Book Club Review
Review
This is a book about a deluded, bad husband and a batshit crazy wife. It made an entertaining read, but I would not want to meet either of them. I’d recommend it, but only to people that don’t mind something a bit darker.
Nick
In the first few paragraphs I thought Nick did it, but pretty quickly decided that it didn’t make sense. Nick always saw himself one way and was really another, which I guess a lot of people do. But he was clearly a negligent, selfish husband who didn’t have the balls to talk to his wife.
Amy
Just before the twist was revealed I figured it might be the case. Once it landed I was suddenly more into the book and wanted to read more about the crazy character. Amy was just horrible, though. I don’t think she had any real redeeming qualities.
I think Amy was always going to be a psychopath, but her parents certainly didn’t help the cause. They were my least favourite characters, because they were also so selfish and oblivious. It comes back to what Amy says about everyone wanting a Cool Girl. The parents had an idealistic interpretation of what an ideal child is, but that doesn’t mean it’s what they actually wanted. Amazing Amy was fiction, after all.
The Cool Girl
I agree that there is some truth to what Amy says about the Cool Girl, but everyone has idealistic dreams about their partner that would never be true. Having an idealistic idea of someone doesn’t mean that is all you are looking for, nor is it necessarily what you actually want. It does have some good quotable parts, though.
The media
The media side seems real. News outlets only want to tell a story that gets views, whether it is real or not. That means everyone on the other end has to pretend things to get anywhere with it.
The people worth liking
My favourites were the cop and Nick’s sister. I liked Boney’s attitude and the way she revealed information, and Go was just a nice person overall.
As for Desi, nobody deserves what happened to him, but I can’t say I would be that upset, as he was doing something borderline criminal anyway.
The ending
I really wanted a different ending. It was a good ending, but not one I wanted or expected, which is nice in a book. I wanted the detective and Nick to successfully find something to nail Amy with. Even if it was something minor, just some win over Amy.
The bell
One line took me right out of the book:
And he takes a single lock of my hair between two fingers and runs them all the way to the end, tugging twice, like he’s ringing a bell.
It was too odd. Thinking about how that works, I cannot figure out how it would be sexy. There are two types of bell I can think of this working for. A church bell, where you pull down, is just comical. A town crier’s bell is even worse.
The score
I have probably rated it lower because I wanted a different ending and its characters never did what I wanted. I could probably rate it higher, but I am leaving room for other spectacular books to be rated higher. I haven’t seen the film, but I may watch it soon because of the book.
How divided were we?
Discussion Questions
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Who did you believe, and when did it change?
My answer In the first few paragraphs I thought Nick did it, but pretty quickly decided that it didn't make sense. Then just before the twist was revealed I figured it might be the case.
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Did you think the book got better or worse after the twist?
My answer Better. I was suddenly more into the book and wanted to read more about the crazy character.
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Do you believe in the Cool Girl speech?
Men always say that as the defining compliment, don't they? She's a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she's hosting the world's biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don't mind, I'm the Cool Girl.
Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they're fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men – friends, coworkers, strangers – giddy over these awful pretender women, and I'd want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who'd like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. I'd want to grab the poor guy by his lapels or messenger bag and say: The bitch doesn't really love chili dogs that much – no one loves chili dogs that much! And the Cool Girls are even more pathetic: They're not even pretending to be the woman they want to be, they're pretending to be the woman a man wants them to be. Oh, and if you're not a Cool Girl, I beg you not to believe that your man doesn't want the Cool Girl. It may be a slightly different version – maybe he's a vegetarian, so Cool Girl loves seitan and is great with dogs; or maybe he's a hipster artist, so Cool Girl is a tattooed, bespectacled nerd who loves comics. There are variations to the window dressing, but believe me, he wants Cool Girl, who is basically the girl who likes every fucking thing he likes and doesn't ever complain. (How do you know you're not Cool Girl? Because he says things like: "I like strong women." If he says that to you, he will at some point fuck someone else. Because "I like strong women" is code for "I hate strong women.")
My answer There is some truth to it, but everyone has idealistic dreams about their partner that would never be true. Having an idealistic idea of someone doesn't mean that is all you are looking for, nor is it necessarily what you actually want.
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Are you satisfied with the ending? What would you change about it?
My answer I really wanted a different ending. It was a good ending, but not one I wanted or expected, which is nice in a book. I wanted the detective and Nick to successfully find something to nail Amy with. Even if it was something minor, just some win over Amy.
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Does anyone want to watch the movie next?
Quotes
When I think of my wife, I always think of her head.
Men always say that as the defining compliment, don't they? She's a cool girl.
I don't have anything more to say. I just wanted to make sure I had the last word. I think I've earned that.
Highlights
Detective Rhonda Boney and Go
Rand and Marybeth Elliott
And he takes a single lock of my hair between two fingers and runs them all the way to the end, tugging twice, like he's ringing a bell.