Book Review...

I was really excited when I heard Shannon Hale had written another adult novel. So far, I'd read 4 SH novels and loved them all.... even the one that I didn't think I would like going into it. I've developed a certain "crush" on SH.... and I was starting to think I'd love anything she wrote. Then I read the premise of her newest novel, The Actor and the Housewife.... WHAT was she THINKING?!?! Here's the summary, taken straight from Shannon's own website:

Mormon housewife Becky Jack is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets celebrity heartthrob Felix Callahan. A few hours, one elevator ride, and one alcohol-free dinner later, something has happened, though nothing has happened...it isn't sexual. It isn't even quite love. But soon Felix shows up in Salt Lake City to visit and before they know what's hit them, Felix and Becky are best friends--talk-on-the-phone, drop-everything-in-an-emergency, laugh-out-loud-at-stupid-jokes best friends.

Becky's loving and devoted husband, Mike, is mostly unconcerned. Her children roll their eyes. Her large extended family and neighbors gossip endlessly. But Felix and Becky have something special... something unusual, something that seems from the outside--and sometimes from the inside too--completely impossible to sustain.

On the surface, Becky's story of a steadfast housewife and the handsome star is the ultimate romantic fantasy. But the depth of emotion that Shannon Hale shows us in Becky is the strength that underpins only the strongest relationships. It is what makes this story resonate beyond the glitter of Felix's movie-stardom to the deeper understanding of the kinds of true love we all dream of having.

Shannon Hale has created a magical and often hilarious story that explores what might happen when your not-so-secret celebrity crush walks right into real life, and changes everything.

I am also a Mormon Housewife, and have some real strong opinions about book plots like these. I've been known to stop reading a novel and take it back to the library when I was uncomfortable with the lines being crossed in the plot. I am a fairly "liberal" reader (by LDS standards), and tolerate probably far more "ick" than I should, but marital infidelity is one thing I won't read about. The minute the main character is walking down that road, no matter how unhappy their current marriage is, or how justified the situation might seem, I will close the book and walk away.

With that in mind, I doubted whether or not I could read this book, and like it. I doubted whether or not I could still respect Shannon Hale when it was all over. I doubted whether or not I could finish it. I had nervous butterflies when I thought about reading it. One part of me was dying to read it and see how she made this story work, the other part of me was terrified that I would be so unhappy with how she made this story work. Does that make sense?

So, a few months ago, (yes, months!) I put this book on hold on the libary website. I waited paitently as I was #16 in line to read it. It took a long time to get to the top of the line, but when I finally did, I realized it was time to just read it and get it over with.

So I began reading.... and instantly was drawn to the main character, Becky Jack. (Although I was never in love with the name Becky... does anyone go by that name anymore???) She was grounded, likable and witty. Oh so witty. Each night for several nights while the family sat on the couch mesmerized by the Olympics, I would multi-task... read the book and occasionally look up to watch the Olympics when it was something really great or exciting.

I've always wondered how I would act if I ran into a celebrity that falls into the category of Felix Callahan. My list of celebs like him would include Colin Firth, Hugh Jackman, Ewan McGregor , Daniel Craig and Christian Bale. Geee... I really like the British ones, don't I? I know for sure that I wouldn't have the guts to "spar" with any celebrity like Becky Jack did. And I loved her for it. I think her gutsy personality is what drew me into the story. That girl was a typical Mormon housewife in the suburbs, but she had spunk.

But then I committed the ultimate crime: about 100 pages in, unsure of where this was still going, I peeked at the last page. Stupid, stupid, stupid me. I know better than to peek at the last page. I never read the last page first. But given the subject matter, I just had to know... ya know? Of course, reading the last few lines of the story was a mistake, as it always is, because I didn't get a true picture of the ending based on those last few lines.

I won't say how the book ends, but I will say that I felt completely satisfied with the ending. It actually could have ended two or three different ways and I would have been satisfied. I think that speaks volumes about SH's abilities.

I just gave this book 5 stars on good reads. I rarely give a book 5 stars. I have to really LOVE it to give it 5 stars. This one was more on a 4.5 level, but I decided to be generous and round up. The things I loved most about this book is how it made me feel and analyze my own life. I have a lot in common with Becky Jack and I found myself comparing myself to her more than once. How would I handle the same situation she was in? I started reading this book hesitantly... ready to abandon it at any moment and flee for the hills if I didn't like where it was headed... yet, I kept reading... and kept reading, even though the lines to be crossed were often blurry and unclear. When I got to page 256, and an event occurs that changes Becky's life forever, I started sobbing. And I mean, SOBBING. NEVER... never have I had such an intense emotional reaction to a book. At that point, I realized how well SH had done her job. I was so invested in the characters of this book, that I felt like Becky's heartaches and triumphs were mine as well. The remaining 80 pages were read with Kleenex in hand as I laughed and cried through the story. At times, I was crying so hard that I couldn't read the words.

This book was incredibly thought provoking. It made me think about the value of friendships. My friendship with my husband, my friends, both male and female, and also with my kids. It made me wonder whether or not I could have a man as a BFF. It made me think about a lot of things, including motherhood. Since the book spans 11 years, there is ample time to watch Becky and her children grow up. Time to see how they all change and grow together. I finished this book 24 hours ago, but I still can't stop thinking about it. Another sign of a 5 star book.

So there's my review... go get the book. Get in the queue at the library now (it's a long line... to many Mormon housewives and not enough copies for this town!)

And trust me, DON'T read the last page first. No matter how much you are tempted. Just trust me. Now that I know and understand the ending, I want to read it again... but I am going to wait a bit. Another emotional breakdown which will likely happen again wouldn't be good for me twice in one week. (Just thinking about those scenes makes me get teary eyed... and it's fiction for crying out loud!)

And I'd love to hear the perspective from a non-mormon housewife. I'm curious to see how much the religion aspect of the book may have swayed my opinion. So, if you've read it, speak up... I'm dying to hear another opinion on the book, even if you hated it. I promise I won't bite!