Binge is the first Jennifer Foor book that I've read, and I’m interested to see how her vast library may differentiate from this story. It’s an exhausting and interesting read, and it turned out to be a lot more than I expected. I love that my expectations were challenged and surpassed. The synopsis does its job setting the scene, but the tone and characters make this read utterly unique. I knew there would be some aspects of spousal cheating and general marital discord. Anything else added to the complexity. And complex it is. The story is shared through our two main characters, Aria and Flynn, and getting both of their perspectives gives us the 360 degree view of their relationship.
Aria and Flynn are in a bad spot in their relationship. Two people who have been together for the past 7 years, in a marriage forced by pregnancy at 17, and they don’t seem to like each other at all. The story opens with Aria at a counseling appointment, one she’s attending to supplement the couples counseling sessions. It appears they are trying to salvage their relationship, and it’s unclear if there is any specific incident that brought them to this place. The tone in this story is very contentious. The anger that seeps off these pages is not like any other “romance” that I’ve read. Sure, I’ve read lots of stories where a partner has been unfaithful, where they’ve grown apart, and bitterness has settled in. In this case, it seems they are staying together for their child. But, the sheer anger that Aria spews towards Flynn, the fights that she picks, and her illogical reasoning is simply maddening. And, because we get both of their perspectives, it’s hard to NOT to pick a side. And I really tried not to. At one point, I began to suspect it wasn’t as simple as mistrust and varying perceptions between 2 people.
Something else, something fundamental, was broken and not easy to pinpoint. I’ve seen the behavior myself (but not experienced it – thankfully), and the author does an AMAZING job depicting every little thing that influences the breakdown of this relationship. I expected to find out something major happened and that she has solid proof of a multitude of transgressions. Sure, there’s been wrongdoing, there’s laziness, and things that are just taken for granted. Anyone in a relationship experiences this at some point. That, compounded with miscommunication and things that they simply don’t share with each other – things go from bad to worse and back again. I suspected certain things would come to light, things that impact behavior, and something that would make me feel empathy for Aria. I really needed that at times because she pushes and pushes and flips and flops. They are a couple fighting to stay together – trying to figure out what went wrong and how things remain so terrible, even with all the counseling. Some of the tension I felt was simply because I hated to see them hurting each other as much as they were while watching the dissemination of a family.
The writing is smooth and all too real. The situation is chronicled through both internal thoughts, but mostly through the dialogue. It’s what makes this both a wonderful read and yet a very hard read. I began the book in the wee hours of the morning when I simply couldn't sleep, and then I REALLY couldn't go back to sleep. I was so deeply involved in the book that I only stopped for coffee & stretch breaks. Anytime a story makes me FEEL the intensity of the characters, I know I’ll be reading more, much more, by this author.
4 Stars and my recommendations!
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.