emsemsems's review against another edition
5.0
[deleted my previous review, felt cringey; might re-read it soon, and write a new one.]
And a tiny playlist to end my review; I think it fits the vibe of the novel quite well.
The Less I Know Better – Tame Impala
Under My Skin – Rachael Yamagata
The Answer to Everything – Del Shannon
And a tiny playlist to end my review; I think it fits the vibe of the novel quite well.
The Less I Know Better – Tame Impala
Under My Skin – Rachael Yamagata
The Answer to Everything – Del Shannon
‘How long before you found another Emily?’
frombethanysbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Genre: Literary Fiction | Fiction | Romance
Release Date: Expected 13th May 2021
Emily has everything. A husband, two beautiful children, a great job and a new home in a trendy neighbourhood with wonderfully friendly neighbours.
But her and her husband don't talk anymore, she hasn't slept properly since the boys were born, she doesn't want to keep working so much, her estate is full of aging hipsters, and the neighbours might be an issue. Alathea is beautiful, confident and totally intimidating and her husband Elliot is ... a problem. He's charming, and funny, and understanding and she's finding herself undeniably drawn to the couple. But too soon her friendship with Elliot is all-consuming and out of control. They should be happy with their lives, but underneath they still want something more.
I'm just going to say it - everyone in this book was extremely unlikeable. They were dysfunctional, selfish, and destructive but somehow I was still desperately searching for their redeeming qualities and wanting to know more about them. The stark contrast between our two married couples was jarring - both messed up in their own unique ways that would never be obvious on the surface.
The Answer to Everything is a story about obsession, posession and jealousy thay can trickle from relationships into someones whole life - setting us up with a simmering tension that keeps the reader on edge without letting up - even through to the very end. Analysing the differences between just being stuck in a rut or finding yourself stuck in a life you don't want, this book called out to the part deep inside us that is desperate for love and connection.
I read through this in one sitting - it was easy to read and quite addictive - although there were a lot of long text message exchanges that went on for quite some time but still added something valuable and the ending was most definitely not anything I saw coming but left me wanting just that little bit more - no doubt completely on purpose.
This was a story about counting your blessings, but your crosses too - It was strange and uncomfortable and awkward and I loved every minute of it.
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to Luke Kennard, Fourth Estate and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.
kateryderbooks's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
llivsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was wonderful and right up my street - a big thank you to NetGalley and Fourth Estate for an ARC.
Emily and Steven plus their two young children move to a fancy new build estate - the first home they've owned, achievable through the cheap living costs in an almost forced and artificial community. Emily is cripplingly lonely, her husband Steven is emotionally unavailable and Emily is still coming to terms with living in the aftermath of post-natal psychosis. Their new, attractive and intriguing neighbours Elliott and Alathea offer a welcome distraction to their odd estate, but things soon get out of hand...
The Answer to Everything is a story looking into betrayal, obsession and the human need for love and attention. Each character is so unlikeable in their own way, yet the story is so gripping and tense; I devoured this in a couple of sittings.
Emily and Steven plus their two young children move to a fancy new build estate - the first home they've owned, achievable through the cheap living costs in an almost forced and artificial community. Emily is cripplingly lonely, her husband Steven is emotionally unavailable and Emily is still coming to terms with living in the aftermath of post-natal psychosis. Their new, attractive and intriguing neighbours Elliott and Alathea offer a welcome distraction to their odd estate, but things soon get out of hand...
The Answer to Everything is a story looking into betrayal, obsession and the human need for love and attention. Each character is so unlikeable in their own way, yet the story is so gripping and tense; I devoured this in a couple of sittings.
beledit's review against another edition
4.0
I have mixed feelings indeed about The Answer to Everything. There’s a lot that’s very good about this book, but oh so much to dislike in the characters, that it taints the reading of the book. Overall though, it’s a fine novel and a good read.
The story revolves around two couples living in a tarted-up 1990s housing estate. First thing I liked was the vividness of the setting. I did not know that it’s a thing now for developers to revisit the cheap, poorly constructed housing estates built 30-some years ago and try to salvage them with a modern makeover. I don’t even know if it actually happens, but it rings very true.
It’s a totally apt setting for the story, which is all about subterfuge: putting on a good façade while underneath there’s crap going on. Really, 5 stars for how well this setting works in the story.
The Answer to Everything is extremely well written. The author is also a poet, and it shows. No, not because it is ‘poetic’ in the sense that that term is often used, meaning elaborate or ‘flowery’ but rather because the language is sparse and beautifully controlled. It is actually quite prosaic, mostly, which adds to the sense of ordinary domesticity.
