My book review on The World After Alice by Lauren Aliza Green. An intriguing concept with room for improvement.
Title: The World After Alice
By: Lauren Aliza Green
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 320
Release Date: July 2nd, 2024
Publisher: Viking
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Summary from Goodreads:
For readers of Seating Arrangements and The Most Fun We Ever Had , a gorgeous and gripping story of two families brought together to celebrate an unexpected marriage, twelve years after a devastating tragedy upended their lives
When Morgan and Benji surprise their families with a wedding invitation to Maine, they’re aware the news of their clandestine relationship will come as a shock. Twelve years have passed since the stunning loss of sixteen-year-old Alice, Benji’s sister and Morgan’s best friend, and no one is quite the same. But the young couple decide to plunge headlong into matrimony, marking the first time their fractured families will reunite since Alice’s funeral.
As the arriving guests descend upon the tranquil coastal town, they bring with them not only skepticism about the impromptu nuptials but also deep-seated secrets and agendas of their own. Peter, Morgan’s father, may be trying to dissuade his daughter from saying “I do,” while Linnie, Benji’s mother, introduces a new boyfriend with his own tumultuous past. Nick, Benji’s father, is scheming to secure a new job before his wife, Caro—formerly his secretary and mistress—discovers he lost his old one. Morgan, too, carries delicate secrets that threaten to jeopardize the happiness she has so longed for. And Benji is just trying to make sure the whole weekend doesn’t implode.
As the whirlwind weekend unfolds, old passions reignite, deep wounds resurface, and unearthed secrets threaten to shatter the fragile peace the wedding promises. With each new revelation, the to-be-weds and their complicated families are forced to question just how well they know the ones they hold dear.
Review:
Every once and a while I come across these fiction stories that seem to be a jumble of words with no real plot line. Its like the author thought up a really intriguing title for the book, but forgot what it was about.
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I had a hard time finding much that was interesting to me. It was like listening to my grandma tell me about a cousins wedding she went to five years ago. Nothing special, no plot twists or climax in the story. Just a mundane recap of a sad day in the life.
And who really was Alice? I really don't remember.
This read probably deserved a 2 star rating, but I gave it 3. It was just ehhh...
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
