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Book Reviews Title Rachel's
Holiday Fiction-Net
Rating Buy It
From Amazon.co.uk - BUY
NOW! Cover
Story Here's Rachel
Walsh, twenty-seven and the miserable owner of size
8 feet. She has regular congress with Luke
Costello, a man who wears his leather trousers
tight. And she's fond - some might say too fond -
of recreational drugs. Until everything
goes pear-shaped and she finds herself being
frog-marched to the Cloisters - Dublin's answer to
the Betty Ford Clinic. She's outraged. Surely she's
not thin enough to be an addict? But on the bright
side, she's heard that rehab places are
wall-to-wall jacuzzis, gymnasiums and rock stars
going tepid turkey. Besides, it's about time she
had a little holiday. Rachel isn't
expecting plump, middle-aged men in brown jumpers,
and more group therapy than you can shake a stick
at. Worse still, she seems to be expected to join
in with it. Who cares for introspection when the
view is damaged and broken? Heartsick and
Luke-sick, she seeks redemption in the shape of
Chris, a Man with a Past. A man who might be more
trouble than he's worth. Rachel is
airlifted from addiction to the unfamiliar terrain
of adulthood, via a love story or two, in a novel
by turns poignant, powerful and seriously
funny. We
Say There are few
pleasures in life to match that of curling up with
a comfortingly thick Marian Keyes novel. It's a
safe bet that there'll be charismatic female
characters, frothy humour and a plot filled with
action. Although it may not be any good for our
'literary' souls, it's good for our hearts and the
part of us that demands entertainment without
effort. That said, 'Rachel's Holiday' does have
another iron in its fire, which renders it
something of a wayward sibling in the Marian Keyes
family of books. Running alongside
the usual themes of boyfriends, embarrassing
parents and shopping is the far less cheerful
subject of addiction. Keyes has set herself a hard
task in combining the two without sacrificing the
appropriate tone of either. This is why 'Rachel's
Holiday' takes a little longer than usual to get
going. The narrative moves between Rachel's
treatment at the therapy centre and flashbacks to
her previous life in New York. In this way, her
problems are revealed gradually and, whilst we are
never fooled (as Rachel herself is) about her drug
addiction, the technique allows for the full horror
of the problem to become a revelation. Full credit
is due to Keyes for researching the subject and
putting across the message so well. Just because
it's accessible doesn't make it any less moving.
Though we may well laugh at some of the strange
characters in the treatment centre with Rachel,
Keyes is also careful to show the reader the
inevitable tragedy behind the person
involved. Arguably certain
aspects of the book are somewhat predictable. In
terms of the boyfriend material on offer to Rachel,
it's pretty easy to spot which is the 'catch' and
which is the 'rat'. But I suppose this is
forgivable in the light of all the other stuff
that's going on. Overall, 'Rachel's Holiday' is a
step away from Marian Keyes' usual style - but it's
only a small, very carefully placed step, in order
to ensure that she doesn't disappoint her
fans. Review by: Rachel
Taylor |
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