The story unfolds slowly, step by step, largely told through WhatsApp text messages between Emily and Elliott. The increasingly intense messages (which are extremely convincing and believable) are offset against the daily domesticity and ordinariness of their ‘real’ life. On the surface, it’s quite a simple story of two people unexpectedly falling deeply in love with each other. But again, there are layers: what they are expressing in their text messages, and what they are actually doing. For some time, they don’t even talk about their text exchanges when they are together, as though not talking about it will keep it all in the realm of fantasy.
Such layers are a theme throughout the book: too many spoilers involved to go into them all!
In this respect, The Answer to Everything is extremely clever and skillful. Definitely we’re in 5-star territory.
Where it loses a star or two is in some of the things various characters do, that stretch credibility. In particular the odd relationship between Elliott and his wife doesn’t ring true (for me anyway). It works as a plot device as the that it is, but is not totally successful in other ways. It’s not about whether I think ‘someone like that would do something like that’ and more that, in several instances, with several of the characters, the author didn’t manage to convince me, to suspend my disbelief. The character didn’t come to life in a believable way.
I did feel very judgmental about the main characters, not just Emily and Elliott but their respective spouses Steven and Alathea too. And — to the author’s credit or not — I’m not really sure if the author deliberately manipulated that reaction from me or if that was just me. Certainly, Emily expresses doubts and guilt, acknowledging that what she is doing is wrong and that she is bringing unhappiness down on herself through her own sinful actions, but I think that’s more because she’s religious, and I don’t think this harsh judgment is necessarily supposed to apply to the other characters. Should I instead have felt some empathy for them in their ‘predicament’? Hmmm, interesting; I’m scratching my head on that one.
And that makes me think that this would be a terrific book for a book club. Could lead to some very interesting discussions about fidelity, monogamy and middle class values. About eco-friendly housing estates. And about what is, really, the answer to everything?
My thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
Like this review? Why not check out my book review site: BelEdit Book Reviews?
The story revolves around two couples living in a tarted-up 1990s housing estate. First thing I liked was the vividness of the setting. I did not know that it’s a thing now for developers to revisit the cheap, poorly constructed housing estates built 30-some years ago and try to salvage them with a modern makeover. I don’t even know if it actually happens, but it rings very true.
It’s a totally apt setting for the story, which is all about subterfuge: putting on a good façade while underneath there’s crap going on. Really, 5 stars for how well this setting works in the story.
The Answer to Everything is extremely well written. The author is also a poet, and it shows. No, not because it is ‘poetic’ in the sense that that term is often used, meaning elaborate or ‘flowery’ but rather because the language is sparse and beautifully controlled. It is actually quite prosaic, mostly, which adds to the sense of ordinary domesticity.
The story unfolds slowly, step by step, largely told through WhatsApp text messages between Emily and Elliott. The increasingly intense messages (which are extremely convincing and believable) are offset against the daily domesticity and ordinariness of their ‘real’ life. On the surface, it’s quite a simple story of two people unexpectedly falling deeply in love with each other. But again, there are layers: what they are expressing in their text messages, and what they are actually doing. For some time, they don’t even talk about their text exchanges when they are together, as though not talking about it will keep it all in the realm of fantasy.
Such layers are a theme throughout the book: too many spoilers involved to go into them all!
In this respect, The Answer to Everything is extremely clever and skillful. Definitely we’re in 5-star territory.
Where it loses a star or two is in some of the things various characters do, that stretch credibility. In particular the odd relationship between Elliott and his wife doesn’t ring true (for me anyway). It works as a plot device as the that it is, but is not totally successful in other ways. It’s not about whether I think ‘someone like that would do something like that’ and more that, in several instances, with several of the characters, the author didn’t manage to convince me, to suspend my disbelief. The character didn’t come to life in a believable way.
I did feel very judgmental about the main characters, not just Emily and Elliott but their respective spouses Steven and Alathea too. And — to the author’s credit or not — I’m not really sure if the author deliberately manipulated that reaction from me or if that was just me. Certainly, Emily expresses doubts and guilt, acknowledging that what she is doing is wrong and that she is bringing unhappiness down on herself through her own sinful actions, but I think that’s more because she’s religious, and I don’t think this harsh judgment is necessarily supposed to apply to the other characters. Should I instead have felt some empathy for them in their ‘predicament’? Hmmm, interesting; I’m scratching my head on that one.
And that makes me think that this would be a terrific book for a book club. Could lead to some very interesting discussions about fidelity, monogamy and middle class values. About eco-friendly housing estates. And about what is, really, the answer to everything?
My thanks to Netgalley for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.
Like this review? Why not check out my book review site: BelEdit Book Reviews?
gotossmycausticsalad's review against another edition
4.5
Found it enjoyable enough but not incredible right up until the end - those last few chapters, excellent.
verity1089's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
readingspells's review against another edition
3.0
Where to start with this one..... let's tackle the elephant in the room that is part of the book description
"As riotously funny as it is painfully moving"
It is absolutely not riotously funny. I have no idea who read this book and made that statement but it is not funny. It is indeed a moving read, a bit like watching a very slow train crash where you know everything is slowing going very wrong.
