Book Review: How to Be Single: A Novel by Liz Tuccillo

How to Be Single: A Novel
Author: Liz Tuccillo
Publication Date: January 26, 2016
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Page: 464
Age Group: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance

       

The inspiration for the hit film!

From the coauthor of He’s Just Not That Into You and a former story editor for Sex and the City, How to Be Single is about one woman’s attempts to navigate a world filled with ever-evolving definitions of love.

Julie Jenson is a single thirty-seven-year-old book publicist in New York. When her friend Georgia’s husband leaves her for a samba teacher, she forces Julie to organize a single girls’ night out to remind her why it’s so much fun not to be tied down. But the night ends up having the opposite effect on Julie. Fed up with the dysfunction and disappointments of singledom, Julie quits her job and sets off to find out how women around the world are dealing with this dreaded phenomenon. From Paris to Brazil to Sydney, Bali, Beijing, Mumbai, and Reyjavik, Julie falls in love, gets her heart broken, sees the world, and learns more than she ever dreamed possible. All the while her friends at home are grappling with their own issues—bad blind dates, loveless engagements, custody battles, single motherhood, and the death of a loved one. Written in Liz Tuccillo’s pitch-perfect, hilarious, and relatable voice, How to Be Single is “a summer read that, for once, accurately depicts the hopes, fears, and bad dates of a single woman looking for love” (Parade). 

This book is the perfect example of how sometimes a movie can be much better than the book. I know what you’re thinking, IMPOSSIBLE…… But trust me on this one as a thirty three year old female in somewhat of a similar situation; I truly enjoyed the movie better. The premise is just as the book cover reveals. A set of late 30 something women are on a mission. They are all friends of Alice and while she is in NYC realizing that being single may not be as luxurious as the magazines and tabloids mention! Alice on a whim discusses with her boss the possibility of writing a book about how being single is viewed around the world. She can’t believe that her boss gives her an advance and allows her to take a leave from her job to embark on a trip around the world to research this worldview. 

And as expected, all of her girlfriends make trips overseas to spend time with Alice. While they are in NYC, they end up becoming friends all while Alice is all over the place researching for her book. I found myself not really connecting to any of the main characters of this book. To me there was no passion, no voice, and no true connection to focus on. Therefore, it was hard for me to visualize the concept of the girl’s connecting. I did like the people that Alice meets in Rome, Brazil, and Paris. Those individuals were definitely more fun and colorful characters. As I mentioned previously the movie is definitely better than the book and if you are looking for a great laugh, check out the movie in a theater near you!

As far as the author is concerned, I totally believe that she did a great job with the writing. I think it was hard for me to fall in love with the concept because it was just not as realistic as I presumed. The concept seems a little overrated and overdone in my humble opinion. I did enjoy certain aspects of the read such as the humor and the nutty behavior from some of the characters. I think this book would work best for the twenty-something age group whom may be better at relating to the single living concept.