Review "Surprise me" - Sophie Kinsella

Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Description

After being together for ten years, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, beautiful twin girls, and communicate so seamlessly, they finish each other's sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it's casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years... and panic sets in.

They quickly decide to create little surprises for each other, to keep their relationship fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me - anything from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to photo shoots - mishaps arise with disastrous and comical results.

Gradually, the surprises turn to shocking discoveries. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other after all...

I often feel a stab of guilt after reading one author’s book and not knowing about or read previous works, which is a little silly, because I can’t have time for all the good books (or bad ones) that are there.

I just finished “Surprise me” by Sophie Kinsella, her latest book, which I was attracted by its cover and description, leaving the impression of a funny love story. I haven’t read any of the author’s other books, so it was like a book blind-date, one of the things I often do when choosing a book, but learning afterwards about the author I felt cheated just because maybe I could’ve laughed and enjoyed more another story of hers.
Rewind to “Surprise me” and we have the story of a married couple, with ten years already in their archive, but learning that 68 more are to come to their marriage, they fear of the inevitable boredom. Quick on her feet, Sylvie devises for their future decades together a “surprise me project”, which she is sure she and Dan will happily and successfully bring to fruition. The story at this point sounds fun and interesting, questioning what ideas they can come up with and how amusing it can be if those surprises backfire. Also, what’s the rush?
So I was entertained with some funny and unpredictable scenes, thinking to myself there are more to come and the atmosphere is turning pretty good. I was in for a surprise, because why not? And where is too much excitement, there is also place for drama.
I expected a funny read start-end, sprinkled with the aforementioned drama, the story could’ve still been interesting, but as a result I was disappointed. Sylvie’s character is difficult to empathize with, even with all her hardships; Dan is absent; the focus of their relationship lost in a complicated turn of events. With all its funny parts, love, drama, lies and secrets, the idea of not really knowing the person closest to you, the book is hard to place in one category – good or bad. Personally, I liked the starting idea and hoped for more in the same rhythm, fact that led to my disappointment; so I didn’t laugh out loud, or felt sad on the characters’ behalf, but I can’t say it was a really bad book, just it lost its appeal somewhere on the way.


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