Book 13 of 52 is completed! I believe this one was another Amazon recommendation, and a bargain book to boot. Why would I deny it?
The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen is a book about trying to find your place in the world and in your family.
It’s one thing to get confused about who you are in this world, but when you have a sibling (or multiple siblings) you are often fighting a stigma that’s been placed on you by the family (or maybe even by yourself).
In this case, our protagonist is Lindsey Rose, a successful advertising agent who is up for VIP of the company. Work is her life; she spends most of her nights in the office and knows nothing of socializing outside of the office or romantic relationships. A series of events gets Lindsey, the smart and successful sister, fired. She knows she can’t afford her New York apartment much longer and that no one will be willing to hire her once word gets out of her misdemeanors, so she moves back home to Maryland. That means she will be facing her fraternal twin sister, Alex. Alex is the “beautiful” sister, modeling and hosting TV shows as her work. She doesn’t need to woo anyone…they are instantly attracted to her. So, Lindsey has always felt cast in the shadows. Now that she has goofed up her success, she feels completely lost. She lies about why she moves back home to save face.
At first, it’s hard to get in groove with Lindsey. I’m getting used to unlikeable narrators, but I was downright frustrated with her. I saw no redeeming qualities. Perhaps it’s because I’m so close to my own sister, but I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t feel able to discuss anything with your sibling. Of course, I do understand where she’s coming from and why one would be jealous. I could feel her jealousy closing her off and predict certain outcomes that Lindsey apparently couldn’t see herself.
However, towards the end, I really enjoyed the story. It took a sharp turn in a strange direction, but I liked the unexpected quality of it.
I will complain again, though…this book would’ve been absolutely fine without a romantic subplot, especially one that gets thrown it at the very last minute. Do we always need a happy love ending in order to feel like a book is complete? I disagree. I’d really like, for once, to just see the main storyline (like the sibling rivalry in this case, or Katie’s experience post-rehab in Spin) be the only storyline. They are strong enough to stand on their own.
Ultimately, I enjoyed the book. It was the perfect mindless beach-type of read. The equivalent of watching a romantic comedy.
If you need some light entertainment, I’d recommend it.
This is Sarah Pekkanen’s debut novel…I’m curious to see if her writing has gotten stronger.
I’ll surely check out another of her books in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment