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A review by thebookishlifeofbecks
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
5.0
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.
I am an absolute sucker for romantic comedies – especially films. However, I have, in the past steered away from romantic comedy novels as I feel as though they can be very hit or miss – a lot of the time they overuse cliche’s, and they just tell the same old story in different ways: boy meets girl, one falls for the other, they end happily ever after.
I am also very skeptical when a book claims to be ‘laugh out loud’ and ‘hilarious’, perhaps because I have a very specific sense of humour when it comes to writing, or perhaps because all of the books that I have read up until now that have claimed to be so, have failed miserably at making me laugh (or, exuding from me nothing more than a little breathy laugh every now and then.)
Thus, I entered this book with little to no expectations, so as to not be disappointed if it failed to deliver. But I needn’t have worried because this book surpassed anything and everything I could have ever expected from it. Sally Thorne hits all of the right notes.
***
I managed to get through this book within a single day, because it is one of the best things that I have ever read. I loved everything about this book. So much so, that I am struggling to find any bad things to say about it. It was beautifully witty and hilarious – from the very first page to the very last – and I actually found myself physically laughing from cover to cover.
One of the things that I liked most about this book is that it is written in the first person, from the point of view of the main protagonist Lucy, which really connects the reader with the character. The way she describes her love/hate relationship with Joshua is so real and expertly crafted, that you become so immersed in their ‘love story’, that it is entirely possible to forget that these two human beings only exist on paper; as from the very minute you begin reading, you are begging and pleading and yearning for these two characters to realise their love for one another.
There is also nothing worse than going to a lavish dinner party and enjoying a whole banquet of main courses, only to have the waiter bring out appetizers afterwards and being utterly disappointed, because you are so full from the glorious food that nothing can quite compare afterwards (not that I have ever been to any dinner parties, but you get the idea…) The same is true for romance novels: there is nothing worse than the characters getting together at the very beginning of the book, and then struggling to maintain momentum, because they gave you the best part first.
However, this novel is a slow-burn. The love/hate relationship/game between two characters is one of those romantic archetypes which we all love to see, but don’t dare admit, and something which can be difficult for writers to achieve successfully – but Sally Thorne executes it perfectly. It begins with sarcastic comments and longing looks for appetizers (a lot of them), and of course, their childish rivalry -which we all know means that they’re secretly in love with each other. You watch them admire each other in their own secret ways, and see their relationship grow and build as they instill more trust and understanding with one another. And, like all good dinner parties, you don’t get to enjoy the main course until the very end.
***
When I first began reading this book, I, like many others, assumed that it was set in New York City because it had that particular feel it it.
However, it wasn’t until I was reading some other readers comments about the book, where somebody started asking questions about the setting, did I realise that the city in which this story takes place is never actually mentioned at all.
But that, I think, is one of the beautiful things about this book. It could be set in any city, in any corner of the world. And, it is down to the reader to use their imagination about where that might be. It also allows the reader to fully immerse themselves within the novel, and for all they can imagine, this love story could be happening right outside of their front door, so to speak.
***
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a moderate-length, quick read (you might be a slow reader but I guarantee that you won’t be able to put it down), then this is the book for you! (I ended up reading until 4am on the day that I started it because I just needed to finish it!)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, more than I can probably express into words. I hope to read more of Sally Thorne’s work as, if this book is anything to go on, I will be delighted with anything and everything else that she chooses to write!
I am an absolute sucker for romantic comedies – especially films. However, I have, in the past steered away from romantic comedy novels as I feel as though they can be very hit or miss – a lot of the time they overuse cliche’s, and they just tell the same old story in different ways: boy meets girl, one falls for the other, they end happily ever after.
I am also very skeptical when a book claims to be ‘laugh out loud’ and ‘hilarious’, perhaps because I have a very specific sense of humour when it comes to writing, or perhaps because all of the books that I have read up until now that have claimed to be so, have failed miserably at making me laugh (or, exuding from me nothing more than a little breathy laugh every now and then.)
Thus, I entered this book with little to no expectations, so as to not be disappointed if it failed to deliver. But I needn’t have worried because this book surpassed anything and everything I could have ever expected from it. Sally Thorne hits all of the right notes.
***
I managed to get through this book within a single day, because it is one of the best things that I have ever read. I loved everything about this book. So much so, that I am struggling to find any bad things to say about it. It was beautifully witty and hilarious – from the very first page to the very last – and I actually found myself physically laughing from cover to cover.
One of the things that I liked most about this book is that it is written in the first person, from the point of view of the main protagonist Lucy, which really connects the reader with the character. The way she describes her love/hate relationship with Joshua is so real and expertly crafted, that you become so immersed in their ‘love story’, that it is entirely possible to forget that these two human beings only exist on paper; as from the very minute you begin reading, you are begging and pleading and yearning for these two characters to realise their love for one another.
There is also nothing worse than going to a lavish dinner party and enjoying a whole banquet of main courses, only to have the waiter bring out appetizers afterwards and being utterly disappointed, because you are so full from the glorious food that nothing can quite compare afterwards (not that I have ever been to any dinner parties, but you get the idea…) The same is true for romance novels: there is nothing worse than the characters getting together at the very beginning of the book, and then struggling to maintain momentum, because they gave you the best part first.
However, this novel is a slow-burn. The love/hate relationship/game between two characters is one of those romantic archetypes which we all love to see, but don’t dare admit, and something which can be difficult for writers to achieve successfully – but Sally Thorne executes it perfectly. It begins with sarcastic comments and longing looks for appetizers (a lot of them), and of course, their childish rivalry -which we all know means that they’re secretly in love with each other. You watch them admire each other in their own secret ways, and see their relationship grow and build as they instill more trust and understanding with one another. And, like all good dinner parties, you don’t get to enjoy the main course until the very end.
***
When I first began reading this book, I, like many others, assumed that it was set in New York City because it had that particular feel it it.
However, it wasn’t until I was reading some other readers comments about the book, where somebody started asking questions about the setting, did I realise that the city in which this story takes place is never actually mentioned at all.
But that, I think, is one of the beautiful things about this book. It could be set in any city, in any corner of the world. And, it is down to the reader to use their imagination about where that might be. It also allows the reader to fully immerse themselves within the novel, and for all they can imagine, this love story could be happening right outside of their front door, so to speak.
***
Ultimately, if you’re looking for a moderate-length, quick read (you might be a slow reader but I guarantee that you won’t be able to put it down), then this is the book for you! (I ended up reading until 4am on the day that I started it because I just needed to finish it!)
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, more than I can probably express into words. I hope to read more of Sally Thorne’s work as, if this book is anything to go on, I will be delighted with anything and everything else that she chooses to write!