Again Again is the latest novel by bestselling author E Lockhart. Adelaide is not at a good stage in her life. Her younger brother has a serious illness, and she has just been dumped by her boyfriend. Adelaide is distraught, and the only thing she enjoys is her dog walking job. When she meets Jack, a boy she met once before at a party and wrote her a poem, she thinks her life is about to take an upward turn.
This is only the second book I have read by Lockhart and you couldn’t get two more different genres. Genuine Fraud was an intriguing adventure which portrayed women as independent people who don’t need to rely on men to give them fulfilment. In Again Again Adelaide appears to need a man to give her life meaning. For most of the book, the dialogue barely passes the Bechdel test.
However, there are some parts of the book which are interesting, specifically the relationship between Adelaide and her brother, Toby. The conflicting emotions Adelaide feels e.g. fear, hurt and betrayal are understandable and add depth to her character and the story as a whole. These chapters are skilfully written with a real rawness at the heart, and this makes the weakness of her relationships with other male characters all the more puzzling and frustrating.
The style of writing is quite unusual; a mix of reported speech, text messages between Abigail and other characters, and at times what appears to be a stream of consciousness. While off-putting at the outset, during the course of the book this idiosyncratic style became more familiar and it often signified when Adelaide was working through ideas in her head.
Lockhart has also thrown in alternate realities so the reader can see how a slight change from one of the characters, can lead to a whole different future for Abigail. These are identified by varying fonts, so it is easy to follow. While this does add perspective on how one simple change can lead to a completely different future, ultimately, I’m not convinced it really added anything to the plot or to Adelaide’s story.
The book has a satisfying conclusion with a further alternate reality, which for me raised the question of what was the point of the rest of the book. Hopefully readers may see it as a lesson that it is more important to be comfortable and happy with yourself, rather than wanting the approval of others.
Although the book is not without flaws, it is heartening to see authors writing stand-alone books rather than going for the easy option of sequels. While not every book will be a success with all readers, it is far better to aim for originality.
Just a word of warning for anyone attracted to the rather whimsical cover and blurb. This is not the quirky book suggested; it is a far darker tale, although Adelaide’s conversations with the dogs are marvellous.
This is only the second book I have read by Lockhart and you couldn’t get two more different genres. Genuine Fraud was an intriguing adventure which portrayed women as independent people who don’t need to rely on men to give them fulfilment. In Again Again Adelaide appears to need a man to give her life meaning. For most of the book, the dialogue barely passes the Bechdel test.
However, there are some parts of the book which are interesting, specifically the relationship between Adelaide and her brother, Toby. The conflicting emotions Adelaide feels e.g. fear, hurt and betrayal are understandable and add depth to her character and the story as a whole. These chapters are skilfully written with a real rawness at the heart, and this makes the weakness of her relationships with other male characters all the more puzzling and frustrating.
The style of writing is quite unusual; a mix of reported speech, text messages between Abigail and other characters, and at times what appears to be a stream of consciousness. While off-putting at the outset, during the course of the book this idiosyncratic style became more familiar and it often signified when Adelaide was working through ideas in her head.
Lockhart has also thrown in alternate realities so the reader can see how a slight change from one of the characters, can lead to a whole different future for Abigail. These are identified by varying fonts, so it is easy to follow. While this does add perspective on how one simple change can lead to a completely different future, ultimately, I’m not convinced it really added anything to the plot or to Adelaide’s story.
The book has a satisfying conclusion with a further alternate reality, which for me raised the question of what was the point of the rest of the book. Hopefully readers may see it as a lesson that it is more important to be comfortable and happy with yourself, rather than wanting the approval of others.
Although the book is not without flaws, it is heartening to see authors writing stand-alone books rather than going for the easy option of sequels. While not every book will be a success with all readers, it is far better to aim for originality.
Just a word of warning for anyone attracted to the rather whimsical cover and blurb. This is not the quirky book suggested; it is a far darker tale, although Adelaide’s conversations with the dogs are marvellous.