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mmeggann's review
3.0
Bruce Wagner's newest book, 'I Met Someone,' tells the story of a Hollywood starlet who is searching for a daughter she had many years ago while also dealing with the emotional strife of losing an unborn child. Admittedly, this isn't a book that I would normally be drawn to, but after seeing it surface over and over on lists of recommendations, I thought I would see what all the hype is about.
Marketed as an emotional thriller, I was expecting to need a full box of tissues and maybe a therapy session or two. But it wasn't that sort of book - not to say it was a disappointment, but it certainly wasn't what I was expecting. What it was, however, was what I felt was a very human portrayal of what this character was going through. You see, so often we read characters that are awesome in the book, but would never be a real person outside of the novel. But with Bruce Wagner's writing, you always get the sense that these very well could be real people that we are reading about.
Recently I've really been into books that are beautifully written. There's something to be said for escaping into a world that is so eloquently presented that you feel it almost sparkles a bit. I am in awe of the brilliant writing that Bruce Wagner brings to this book. Whether it's describing a beautiful day on set or the drab reality of losing a child, the wording is simply stunning.
What did I think?: I liked this book, but I didn't love it. There were many things that I felt were done well: the settings were perfectly explained, the writing was beautiful, and I felt that the character presentations were very well done and accurate. However, I couldn't get past the name dropping or pretentiousness that some of the characters seemed to embody. I know it's Hollywood and there is an expected sense of self-righteousness, but it felt almost over the top and exaggerated in an otherwise fascinating story.
Who should read it?: If you enjoy beautiful writing, you will not be disappointed by this one. But I think the perfect reader would be someone who finds themselves enamored by the glitz and lifestyles of the rich and famous.
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Marketed as an emotional thriller, I was expecting to need a full box of tissues and maybe a therapy session or two. But it wasn't that sort of book - not to say it was a disappointment, but it certainly wasn't what I was expecting. What it was, however, was what I felt was a very human portrayal of what this character was going through. You see, so often we read characters that are awesome in the book, but would never be a real person outside of the novel. But with Bruce Wagner's writing, you always get the sense that these very well could be real people that we are reading about.
Recently I've really been into books that are beautifully written. There's something to be said for escaping into a world that is so eloquently presented that you feel it almost sparkles a bit. I am in awe of the brilliant writing that Bruce Wagner brings to this book. Whether it's describing a beautiful day on set or the drab reality of losing a child, the wording is simply stunning.
What did I think?: I liked this book, but I didn't love it. There were many things that I felt were done well: the settings were perfectly explained, the writing was beautiful, and I felt that the character presentations were very well done and accurate. However, I couldn't get past the name dropping or pretentiousness that some of the characters seemed to embody. I know it's Hollywood and there is an expected sense of self-righteousness, but it felt almost over the top and exaggerated in an otherwise fascinating story.
Who should read it?: If you enjoy beautiful writing, you will not be disappointed by this one. But I think the perfect reader would be someone who finds themselves enamored by the glitz and lifestyles of the rich and famous.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
shoshpursley's review
1.0
Wow, this was unbearable. I made it a few chapters in and had to stop. I didn't care at all about any of the characters and, maybe because I read it in someone else's review, but all the italicized words were making me batty! I couldn't help but read it in an obnoxious valley girl voice. I have too many other (potentially amazing) books to read to waste another minute on this one.
naonao's review
4.0
I like Bruce Wagner's (or "Wags" as I call him) work, even though it's often trippy for the sake of being trippy, dated, sexist, odd, and dense.
This book is among his most readable and enjoyable (I skimmed through a lot of the spiritual nonsense stuff that bored me to tears) and it has a genuine plot twist that astute readers (not me, I'm a big dum-dum) may see coming, or may be startled by, and then interested in how on earth this will work out.
I always like the incisive, sharp, and dark commentary on Hollywood and having just watched "Maps to the Stars" just a few days before reading this book, I found it easy to picture the characters and surroundings. The movie and book make good companion pieces and I am pretty sure the main character is a kind of mix of Nicole Kidman and Julienne Moore, which makes it a juicy, speculative read.
This book is among his most readable and enjoyable (I skimmed through a lot of the spiritual nonsense stuff that bored me to tears) and it has a genuine plot twist that astute readers (not me, I'm a big dum-dum) may see coming, or may be startled by, and then interested in how on earth this will work out.
I always like the incisive, sharp, and dark commentary on Hollywood and having just watched "Maps to the Stars" just a few days before reading this book, I found it easy to picture the characters and surroundings. The movie and book make good companion pieces and I am pretty sure the main character is a kind of mix of Nicole Kidman and Julienne Moore, which makes it a juicy, speculative read.
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