Book review: If Only It Were True

Hey-o! I just wanted to say hi before my normal book review post.

I've been super busy lately, leaving less time to blog. I promise there will be more real posts soon. Like, next week.

In the meantime, here's my weekly book review. I don't know if you guys even read them, but they're one of the things about blogging I've really come to love doing. So they're gonna stick around.

I promise promise promise this is the last negative review for a while. I've really enjoyed the books I've read since this one!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! <3

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If Only It Were True by Marc Levy

Description from Goodreads (below) can be found here along with other reviews. Linking up with Blonde... Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday.

What do you do when you find a stranger in your closet; particularly when she's surprised that you can even see her -- and she can disappear and reappear at whim? What if she then tells you that her body is actually in a coma on the other side of town? Should you have her see a psychiatrist or should you consult one yourself? Or do you take a chance and believe in her, and allow yourself to be swept up in an extraordinary adventure?

This is the beginning of the dilemma that Arthur, a young San Francisco architect, is faced with when he discovers Lauren in his apartment.

Arthur is the only man who can share Lauren's secret, the only one who can see her, hear her, and talk to her when no one else so much as senses her presence. So when doctors prepare to end Lauren's physical care -- which would destroy the magical bond she and Arthur cherish -- he must find a way to save her. For, after all, it is only her love that can save him.

Have you all seen the super cute Reese Witherspoon movie Just Like Heaven? It was one of my faaaaavorites in high school--a fun, quirky, sweet chick flick. Turns out it was based on a book called If Only It Were True.

So when I was looking for an audiobook for my trip home for Easter and I found the book version of Just Like Heaven, I was excited. I also got The Kite Runner, but decided to listen to Just Like Heaven (which I later discovered was originally called "If Only It Were True") first because I thought it would be lighter and more fun.

Wrong.

Guys, don't read this book. Probably. I mean, it has good reviews on Goodreads, so I guess some people like it. But seriously, don't. Here are a few reasons I didn't like it:

1. Holy sentimentalism, Batman! The whole book is overly dramatic. Granted, it makes sense to have an increased awareness of the value of life when you're kind of a ghost and don't know if you'll ever be alive for real again. But man, did this book drag. When I think of it I think of The Notebook (which I didn't like, btw) dipped in molasses and dragged through a vat of icing. Yup, that's what I'm going with. It was just too much.

2. There was a lot of the whole creating-situations-and-or-characters-for-a-singular-reason business that I don't like. For example (spoiler alert!): Arthur at one point  steals Lauren's comatose body for a while. Since he ends up giving it back and not getting in any trouble, the only point I could find to him stealing her was to force him to go to his mother's old house and remember and be sad and force his relationship with his mother to the front. Which brings me to my final point...

3. Aaaaaaaaaaaargh the mother stuff! It was just awful. No one talks like the mom does. No one. And it didn't relate to the Lauren stuff and was just stupid.

The book is also sprinkled with terrible writing, like when we conveniently find out only right before they wanna have sexy time that Lauren can change (or eliminate) her clothes just by thinking about it. Which she does and she's suddenly naked -- then she stands there naked and explains that she can do it. Isn't that awkward? I thought it was terribly awkward.

Anyway. Maybe read this book. But probably don't.

Has anyone else read Just Like Heaven or If Only It Were True? What did you think?