Michelle
27th February 2008, 17:01
When Susie decides to invite her old school friends for a reunion she tells herself that it's just about showing off. It's about letting Amanda, Izzy and Tamsin, see how well she's done, with her successful career as an artist, her gorgeous house in France, her deliciously louche boyfriend. But the truth is that this is a dark plan. A plan that could make or break her seemingly perfect life!and she knows it. As the old friends gather at Susie's for a long weekend of catching up and comparisons, it is clear that despite their lives having taken very different turns, they are all still haunted by a dark and common past. They each know that up until now they have been treading water - waiting for the inevitable moment when they have to face the truth. The question is, now that the time has come, who will sink and who will swim?
I've recently read quite a few books about a group of friends, as well as a few about reunions.. so I knew that this one would have to offer me something a little different to stand out, which it did.
The key for me were the characters.. the four friends weren't stereotypical, but complex, and flawed, and this made them very human, and very believable.
Set in the French countryside, which sounds wonderful, the story flicks back and forth between their school friendship, and the present day reunion, gradually revealing their past secrets, and how that had affected the people they were today. The author doesn't try to rely on humour, but rather simple good story telling.
I've read a few reviews that criticise the ending of this book, but for me it worked just fine, once again offering some rather realistic outcomes.
This is definitely an author that I will be looking out for again.
I've recently read quite a few books about a group of friends, as well as a few about reunions.. so I knew that this one would have to offer me something a little different to stand out, which it did.
The key for me were the characters.. the four friends weren't stereotypical, but complex, and flawed, and this made them very human, and very believable.
Set in the French countryside, which sounds wonderful, the story flicks back and forth between their school friendship, and the present day reunion, gradually revealing their past secrets, and how that had affected the people they were today. The author doesn't try to rely on humour, but rather simple good story telling.
I've read a few reviews that criticise the ending of this book, but for me it worked just fine, once again offering some rather realistic outcomes.
This is definitely an author that I will be looking out for again.