Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Review: Pillow Talk by Freya North


Please note: I have not finished this book. However, due to time constraints, it is not likely I will finish it any time soon, so I wanted to review it and will come back and possibly edit this review once I am done with it.

Although I understand that most of chick lit is fluffier than fluff, and just as literary important, I sometimes enjoy reading books that would fall into this category. Some, I liked a lot - Sophie Kinsella, Helen Fielding, MaryJanice Davidson... Some I liked a lot less, and Freya North's Pillow Talk falls into this category.

Pillow Talk tells the story of Petra, a somewhat lonely jewelery-maker in London, who doesn't seem very independent. She has an arrogant boyfriend, egocentric parents, and on top of that, she sleepwalks, which often gets her in trouble. She also fondly remembers her high school days, when two of the best things in her life happened. One, she took care of a wise, old lady, who taught her a lot about life and its intricacies. And two, she was romanced by Arlo, the frontman of a teenage band who also entertained her with his guitar during her pottery lessons. It isn't long before Petra accidentally runs into her high school sweetheart during vacation, and this is when the romance starts.

Obviously, Pillow Talk is not a heavy, important read, and thankfully, it doesn't pretend to be one. However, one can't easily overlook its flaws. First, the character of Petra is not very likable. She used to be an opinionated, headstrong girl back in high school, but now, she is indecisive and too romantic for her own good. The book is also full of stock characters, as well as some rather superfluous plot lines. On the other hand, the character of Arlo is well-conceived, and Petra's flashbacks to the conversations she shared with the old lady are nice as well.

If you need a pool-side book, or something to read and not think a lot, Pillow Talk could be great. However, I would advise you to pick up something that moves more quickly and is less corny.

RATING: 2/5

4 comments:

Amanda said...

I am NOT a fan of chick lit.

Nikola said...

As I said,I like some, but this was too romancey :)

Jenny Girl said...

There is very few chick lit books that I read and like. Thank you for the honest review.

Anonymous said...

Very honest review. I must admit, sometimes, I crave chick lit - it's like chocolate for me, not really good for me, but something I enjoy. Still, there are some really BAD chick lit books out there. This one sounds interesting, but sometimes an interesting plot line is ruined by the author's execution.