Ireland’s bestselling novelist Marian Keyes explores the ups and downs of marriage in her latest novel, The Break.
PR consultant Amy O’Connell’s life mightn’t be perfect, but it’s perfect for her. Until her husband Hugh announces he needs a six month break from their marriage to find himself in South East Asia. He’s confident that they’ll be able to pick up where they left off upon his return but, with three adolescent girls and what is possibly the world’s most dysfunctional family to contend with, Amy’s not sure she’ll be able to forgive and forget so easily.
The Break is out now through Penguin Random House. Click here to buy your copy.
I tried really hard to like The Break. But when chick-lit isn’t really my cup of tea in the first place, it was tough going from the start. The issue, for me, lies mainly in the unlikability of the main character. While I did expect Amy to go through a certain amount of grief over the potential loss of her marriage, the extent to which she went was enough to drive even the most patient reader over the edge.
In this day and age, readers are less tolerant of weak, indecisive female characters. Amy most certainly falls into that category. Frequent flashbacks to pivotal points in their marriage and her earlier years do the book no favours in terms of gaining reader sympathy. After a while, they become quite repetitive and boring, especially when the author could really have focused on present day Amy’s personal growth and development.
At nearly 600 pages, I expected more. And by the time something did happen, I found I was just ready for it to all be over.
Fans of Marian Keyes and chick-lit overall may love this book. But if you want something with substance, The Break isn’t for you.
Jackie Smith Writes 