Jane of Manchester by J.G. Dow
A rambling, free-flowing, diary-style inside look at the life of a thirty-year-old woman living an absolutely unremarkable life in inner Manchester. Jane has many things going for her: loving parents close by, supportive girlfriends, an easy job at a florist's shop, and a very sympathetic boss. Her love life, however, is non-existent, and she worries that her window of opportunity for starting a family is shrinking and, with everyone in her circle either in a relationship or already married, she may become the one left on the shelf.
The first-person narration is charmingly candid, punctuated by many hilarious comments and humorous situations, but it does suffer from a certain sameness and repetition. A cross between Coronation Street and the Diary of Bridget Jones (thankfully without the overweight girl angst or the overdone klutziness). Jane is a very likeable character. She's not the brightest bulb, but she has good instincts and a kind heart. Her friends are a cross-section, from new moms to wild party-girls, whose antics wear a bit thin after a while. I really liked Will; he's a well-drawn character minus the stereotypes. However, there is a flip side to Jane's carefree social life, and its treatment is what elevates this book above the usual chick-lit standard. |
Without passing any moral judgement, J.G. Dow exposes the extent of the drinking culture that has become endemic among young UK women. Apparently, “having fun” requires guzzling as much alcohol as possible before passing out or being sick. The inevitable embarrassing behaviour and next-day hangover woes are also cause for much amusement.
Readers of a similar age to Jane and her friends will identify with their predicaments and get a kick out of her sardonic humour. Even though I'm not the ideal target audience, I found many laugh-out-loud moments. For me, the ending was a little too open-ended, but it clearly leaves the door open for a sequel.
Readers of a similar age to Jane and her friends will identify with their predicaments and get a kick out of her sardonic humour. Even though I'm not the ideal target audience, I found many laugh-out-loud moments. For me, the ending was a little too open-ended, but it clearly leaves the door open for a sequel.
Jane Once Again by J.G. Dow
In this sequel to Jane of Manchester, we follow our protagonist through the subtly changing circumstances of her life. More of her closest friends get married or start a family. Her sister continues to be a source of annoyance, but she has a big surprise in store for everyone. There are more drinking marathons with alarming amounts of booze being consumed, followed by regrettable hangovers. But it was Jane's budding relationship with Dan which kept me on the edge until the very end.
The mood of the first book is maintained with Jane chronicling her rather ordinary life with disarming candour. Her quirky humour is quintessentially British and, having lived in London, I can relate to much of what she finds irritating about her routine. In fact, the charm of this series is that Jane is completely unpretentious, and reading about her life is like talking to a friend at work. I described it before as a cross between Coronation Street and the Diary of Bridget Jones. Once again I found Jane very likeable, but this time my favourite character was her boss Will. He's a kind-hearted and spirited gay man, described without the slightest condescension and with a refreshing lack of cliches or stereotyping. He reminds me of a flat-mate we had when I was first living on my own, sharing a big old Victorian terrace house with a bunch of other twenty-somethings. |
If you liked the first book, you will love the sequel. In fact, I enjoyed it more because of some new aspects which I won't discuss so as not to spoil your reading pleasure. Suitable for the widest audience as there are no graphic scenes and only the mildest oaths.
Jaxson's Song by Angie WestAn ingenuous storyline with many hidden secrets and an engaging rough-and-ready protagonist. Jaxson hates his job in a seedy club in small-town Florida. It's a long way from Brooklyn and his early career as an accountant, but he got caught fiddling books for the wrong people and only escaped jail time by agreeing to work as undercover bait. His muscled-up body does not suit his new wardrobe, but he's just waiting for his mark to notice him.
Kate Delaney is twenty-one, a pretty blonde fresh out of nursing school. Raising her younger sister Lilly after their mother's death has made her tough and self-reliant. They have just inherited a large Victorian house from an aunt in Florida. Although the place is full of unhappy memories from their childhood visits, the sisters' dire finances leave them no option but to move in. The narrative is tight and moves along at a fair clip. Angie West does a good job of making me care for the exasperated Jaxson and brave but messed-up Kate. |
There were a few moments when a suspension of belief was required but, with stories involving the supernatural, that is to be expected. The breathless ending brought a welcome wrapping-up of the tale. I have to mention that there are moments of pure farce that made me laugh out loud, and one particularly hilarious one. An imaginative, well-written story with a welcome dose of wicked humour.