I've been avoiding writing this review because I've never actually written a negative book review before, and I'm not exactly sure how to go about it. Before I get into it though, I guess I should start by saying that this isn't the first of Jojo Moyes' books that I've read. Like many others, I read her popular novel, Me Before You, several years ago, and actually really enjoyed it. That book was so successful that it spawned its own movie adaptation. And once you read it, it's easy to see why. Though not without its flaws, Me Before You delivers an emotionally powerful story. The characters are well-rounded, realistic and relatable - especially the protagonist, Louisa Clark.
So naturally, I was expecting something similar, albeit in a shorter form, when I picked up Paris for One. A collection of short stories dealing mainly with relationship issues, Paris for One seemed like a light, entertaining read to get through. I wasn't expecting incredibly memorable stories or characters, but I did expect to be surprised a bit, at least. Having read the book now though, I unfortunately can't say that I was.
However, my biggest issue with the first and longest story, Paris for One, isn't its lack of originality. My biggest problem was with the main character herself, whose motivations and thoughts seemed unrealistic and extremely one-dimensional. I wanted to root for this character, and I was, on some level. But there wasn't a lot to root for. The story could have given us so much more depth than what it chose to.
All the stories in this book fall into the stereotypes of the chick-lit genre, a term that I don't even like to use, but honestly that's the best descriptor for this. I'm fine with some stories being lighter and focusing more on entertainment than character development, but I just don't think these stories were entertaining enough to pull that off.
Anyway, I'll leave it at that because I think that's more than enough. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes is a great read that I definitely recommend. But this collection of stories felt widely different. And I can't say it was in a good way.
Rating: 2/5 stars
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