Will You Won't You Want Me?
Fiction
Macmillan
April 19, 2016
Paperback
320
Publisher via BookSparks
When Marjorie "Madgesty" Plum's life falls apart, she learns it's time to quit being a queen and time to start living. Marjorie Plum isn't your average washed up prom queen. After all, her New York City prep school was too cool for a royal court. Yet, ten years after high school graduation, she is undeniably stuck in the past and aching for that metaphorical tiara.When her life takes an unexpected turn, she is forced to start over, moving in to a tiny box of an apartment in Brooklyn with a musician roommate who looks like a pixie and talks like the Dalai Lama. Desperate to pay rent, she starts tutoring a precocious 11-year-old girl-who becomes the unknowing Ghost of Marjorie Past, beginning a surprise-filled journey towards adulthood, where she learns about herself from the most unlikely sources: a rekindled childhood love, a grumpy (but strangely adorable) new boss, even her tutee.Ultimately, though, she is the one who must decide: who is the real Marjorie Plum?
My review:
Hopefully you didn't just look at my star rating and move on, because this book does have a lot to offer, for the right reader. Unfortunately that reader just wasn't me. I have a funny relationship with books about twenty-somethings still trying to find themselves. More often than not I'm not a big fan (hated The Interestings), but once in a while I find a gem (The Ramblers). This book fell somewhere in between, but not for any other reason than I just couldn't relate to the main character, and really didn't like her. The writing was good, the plot was engaging enough (it's a common theme, but it was well executed), and the book flowed fairly well (perhaps just a bit sluggish in spots). The one huge bright spot within the book was the character of "Belly", who was wonderfully drawn. The ending was satisfying and not too rushed or forced. In other words, this is a fine book if you like stories about millenials trying to find their place in the world.
Face it, I was just too darn old to enjoy this book....sigh. If you liked either of the aforementioned books, or enjoy stories about a character trying to make his/her way, then I think this would be an enjoyable read for you to pick up. There are many, many great reviews on Goodreads about this one, so don't take my word for it, do some research before you decide.
Thanks to BookSparks for a copy of this book to review. As always, my opinions are my own.
I wish this one had worked for you, because the synopsis (and cover) are really appealing to me. I'm not sure if I would have the time to read it or if it would replace something already in my reading queue, but I think I'll put it on the backburner. Funny you mention The Ramblers. I've wanted to read that one and found it at my library. I didn't get it at the time and had forgotten about it until now.