Book Review, Book Rejection: The Last Thing He Told Me

 I'm going to post this on Amazon, although I didn't buy the book there. That's a different story....

I was walking into the campus library and saw a display on new releases. This one looked inviting, New York Times Bestseller and all that (more on that subject below), so I checked it out. 

Why? I don't really have time to read contemporary fiction. I'm trying to write my own tenth novel, get the eight published, and revise the ninth. But....one thing agents and publishers want to know is what your book is like that's on the market, so, maybe this would be a point of comparison. 

Within a couple of days I spilled water/diluted juice on it and it was soaked. I tried to dry it out, but it was ruined. I returned it and paid $27.00 for its replacement. 

Lesson learned. I can safely say I paid at least $25.00 more than it was worth. 

That's mean. It's not terrible. It's a page turner. I did want to know what happened to the mystery man/husband and such. But I had more issues with the writing and one huge plot hole. 

1. It's really overwritten. By that I mean repetitive. And repetitive, and repetitive. It needed better editing, but I guess it needed to be 100,000 words to justify the $27.00 retail price. 

2. The main character is a total doormat. Toward her husband first of all, who betrays her dreadfully. Toward the stepdaughter (see #3). She's generally not believable in terms of the work she does, either. Not a lot of detail about her work. 

3. The stepdaughter needs to be slapped. The narrator keeps saying, "well, she's sixteen" like that justifies total, unmitigated rudeness, over and over. 

4. The plot hole would give away the plot too much, but let me just say: if someone disappears, they can be found if the seeker wants to and spends enough money. The seeker here has unlimited money and plenty of motivation. I know that there is a "technology defense" to this that the writer tries to use, but the timeline is not right.  Also, the "hider" is in a pretty public position, even under another name. 

5. I did finish it, because I'm one of those people who doesn't like things unfinished. It will be a while before I pick up another such book.  

In reference to the New York Times Bestseller status, how can that be put on a brand new book? How can it be a bestseller before it's on the market? This was also a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Selection. Boy,  how did I miss Reese getting into that industry? The second coming of Oprah, I guess.  

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