Book of the Month: June 2017

Offered Books:
A Million Junes by Emily Henry
The Sisters Chase by Sarah Healy
White Fur by Jardine Libaire
Chemistry by Weike Wang
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Selected:
Chemistry by Weike Wang

Others Purchased Read:
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

So, to be honest, I didn't actually select this book - I didn't officially join Book of the Month until July.  But my sister gave me this book during the same month, and I joined starting in July, so it felt appropriate to include both it and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo since I ended up purchasing and reading that one also.

Chemistry follows an unnamed protagonist (all of the characters save one are nameless) as she faces a crises regarding her future - involving both academics and her relationships.

One thing I like about this novel is that it is scattered a bit in the telling.  The protagonist is in the midst of a breakdown, so having her skip around her story - flashbacks and events do not happen linearly - adds an authenticity to the voice of the main character.  Wang captures the disorganization of thought that occurs in such a situation.

This narrative method may be hard for some to get into - there is less action and conflict and more explorations of the emotions and thoughts of the main character, but it isn't a maudlin book - there are moments of humor scattered throughout.  For those willing to brave the off-kilter structure, the reward is worth it.

3.5 out of 5

The second book purchased from this month (at a much later date) is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.  This book ended up being a finalist in 2017 for Book of the Year, rightfully so.

The book follows magazine reporter Monique Grant as she interviews film star Evelyn Hugo after having been personally selected by the star.  Once they meet, Evelyn begins telling her history: Each section of the book is broken by the husband Evelyn is married to, with intermittent snippets of the present day, with hints of a connection between Monique and Evelyn.

Reid does a great job of quickly engaging the reader, from Evelyn's beginnings in Old Hollywood through the various marriages and scandals that followed a star of her stature.  It would be easy for the story to become repetitive, but Reid does a good job not only of differentiating the various relationships, but also the background aspects of each marriage - the movies, charities, etc that Evelyn is involved in.

Despite being a more passive part of the story, Reid still does an amazing job of giving Monique a full characterization - especially since the latter part of the book hinges on the reader being invested in her.

All in all, Reid does an amazing job with this novel, and I cannot recommend it enough.

5 out of 5

Author Links:

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Weike Wang