This review is of an ARC provided by Goodreads for review.
A Very Nice Girl by
Imogen Crimp
My rating:
3 of 5 stars
Young country girl living in London, studying at a Conservatory to become an opera singer, working as a singer in a small restaurant to make ends meet. She is 24, unattached, unsure of herself trying to make a go of it in a competitive field filled with pretentious 20ish somethings. Her name is Anna.
Max, 30 something, is a banker in the process of divorcing. He sits beside Anna at the bar after one of her sets--actually, he is sitting at the bar during her set and she sits beside him and while waiting for her drink asks him how he liked the set. He is honest--he really didn't pay much attention and guesses she was okay. Not in a mean way--just in the I'm tired after work, having a drink and didn't even realize there was music here.
Next thing you know, she is fascinated at his lack of apparent interest--he finds her needing praise kind of interesting and soon a relationship develops.
And then the book goes downhill into tediousness--Anna's immaturity and lack of confidence in one soon to be 25 is rather boring after awhile. Max is attentive, affectionate, supportive in his way but is non-commital in their affair. Considering his life situation and his forthright indication that he isn't looking for a new relationship since his old one is not yet terminated, Anna's dissatisfaction with his efforts and her obsessive seeking approval seemed, to me, pathetic.
Almost all of Part 2 is her mooning over him and ignoring her obligations as a Conservatory student. Her promiscuous best friend, Laurie, a self declared feminist who sees all men as oppresive, is less than flattering of Max or the relationship Anna has with him. Laurie barely knows him and paints him with a stereotypical brush of all men with a bit of money and position. Even though Anna knows Max to be better than Laurie's portrayal of him, she does not stand up for him. This causes her to be even more dissatisfied with him and weakens their relationship, which by the end of this portion of the story is over. Personally, I have no idea why he stayed around as long as he did--she is exhausting!
Parts 3 and 4 seem tacked on --they are short and feel hurried. The first 2 parts could have been shortened and edited better and the last two parts should have been elaborated more. Here is where Anna could have been shown to have developed more as a person and a singer--perhaps even have achieved more professionally. She certainly is more self-confident when she seeks Max out--though not sure the author wants to portray that. Anna is after all away from London, out in the country at his home, where she imagines his wife as having felt trapped. Yet, in the last sentence Max reaches for her.
So, what? She is going back to Max as center of her life, career ignored again, and the next installment will be Anna bemoaning what could have been?? No resolution. Max is not a manipulater or user. Anna is just immature and unfocused. She may be okay for him when she grows up.
View all my reviews
Better off Dead by Lee Child