So this book came up as a must summer read on a BookBub Facebook Post and I said what the hell I'll read it! Now mind you, I had just finished Steven King's The Mist and after that soaring disappointment I wanted a more emphatically positive reviewed book to ensure I would not be in the throes of two disappointments in a row. If you have ever been there before, as I have, you will undoubtedly understand how maddening it can be to read several books in a row that absolutely suck. You feel like wasted money and wasted time = wasted LIFE! So trying to ensure I did not find myself in another book curse, I browsed those 4.5-5 star rated books and this one stood out as a non romance story (I hate romance stories) and also perhaps a comedy which can be surprising in the best ways. Hmmm, well it wasn't exactly what I hoped...
So let's get to it...
Now mind you the book is title Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and after reading just the first few pages, my guess is the author intended this as an obvious sarcastic hyperbole because as you will find out the main character Eleanor is certainly not fine. She is odd - rarely funny odd, mostly odd odd. This is said without judgement as being in a people facing industry I am friends with quite a few odd people. Hell, if you ask some of them I may fall to the left of center on the odd scale which is neither here nor there - just emphasizing its not the character's profile that I am lukewarm reviewing. As I was getting to, the main character is seemingly both aware and unaware of her existence in the extreme left of the spectrum of weirdos. Her brief "aha" moments are always followed by a casual shrugging off of that creeping reality.
Also, Eleanor is supposed to be a sympathetic character, but man there is a Regina George Muppet trapped in this woman's soul (Mean Girls reference in case you born this year! or before 1975 :-/). With that said, its initially hard to sympathize with her but not absolutely boring to read - felt very throwback to Perez Hilton's site before he became nice and legitimate - when he was just taking a white pen and circling people's bulging chichos or small "hands". Sigh the good ole days! As a character she's ok.
So the plot...There's some stalking. There is some mommy issues which is very appropo 20th/21st century issue here. There's a makeover. I won't blab the big give of the story but there is a sad backstory that is hinted at WAY too long before it is actually disclosed and then when it is disclosed its barely explored. The backstory is sort of just unveiled and then shuffled to an end. I had a similar reaction recently when watching the movie The Girl With All the Gifts. I mean here I am invested in this plot and then the end comes like a slammed door in your face and you're like WTF is that IT. Apparently it is and this is and so yeah Eleanor is not normal for a good reason that you might've cared more about if it was given more page space.
My review can be summed up as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is like room temperature Chek soda. Sweet still but ultimately bottom shelf soda. Still drinkable, but it cannot compare to Grape Fanta or Cherry Coca Cola. I also wish I hadn't paid $12.99 for it. SKIP IT!
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