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Book Review Title Rachel's
Holiday Fiction-Net Rating Buy It - Buy This Book Cover Story Here's
Rachel Walsh, twenty-seven and the
miserable owner of size eight 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.
Marian 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, Marian 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 Buy It - Buy This Book |
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