Worst.Idea.Ever (a book by Jane Fallon)
Reviewed by Anja Barker – 3/5
I was drawn to the book because the cover told me it was a million-copy bestseller. Hoping a million people couldn’t have been wrong, I bought this book. Not only have I now contributed to yet another (expensive) copy being sold, but I’m also now the prime example of how good marketing can work!
The book itself was neither wonderfully good, nor was it terribly bad. It was one of those books you’d ready here and there – without feeling the need to finish it in one go.
The story started strong and was intriguing at first. Georgia (a successful children’s illustrator and writer, happily married) wanting to help her closest friend Lydia (a struggling, forever single, artist) by creating a fake Twitter profile (giving herself the name Patricia) and praising Lydia’s artwork in the hope of boosting her confidence and self-esteem. Lydia appears to totally fall for it and starts a private message exchange with her new Twitter friend Patricia that ultimately leads to Lydia confiding in her, disclosing an apparent secret that she couldn’t tell anyone, not even her best friend Georgia. This rocks Georgia’s world and with no one to turn to (as her best friend doesn’t know she knows), she has to manoeuvre through suspicion, jealousy and self-doubt.
At times, the story is rather predictable and unrelatable, especially as both main characters had been the closest of friends for many years, yet both acting as if they could simply deceive the other without neither of them noticing.
What I enjoyed about the book was the writing – sharp, to the point and witty. The dialogues flowed and there was just the right balance of describing the characters and giving my own imagination free reign in making them come to life in my head. The story also touches on what I always worry about – how fake, yet influential, the world of social media can be and how easy it would be for anyone to raise suspicion and spread fake news. It leads to the ultimate question – what do you trust more? What people say to your face or what they say behind your back?
If an easy-read with a bit of revenge thrown in and a story that leaves no question unanswered is what you like, then this is the book for you.
Have you read a good book recently that you think we would enjoy and want to write a review? Please get in touch mary.hammond@community-life.co.uk