mitchell, comes from an extremely wealthy family and has issues that run deeper than the Grand Canyon. When Esme discovers that she is pregnant, Mitchell breaks it off with her before she even has the chance to tell him. Nevertheless, Esme decides to keep the baby and takes a part time job in a used bookstore to supplement her small scholarship income. The bookstore is run by a colourful cast of characters who will all take a great interest in Esme's life and become her surrogate family.
There are many things that I liked about this debut novel. Meyler has a lively writing style which brings New York to life. The opening chapter had me itching to jump on a plane and walk the streets. She has a way of picking up on the smallest of observations - how to pick the freshest bagel in the store, how the light falls between buildings - which make you feel like you're really there. The story hums along and is a very easy read. For the most part there are no major surprises, but there are a few little kinks in the path. Esme makes a likeable heroine and it drove me crazy that she couldn't see through Mitchell. I had to keep reminding myself how taken by exteriors I was at the same age.
Where the book fell down for me, oddly enough, was the bookstore where Esme works. I started to get irritated by the cast of loveable eccentrics and I also felt that the writer shied away from making a definite call on whether there was going to be a romantic sub-plot or not. Frankly, I would have felt it more satisfying if Esme had exhibited some personal growth over the book, if she had learned to see through Mitchell sooner/better, if she had realised her own worth. Even the ending read like the author couldn't quite decide how to finish things, so she just hit "save" on the file and sent it off to the publisher.
Having said that, I must stress that for me, a three star rating is not a negative review but an evenly balanced "there is good and bad here". If you are looking for an intelligent chicklit book which goes down easily and gives you a feel of being somewhere else for a while, look no further.
I received a review copy through NetGalley.
There are many things that I liked about this debut novel. Meyler has a lively writing style which brings New York to life. The opening chapter had me itching to jump on a plane and walk the streets. She has a way of picking up on the smallest of observations - how to pick the freshest bagel in the store, how the light falls between buildings - which make you feel like you're really there. The story hums along and is a very easy read. For the most part there are no major surprises, but there are a few little kinks in the path. Esme makes a likeable heroine and it drove me crazy that she couldn't see through Mitchell. I had to keep reminding myself how taken by exteriors I was at the same age.
Where the book fell down for me, oddly enough, was the bookstore where Esme works. I started to get irritated by the cast of loveable eccentrics and I also felt that the writer shied away from making a definite call on whether there was going to be a romantic sub-plot or not. Frankly, I would have felt it more satisfying if Esme had exhibited some personal growth over the book, if she had learned to see through Mitchell sooner/better, if she had realised her own worth. Even the ending read like the author couldn't quite decide how to finish things, so she just hit "save" on the file and sent it off to the publisher.
Having said that, I must stress that for me, a three star rating is not a negative review but an evenly balanced "there is good and bad here". If you are looking for an intelligent chicklit book which goes down easily and gives you a feel of being somewhere else for a while, look no further.
I received a review copy through NetGalley.