Loading ...“Vince and Joy” by Lisa Jewell
Lisa Jewell is the queen of London based contemporary novels, with books such as Thirtynothing and One-hit Wonder .
Well, while “Vince and Joy” features plenty of North London locations (and the token South London location, in the shape of Stockwell, is heavily criticised, but her North London arrogance is besides the point here), it features none of her other qualities. |
Weighting in at 500 pages, you’d expect a complex story wouldn’t you. Well, what you get is a story that could have been written by a 8 year old. I’m not kidding, the main plot is very bad and the overuse of flash back is cringing. The slices of London lifestyle and her well observed description of behaviours aren’t enough to keep the book going.
I am baffled because I have always liked her books but this one is a stinker. It’s so simple that you can work everything out before it happens. Also, the characters conveniently bump into each other in London and at Gatwick Airport. I mean, this is London, not a village! How often do you bump into someone you know in Covent Garden? Yeah, thought not. And at the airport, while waiting for your luggage? Me neither.
If you like Lisa Jewell, do yourself a favour and don’t read this book. If you don’t know her work, do yourself a favor and pick up another of her books (my favourite is One-hit Wonder
Links:
Lisa Jewell, official website
Tags: london