The Smart One, by Ellen Meister is a novel that follows the story of Bev, a 35 year old woman from Long Island. She has just finished obtaining the qualifications necessary to become a teacher, but is not yet sure whether she should take a job on the other side of the country.
As a favour to her parents (who are holed up in Florida after a minor accident) Bev is staying in the family home over the summer. She is there to help sell the house next door. While preparing the house for sale, a startling discovery is made in an industrial drum being stored underneath the house. There’s been a murder!
I was puzzled a little after the body is discovered, and we begin to follow the characters in their day to day lives again. I wasn’t too sure about this at first, as I thought it may have been slowing the pace.
It all began to make sense though, as it soon becomes evident that this is not simply a book about a murder and how it gets solved. It is a book about the interaction between some rich and complex characters, where there just so happens to have been a murder taken place. We follow the relationships that Bev has with her two sisters and with the (now fully grown) boy who used to live next door.
Faulty assumptions seem to be a theme that runs throughout the book. Bev, the eponymous ‘smart one’ among her sisters, often gets the wrong end of the stick, allowing for some twists and turns in the tale.
Also, the author encourages the reader to make a few false assumptions of our own. I can’t say anything more about this or it really would spoil things.
Heated scenes between characters are told mainly through dialogue. This works really well in some places, and less so in others.
A confrontation between Bev and her older Sister was in danger of resembling a soap opera at one point. On the other hand, there’s a scene with the murder suspect, his wife, his son and Bev in a car. Here, the dialogue is absolutely spot on, making for an exciting ride.
If I had to pick one part of the book that I really thought did not work at all, I would point to a scene in a restaurant with David Letterman. There are some very funny parts in book, there are some hauntingly tragic parts; this was neither.
I found the gag too obvious, too contrived, and more importantly, the characters reactions to what transpired unrealistic. (Sorry I can't be more constructive in this criticism without revealing what happens.)
That one scene didn’t spoil my overall enjoyment though. I thought the entire book very well written, and Ellen Meister’s first book, Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA is now jostling for position on my to be read pile.
Thanks for reading this review. If you'd like to see some more, check out the next stop on the blogstop tour at Book Room Reviews on Wednesday.
Want to get your hands on a copy? : If you'd like my copy of The Smart One, it will be going onto BookMooch at 9am tomorrow morning (UK time)
7 comments:
Do you really feel that the books jostle for position?
Shouldn't you see someone about that?
Good Post - 'must look at that thing...
I have a confession.
The truth is: I really liked the sound of the review, but because of the book cover, I'll never read it. It just - looks - flippy-haired and effeminate. Yes, I am officially a Class A literary snob.
There has to be some kind of 12-Step group I can join...
Ken - I'm pretty sure they do.
Some people have a room full of teddy bears, who I'm sure have a picnic or something whenever the light goes out and the door closes.
My room is full of books instead, so I assume it's a similar idea. They all start having a party, maybe they play dominoes or something. I'm not quite sure, I've never caught them.
When they hear someone coming, they all rush back into the shelf, and there's occasionaly an argument or two as to who was where.
They sort things out before I catch them. A harsh word or two from the older reference volumes is usually enough to scare the paperbacks into obedience.
fiendish - I know what you mean. There's no getting away from the fact that the cover is pink. Although not completely chick litty, there are lots of scenes where people are shopping, in bedrooms trying clothes, talking about hair and such. It's not my cup of tea, but I couldn't fault the writing.
What was evident was that the male characters are not as well constructed as the female ones.
So you can hold off on the support group for now, I probably wouldn't recommend the book to a male reader. (should have really put that in the review I s'ppse)
Complete OT comment! Just wanted to let you know that the mods from HistoricalFiction.org have had to start a new site!
We hope that you will join us at www.historicalfictiononline.com.
Excellent review. It sounds like a more interesting book than the cover would suggest.
NathanKP - Inkweaver Review
This was a really the kind of a review I like, with conciseness and eloquence. Made me wanna check about the book more.
your blog is very nice......
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