Hating Olivia: A Love Story (P.S.)
Book Description
Max is a struggling musician and wannabe writer. His life is in a rut until one night, while playing a gig at a local club, he gazes out into the crowd and sees Olivia. Before long, they are sharing a bed and host of dark vices that begin to consume them. Their love turns toxic, sending them spiraling downward toward the inevitable. Violently romantic, viscerally honest, Hating Olivia is the story of two loners whose obsessive love brings them to the edge of destruction.
What I Can Tell You: While I am sure that there are many people who will love this book. This wasn't my cup of tea at all. Mark SaFranko is a very smart writer maybe a little too smart for me. Which is why I have always called myself the Amateur Book Reviewer. I believe the writing to be good! However, this was a little too much like reality. The love story is completely toxic as a lot of relationships turn out to be. It is slow and I have no respect for our two main characters, Max or Olivia. I wouldn't be friends with either of them.
With all of that said, I love that the author is from New Jersey and I knew a lot of the places he wrote of and appreciated all the literary mentions.
Mark SaFranko is an American author, playwright, artist, and musician. He was cited in The Best American Mystery Stories 2000 and has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes. He is the author of five published novels—Hating Olivia, Lounge Lizard, God Bless America, Hopler's Statement, and The Favor—and has written dozens more. He lives with his wife and son in New Jersey.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Perennial
LOVE your honesty!!!
ReplyDeleteFreda, It's the only way I know how to be. Have always been an open book.
ReplyDeleteMeant to add, we are not all the same so it goes without saying, we won't all like the same book. It is something I struggle with when I review a book. Just because I love something or not, doesn't mean everyone will agree with me. I still remember when I wrote my review on P.S. I Love You. I need to repost that. People were pissed that I didn't love the book. They actually wrote, I should keep my opinions to myself. I loved it. On my own blog, I should keep my opinions to myself!? Hahahah...so fun.
ReplyDelete