Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The Sweet Edge--#12 finished

A very good story about a young couple going through a period where both are trying to decide if they want to be together. He goes off to the Yukon for a 50 day canoe trip by himself. He is a writer and wants to do this to gain a better insight to himself or maybe inspire himself. She is very upset about his trip and being stuck in a city, Toronto, that she doesn't know and with no real friends.

She, Ellen, meets up with a new co-worker and her girlfriend and their group. Ellen has problems from the past that shadow who she is today, her father leaving and being no part of her life at a young age, her mother being a drunk, growing up with money but in a very detached relationship with her mom.

Adam had cheated on Ellen with his long time friend Kara and Kara became pregnant. Kara and Adam are strongly into feminism and Adam was really encouraging Kara to get an abortion. The baby was lost but not really clear if a miscarriage or abortion happened. Adam even before cheating had no desire and in fact was completely against marriage and wanting kids which put the relationship with Ellen in trouble. Ellen was wanting a more traditional relationship.

The group of friends Ellen meets up with are lesbians and Kara and her group are lesbians or bisexual. I don't know if the author, Alison Pick, is just more comfortable writing about people in gay lifestyles or if there was another underlying reason for it--if so I haven't figured it out.

In the end Ellen and Adam sort of get back together and you are led to believe their relationship has probably turned a corner and is certainly stronger than before his trip. No hint given what is next in store for them though, but my guess is a more traditional relationship. I guess I shouldn't say no hint, because there was a statement when Ellen was holding the baby at the end where Deborah(her co-worker friend) said Ellen will have one of these within a year. Also there was the unopened small light present that Adam had left with Ellen before he left. She did not open it and at the very end, he hands it to her to open with obvious speculation being it is an engagement ring.

All in all I really liked this book. I thought it was a very fresh approach to relationships in todays world. The book was funny in parts and also forced you out of a comfort zone at other times. I liked that the chapters bounced back and forth from Ellen to Adam. I also enjoyed seeing the personal growth in both persons showing the time away while it caused stress and problems was greatly beneficial to both of them.

Last I checked this book was on 1 WL at PBS. I will probably post it later this week. I just was at the post office today mailing a book and will probably wait a few days to see if something else gets ordered so I can take a couple to be mailed at same time.

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