Book Review- Rebecca Hardiman's Good Eggs

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Rebecca Hardiman’s Novel, Good Eggs, in exchange for an honest review.

Eccentric eighty-three year old widow, Millie Gogarty, has just been arrested for shoplifting, and to make matters worse, her middle-aged son, Kevin, is called to retrieve her from the police station. Worried about his mom’s behavior, Kevin pretends to strike a deal with the police, which includes canceling Millie’s upcoming holiday, and having a young American woman named Silvia employed as a part-time carer.

Initially, Millie is livid at the arrangement, and vows to give Silvia a difficult time, however, Silvia’s charm and friendship quickly melts Millie’s tough exterior. The two women form a bond, and Millie even loans Silvia a large sum of money. The relationship turns sour, when Silvia leaves Ireland, and Millie can’t contact her. Soon, Millie realizes that Silvia may not be the friend that she imagined.

Kevin is dealing with his own troubles, including a marriage that’s on the rocks, and a troubled teenage daughter, Aideen. Aideen’s angry attitude and unpredictable behavior have pushed her parents to send her to a strict private school, where she boards on school nights. Aideen find solace in the other back sheep of the family, her grandmother, whom she helps solve the mystery of the missing Silvia.

Good Eggs explores what it truly means to be a good person, and how we can both seek and give forgiveness, even when tremendous transgressions have occurred. None of Hardiman’s characters are perfect, yet they are all very much human, and I’m certain that all readers can find themselves in one or more of the characters.

I was most drawn to Aideen, who at sixteen, is struggling to figure out her personal identity. She doesn’t feel like she fits in with her family or society, causing her to lash out and make some terrible judgements in error. Yet, despite her troubles, she has a good heart.

One of the more surprising plot twists involves Aideen unwittingly poisoning her headmaster. Another classmate and Aideen steal a bag of fish eyeballs from biology class and put a few in their headmaster’s breath mint jar, intending on a disgusting prank. However, the girls do not realize that the eyeballs have been preserved in formaldehyde, which sends the headmaster to the emergency room. Aideen doesn’t know the extent of her headmaster’s injuries, yet she immediately disregards any repercussions, and fesses up to the crime in efforts to help give information to help her headmaster’s recovery. The other girl stays silent.

Aideen is filled with these moments, mistakes made and regrets. She desperately wants to make the right decisions, but she is also conflicted over how to navigate social situations. I could definitely see aspects of my teenage-self in Aideen.

Good Eggs was an unexpected read filled with plot twists, delightful characters, and a big dose of heart. I fell in love with the Gogarty family. Good Eggs is Hardiman’s first novel and I look forward to her next!

Book Review: Lisa Jewell's Invisible Girl

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Lisa Jewell’s latest novel, Invisible Girl, in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite mystery/suspense authors and she has another winner with her latest novel, Invisible Girl.

Saffyre Maddox is a beautiful, seventeen year old living under the care of her older brother. Her childhood was marked, not only by the loss of her parents, but by a traumatic experience that led her to self-harm. Saffyre spent several years under the care of Roan Fours, a highly-regarded child psychologist. However, Saffyre remained guarded during her sessions with Roan and although he declared her fit enough to end their sessions, she never revealed the truth of her trauma. Years after her final session with Roan, she finds herself interested in his life, including following him, discovering that he has been having an affair with a young colleague. Saffyre is an “invisible Girl” hiding in shadows and even sleeping in an abandoned lot across the street from Roan’s home. She is slowly turning almost feral.

On the other side of town, Roan’s family has been renting a home in a posh, seemingly safe neighborhood. However, tensions are high when several women are sexually assaulted, including Roan’s daughter’s friend. Suspicion falls on Owen Pick, a man in his early thirties who lives across the street from Fours family. Owen is reclusive and socially awkward. To make matters worse, he has recently been suspended from work due to allegations of inappropriate behavior with the young girls that he teaches.

When Saffyre goes missing, her blood and possessions are discovered on the window outside of Owen’s bedroom window and he is arrested. However, days pass and detectives cannot find Saffyre’s body. Is Owen involved with Saffyre’s disappearance or has he been labeled guilty based on circumstantial evidence and wild accusations?

