HOW COULD SHE by Lauren Mechling

✯✯✯✯                                                                   Review by Astrid Galactic                                                                                           

How Could She is a modern day story of the ever changing lives of three friends in an ever changing world that takes place between Toronto and New York City and how these changes affect each other. Three women, Geraldine, Rachel and Sunny, must come to terms with the changes in their careers, their relationship struggles, their living situations and how all of these dynamics affect their friendship with each other. During tough times, they support each other yet they also must deal with each others' dark sides when secrets come out involving a bit of backstabbing. Personalities get in the way but true friendship eventually prevails. 

Lauren Mechling knows how to twist up some splendid written text though sometimes that word buzz doesn't always carry through as well as her wonderful ability to entertain us with her playful and imaginative use of sentences. She can be quite funny and amazingly creative with how she chooses to describe situations. Unfortunately, there were times I felt that she should have devoted a little bit more writing early on in regard to nurturing her characters. It all too easily got confusing as to who the quickly changing cast of characters were. Spending a bit more time enriching their personalities and other aspects about them would have solidified them much more in the reader's mind which would have made for an easier flow. 

Similar things can be said about the two cities, Toronto and New York City. Occasionally, it was confusing as to where any given scene was taking place, especially since she often had to switch gears mid-stream because of having to refer to past history. Sometimes I just felt that I had lost my bearings for a moment and wasn't sure where we were. There was a distinct lack of mis en scene between the two cities. They could have been anywhere. I would have loved more local flavor for each to set the two apart which was actually an important part of the story. Early on in the book, the first time we visit Jeremy's loft, the characters are looking out a window watching the sunset over the Hudson. That was one of the few times I felt that we got a taste of what that particular city was like. New York City started to come alive for me there. I just wish there was more of that life of the city itself on display within the book. It would have created an anchor point so that we would have truly felt that we were reading about two completely different locations. 

The story is very relevant in today's period of time with it's emphasis on podcasting and the state of flux within the publishing industry, each of which are a major part of the story. The year 2017 is noted which gives it an exact time frame if you can't figure it out on your own by some of the other current historical references. The one point of serious contention that I did have with the book was that I believe that Mechling went too far with some of her political commentary. The first couple were okay because they were more place cards within time. After that, she just went too far to the point of it being detrimental to the book because of a few ridiculously trite and absurdly uncalled for slights that were totally unnecessary. They should have been left out of the book altogether as they provided nothing to legitimize the story as a whole. 

The seeds of the story and the plot line were captivating and the changes everyone goes through had some interesting juxtapositions. Even though there were a few minor aspects, as noted above, that I believe could have enhanced the story, Mechling is a true wordsmith. The passages of words and phrases between the various story points were delightful to read and I had more than a few laughs along the way. You don't have to be a city girl or involved in the Arts to find something in this novel to relate to. You just have to look back at your own loves, careers and, most importantly, friendships to find a piece of you in all three friends.

(ARC)

Fiction
Contemporary, Chick Lit
Hardcover 320 pages
0525559388 (ISBN13 9780525559382)
Expected Publication: June 25th, 2019 by Viking

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