Derrick does it again with this one. Oh dear, that doesn’t sound good, does it? Don’t worry, I’m not going to slate this book, as for me, it works very well, and his writing is improving with each book, the problem is that he’s again managed to alienate a large part of his potential audience.
Let me start with the positives this time. It’s a lovely story, and if you’re familiar with the movie Brief Encounter you’ll get an added level to book, parallels, allusions and all. A little sidebar here though, that perhaps he’s fallen into the trap he sometimes does, of trying to make links and allusions too clever, at the expense of the story. There are a few elements that only serve a purpose as a link to the film.
The story is lovely though. A love story at heart, it examines the feelings of Tiffany, married and in a rut, who encounters her first boyfriend again, and finds all the feelings still there. Their relationship develops via mobile phone, so she doesn’t count it as cheating, but the change in her is noticeable to her insecure husband Nick. There are some beautiful little touches, and music and pop references abound (with the usual meticulous attention to detail and accuracy) as Tiffany works through what she wants and needs in life. There is a nice resolution in the modern day as well, with themes that parallel her own life (and will no doubt terrify parents).
The major drawback in finding a mainstream audience though, is Derrick’s choice to have the relationship via first generation mobile phones. Anyone not familiar with the punctuation form of emoticons 😉 😀 :O :-p may find following these conversations difficult, and one (short) chapter in particular is made up entirely of these. Derrick really should scale back on showing off how clever he thinks he is, and think of the readership more. Individual style and idiosyncrasy are fine, but not if your reader gives up because they can’t be bothered. There is also a (sort of) sex scene that’s clearly inserted (pun intended) for a specific purpose, but jars a bit with the surrounding narratives.
Characterisation is also a challenge, as the main triumvirate of Nick, Tiffany, and Martin are well-formed, but none are particularly likeable, and you may wonder why any of them want to be together at all. There are depths to the characters which explain some of their traits, but they are subtle and could maybe be more pronounced.
This may sound over-picky, as tEXt me is actually a really lovely book, and some of the more emotional scenes are very well written and moving, and most readers find themselves actually caring about why people act in certain ways, which is always a good sign.
So, on balance, this is a good and worthwhile read, but flawed for many readers (perhaps fatally) by certain choices the author has made. If you’re of a certain age to remember the early days of texting, or love Brief Encounter, there’s a good chance you’ll absolutely love it; some reviewers did. If you don’t fit into those categories, there’s a risk you might be frustrated by some sections.
Available from Amazon – mybook.to/tEXt_me
Stay safe,
Kit