Review : The Pretty One by Lucinda Rosenfeld
The Pretty One by Lucinda Rosenfeld
Pages : 320
Genre : Women Fiction
Stand Alone
My Rating : 2/5
From the back of the book :
But the Hellinger women aren’t pulling off their roles the way they once did. Perri, increasingly filled with rage over the lack of appreciation from her recently unemployed husband Mike, is engaging in a steamy text flirtation with a college fling. Meanwhile Pia, desperate to find someone to share in the pain and joy of raising her three-year-old daughter Lola, can’t stop fantasizing about Donor #6103. And Gus, heartbroken over the loss of her girlfriend, finds herself magnetically drawn to Jeff, Mike’s frat boy of a little brother. Each woman is unable to believe that anyone,especially her sisters, could understand what it’s like to be her. But when a freak accident lands their mother to the hospital, a chain of events is set in motion that will send each Hellinger sister rocketing out of her comfort zone, leaving her to wonder: was this the role she was truly born to play?
My Thoughts :
Initially, I thought this one had everything to please me : a cute cover, an interesting tagline, a strong premise. I always like reading about family dynamics, especially about brothers and sisters’ relationships. I was confident The Pretty One could easily fall somewhere between good and great.
Alas, it was not to be. And you guys know how much I hate writing negative reviews. I wish I could recommend all of the books I read, especially those received for review!
It started out okay, but quickly I was struggling with it. I did not like any of the characters; I only disliked Pia a little less. Sometimes. I couldn’t relate to any of the sisters, and had no sympathy for any of them. This came in huge part from the way the three sisters related to each other : they seemed constantly envious of each other, annoyed, irritated. These were not the unlikable yet complex characters I often love, either; it lacked depth.
The book wasn’t redeemed by great writing, either. It was choppy, short, and sadly I didn’t connect to it. Neither the writing nor the characters made me care for the story. It didn’t carry emotions. I wish I could have felt for the girls’ mother, for instance, when things are revealed along the story, but I felt pretty much nothing. I did finish the book, but only because despite its faults, it was a surprisingly fast read.
I’m giving it 2 stars because I actually finished it. It was a quick read, and the story intrigued me enough to keep me reading. I really, really wanted to like it; sadly, The Pretty One wasn’t the book for me.
Similar Reading
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
The Weird Sisters, like The Pretty One, tells the story of three sisters with very different lives and personalities. Brown succeeds in writing complex characters in a complex family, all with humor, emotion and Shakespeare. It’s a bit heavier to take than The Pretty One but, in my opinion, a much more rewarding reading experience.
The Pretty One hit the shelves on February 5th! Thanks to Little, Brown and Company for generously providing a digital copy of the book for this review.
Oh no! There’s been a lot of buzz for The Pretty One so I had high hopes for it. I’m sorry to see it was a stinker for you.
Your reasons for disliking this one were very easy to understand and concrete. I liked the way you handled this review, and the way that you were so honest, without being mean. I am still interested in reading this one, because the characters intrigue me, but I am glad to have read your review, and read your opinions. Nicely done!
I don’t like reading negative reviews either but you were very honest about why this book didn’t work for you.
Reading the synopsis does make the book sound really fascinating because hello, it has all the key words. But yeah, I definitely think that a book that doesn’t let you connect to the characters is one of the weaker ones. Thanks for the review. I will know to avoid this one in the future.