The book deals with themes of love but also cheating, monogamy, kink and emotionally abusive behaviour and does so in a fairly brutal way and some of it in a really poor way. For example the kink is about how Elliot and Alathea get off on fighting and breaking each others stuff until they are so wound up they f&ck. There is no nuance to it though and for intelligent people they seem to have done no research or reading into kinks and how to enjoy them in a safe but sexy way. Considering Alathea is some sort of therapist it just feels off.
There is nothing particularly likable about 3 of the 4 main characters: Elliot is a complete and utter narcissist, Alathea seems to enjoying being his accomplice in many ways and the character of Steve doesn't really feature apart from the fact that Emily needed a husband to make the plot work, but he is a non figure or is completely passive in the the story. Emily is the only one with some slight redeeming features but at times even she was frustrating in her ineptitude and lack of fire.
The other thing I found frustrating is the how it deals with monogamy and cheating. Clearly it raises questions about what is cheating. The answer is whatever you and partner decide it is but the conversation around monogamy and and non-monogamy is cloudy here because what Elliot is doing to the other women is not OK regardless of his arrangement with his wife. The key to non-monogamy is open honesty for all. Everyone needs to know what the deal is and what they are getting involved with. Otherwise, in this case, it is just abusive. As someone who is non-monogamous this book was quite frustrating from that point of view because it is confusing non-monogamy with an abusive narcissist. Non-monogamy can be wonderful and beautiful and a healthy option for many people. Elliot is mostly utterly incapable of any type of healthy relationship regardless of it's status and needs some fairly intense therapy to help him stop the cycle of abusive
The one other thing about this book that I hated was the ending. It is one of those books that kind of stops and we are meant to believe that Emily, a character with a track record of fragile mental healthy, appears to me mostly OK at the end of it having turned back to her religion for solace. It just left me going wait, what?
I am giving this book 3 stars but I will say, it did get me thinking and I did feel quite passionate about some of it and the themes it explores. It is a good read if an unsatisfying one
"As riotously funny as it is painfully moving"
It is absolutely not riotously funny. I have no idea who read this book and made that statement but it is not funny. It is indeed a moving read, a bit like watching a very slow train crash where you know everything is slowing going very wrong.
The book deals with themes of love but also cheating, monogamy, kink and emotionally abusive behaviour and does so in a fairly brutal way and some of it in a really poor way. For example the kink is about how Elliot and Alathea get off on fighting and breaking each others stuff until they are so wound up they f&ck. There is no nuance to it though and for intelligent people they seem to have done no research or reading into kinks and how to enjoy them in a safe but sexy way. Considering Alathea is some sort of therapist it just feels off.
There is nothing particularly likable about 3 of the 4 main characters: Elliot is a complete and utter narcissist, Alathea seems to enjoying being his accomplice in many ways and the character of Steve doesn't really feature apart from the fact that Emily needed a husband to make the plot work, but he is a non figure or is completely passive in the the story. Emily is the only one with some slight redeeming features but at times even she was frustrating in her ineptitude and lack of fire.
The other thing I found frustrating is the how it deals with monogamy and cheating. Clearly it raises questions about what is cheating. The answer is whatever you and partner decide it is but the conversation around monogamy and and non-monogamy is cloudy here because what Elliot is doing to the other women is not OK regardless of his arrangement with his wife. The key to non-monogamy is open honesty for all. Everyone needs to know what the deal is and what they are getting involved with. Otherwise, in this case, it is just abusive. As someone who is non-monogamous this book was quite frustrating from that point of view because it is confusing non-monogamy with an abusive narcissist. Non-monogamy can be wonderful and beautiful and a healthy option for many people. Elliot is mostly utterly incapable of any type of healthy relationship regardless of it's status and needs some fairly intense therapy to help him stop the cycle of abusive
The one other thing about this book that I hated was the ending. It is one of those books that kind of stops and we are meant to believe that Emily, a character with a track record of fragile mental healthy, appears to me mostly OK at the end of it having turned back to her religion for solace. It just left me going wait, what?
I am giving this book 3 stars but I will say, it did get me thinking and I did feel quite passionate about some of it and the themes it explores. It is a good read if an unsatisfying one
yvieharris's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
1.0
made me incredibly depressed by the end i hate people
obviously very well written, and like i enjoyed reading it after getting past a massive slow lull at the beginning but
im??? maybe i took it too deep but lord it made me have a massive crisis
obviously very well written, and like i enjoyed reading it after getting past a massive slow lull at the beginning but
im??? maybe i took it too deep but lord it made me have a massive crisis