I chose to read this book as part of the 52 in 52 challenge. This is my book that is guaranteed to make me happy. And it has.

On the surface, it’s not exactly a happy book about a light and joyful topic. It is a story about a 27 year old woman, Rachel, with a drug addiction. She is Irish and living in New York City with her best friend since childhood, Brigit. Rachel’s boyfriend is the lovely Luke, one of the group Rachel thinks of as the ‘Real Men.’ One night, after breaking up with Luke, losing her job, and falling out with Brigit, Rachel takes too many pills and winds up in hospital having her stomach pumped. Due to a rather maudlin poem she’d been attempting to write before she fell asleep, everyone thinks her overdose was on purpose.

Brigit contacts Rachel’s family who fly her home to Dublin straight away and get her a place in a rehab clinic, The Cloisters. This clinic does not live up to Rachel’s expectations at first — there is no sauna, no jacuzzi, no gym, no massages, and no celebrities detoxing. What there is (aplenty!) is group therapy and men in brown jumpers who are alcoholics, drug addicts, overeaters. And, Rachel knows she does not belong in any of those categories.

This is the story of how slowly, gradually, Rachel comes to realise that she is a drug addict. Not only that, but she has an addictive personality. It takes her a long time to realise this, but the catalyst comes when Luke and Brigit visit from New York to act as Rachel’s ISO (Involved Significant Others). They tell Rachel’s group about all the ways she used and abused them and how hard it was to live with her. They are both so angry, but Rachel doesn’t understand why. She is furious, mainly, at Luke for betraying her like this. It takes a long time for her to see things from his point of view.

Once Rachel is discharged, she returns to her Mum and Dad’s home, where two of her sisters (Anna and Helen) are still living. She makes a few mistakes along the road to recovery. But, she does recover with the help of lots of NA meetings.

The ending is my favourite ending to any book, ever. It is absolutely perfect and makes me warm inside and a little tearful every time I read it. That’s kind of how the whole book makes me feel, really.

Okay, the subject matter is serious. But Marian Keyes is an extraordinary writer. She pulls you in and wraps you up in the world of The Cloisters. The characters are so real. She writes with a unique voice. I love the way she tells a story. I’ve read this book a number of times, and each time, I see it from a slightly different perspective. I love that.

So, I think you’ve probably guessed by now. I love this book!

People who like to get "the feels" when they read.

Luke. He is so lovely, and he loves Rachel so much. He's her lobster, lol. I also love Rachel's dad. His awkwardness at dealing with any of his (five) daughters is really funny. There's a great scene where Rachel describes the panic in her father's voice when she phones him and his wife isn't there to speak to her. Very funny. He is also quite henpecked, being the only male in a house of seven people.

Rachel's selfishness. She is completely self-absorbed. But, we need to see this part of her character in order to understand how much she grows by the end.

Read every book Marian Keyes has written, in order.

Happy. At times, sad, uncomfortable, angry. Mostly, though, happy.

Marian Keys. She is my favourite author. There is no other writer who draws emotions out in me like she does. She has a wonderful way of connecting with her readers. Her characters are so real. Mainly, though, her vocabulary, and the way she puts it all together, is the best there is. Okay. So, I'm slightly biased.

It's fab! Very funny, warm, sad, funny. Did I say funny? It really is.

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Created Sep 28, 2021 at 6:06am • Submit your own review...