My previous two experiences with Lisa Taddeo’s writing have been mind-blowing. Both Three Women and Animal were raw, powerful reading experiences. Taddeo has a distinct voice and writing style, which I love, so I was very excited to read Ghost Lover – a book of short stories from her.
About the Book
Behind anonymous screens, an army of cool and beautiful girls manage the dating service Ghost Lover, a forwarding system for text messages that promise to spare you the anguish of trying to stay composed while communicating with your crush. At a star-studded political fundraiser in a Los Angeles mansion, a trio of women competes to win the heart of the slick guest of honor. In a tense hospital waiting room, an inseparable pair of hard-partying friends crash into life’s responsibilities. Still, the magic of their glory days comes alive again when they least expect it.
~ Synopsis from GoodReads
Ghost Lover Review
I wanted to like this. Really, I did. And in fact, I did like a few of the stories. But Taddeo’s women are very specific – white, anorexic, suicidal, sexual assault victims, narcissistic, and generally hard to root for, like, or even read about. None of the stories were uplifting or wholesome.
I took long breaks between each short story and still disliked the book’s vibe.
Don’t get me wrong. Individually, the stories are good. They were published at various times in different magazines. If I had read them in that format – as one story in a publication, I would have definitely loved each story.
Here, so many short stories in the same vein were just a bit of an overdose. Hard pass on this one. Which is sad because she really is a good writer. I wish she’d branch out a bit more.
