A review by serendipitysbooks
So Happy for You by Celia Laskey

dark funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 
Robin and Ellie have been best friends since childhood but as they’ve gotten older their friendship has had its ups and downs and they no longer have a lot in common. But when Ellie is due to get married she really wants Robin by her side as maid-of-honour. And Robin, despite reservations about marriage in general and Ellie’s fiancé in particular, agrees.

While telling one cohesive story this book felt like a combination of at least three genres. Parts of it definitely fit the “women’s fiction” genre with Robin and Ellie’s backstories and their now complicated friendship. There is also a lot of satire in the sections focussed on wedding planning. If you’ve ever thought that too much time and money goes into weddings and all the associated events (showers, multi-day bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, post-wedding parties…), felt uncomfortable about the pressure to marry and some of the associated customs (brides being “given away” and wearing white to signal virginity), or laughed at the excesses of some bridezillas then parts of this book will have you simultaneously laughing and rolling your eyes. And then the story takes a darker turn veering into suspense/thriller territory when it takes the concept of a woman who will do anything to guarantee the success of her marriage to a whole new level. Add dystopian/speculative fiction into the mix as well, because this is set in society where the pressure to marry and stay married has become immense - women who have not married by a certain age are labelled “rotten”.

A thoroughly engaging and entertaining read, one that had me laughing, raging and perching nervously on the edge of my chair. 
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