Jewell is masterful at crafting mystery and as with her previous novels, you never quite know the outcome until the very last pages. This story dives into the #metoo movement and takes a close look at the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators. It also looks at those who must confront their inappropriate behavior and take responsibility. The last few years has brought on the concept of “Cancel Culture.” I can understand the desire to “cancel” people who behave in harmful ways, but it also cancels the concept of redemption for those who are open to accepting responsibility and change. Jewell allows one of her characters ( no spoilers), someone who can change and wants to change, the opportunity to be forgiven. It’s quite a beautiful and powerful part of the story. No worries, those who should truly be punished definitely get their reckoning!

Invisible Girl is heartbreaking, surprising and affecting. It is a solid, suspenseful mystery with memorable characters. I recommend Invisible Girl along with Jewell’s other novels. She’s a fabulous writer!

Book Review- Cecily Von Ziegesar's Cobble Hill

Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of Cecily Von Ziegesar’s latest novel, Cobble Hill, in exchange for an honest review.

In tony NYC neighborhood of Cobble Hill, four very different middle-age couples find their lives intersecting.

Stuart is a has-been rockstar who is struggling with his wife Mandy, a former groupie, who has become mysteriously ill. When a lice outbreak happens at his son’s elementary school, Stuart meets Peaches, the attractive nurse. Peaches is stunned by Stuart, whom she has been obsessed with for years. Even Peaches’ husband, Greg, a mild-mannered music teacher, has a man-crush on Stuart, although this turns complicated when he suspects that his wife has been cheating with her crush. Best-selling British author, Roy and his magazine editor wife, Wendy, are recent additions to the neighborhood. Roy meets Peaches at a local bar that is owned by the eccentric, and often MIA, avant garde artist Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s husband Tupper is an inventor, who feels disconnected from his wife and is having trouble coming up with a new product.

Von Ziegesar is famous for the Gossip Girl books. I never read the Gossip Girl books, but I was a fan of the television series, and I was pleased to see the same type of humor in Cobble Hill. Much like Gossip Girl, Cobble Hill makes New York City another character and I love how the story has such a strong sense of place. Who doesn’t adore New York City?

Cobble Hill explores adults in a mid-life crisis. Three of the main couples are raising children, yet often the lines are blurred between adult and teenage behavior. The adults unleash their inhibitions, acting-out as if they have nothing to lose. It very much reminded me of the 1997 film, The Ice Storm, where a massive storm prevents travel, keeping several parents overnight at their “key party",” where they let loose, while the teenagers are stuck with their friends. Von Ziegesar shows us teenagers who witness aspects of their parent’s behavior, such as using marijuana, excessive drinking, and kissing other people, and how this impacts them. At one point a child’s life is in immediate danger due to poor parental choices. It’s horrific.

Overall, I enjoyed Cobble Hill. Being a similar age to the adult characters, I could relate to the feeling of wanting to have the freedom to make reckless choices, like a teenager, but I could also definitely see the enormous consequences of some of their actions. I liked living vicariously through them, until it became obviously harmful.

The ending wrapped up a little too neatly, maybe a little too sweet as well. It ended with a theme of everyone loving the eccentricities and imperfections of their neighbors. It’s a nice idea, but I’m not sure it fit with the overall tone of the novel. Although there was plenty of humor, I felt the negative behavior of the adults became increasingly dark and less humorous as the story progressed. I’m not sure that the message in the end was the big take-away from the story. Cobble Hill was much heavier than the ending conveyed. I think Von Ziegesar sold herself short with the ending, which minimized the meat of the story.

One more minor thing that bothered me was this running situation regarding a serial killer. A serial killer was on the loose and the news story captivated the imagination of several characters. I kept anticipating this to actually impact the story, but it was never bigger than something on the news. I felt this was akin to Chekhov’s Gun. I kept waiting for it to go off and was disappointed when nothing happened.

These issues are small, as I definitely enjoyed Cobble Hill. Von Ziegesar has crafted intriguing characters and plonked them down in one of my favorite cities. I was game for Cobble Hill and I look forward to her next novel.