09 June 2011

Book Banter -- The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook

Title: The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook
Author: Matt Dunn
Genre: romantic comedy
Length: 354 pages
Plot Basics: When Eddie's long-term girlfriend, Jane, leaves him, the reason is that it's really him, not her. Eddie's forced to asses his life and realize the ruts he's gotten stuck in -- from bad fashion, bad teeth, an old clunker car, a less-than-satisfying job and his overall poor physique. Determined not to lose Jane for good, Eddie starts in a on a major plan to revamp his life. With guidance (or maybe not) from his local TV-celebrity friend Dan, the local barmaid Wendy and his new personal trainer, Sam, Eddie takes control of his life back and learns great lessons about friendship, love and self-confidence.

Banter Points: I found this book by searching the stacks at the library. I was looking for something a little less weighty or violent than the barrage of crime novels I've been reading lately. I'd never heard of Matt Dunn, but I'm glad I stumbled on this author. It was great to see this story told from a guy's perspective. The book was fun and if I could option it into a movie, I absolutely would. It would translate really well. The story was funny and sweet at the same time.

Bummer Points: The ending was not what I expected it to be. It's a strange bummer because I'm glad that Dunn didn't pick the cliche he could have, but I guess what I didn't like was how abruptly the story suddenly stopped.


Word Nerd Recommendation: If you're looking for something light and sweet, this is a great pick for something different in the romantic comedy genre.

1 comment:

Teena in Toronto said...

I read it last month ... it was good!