Rating:

Enjoy the Ride

 Author: Sophie Kinsella

Sasha is sick. Sick of work. Sick of friends. Sick of family. Sick of cooking. Sick of sex even, as she tells the cute guy at the takeout place. She just can’t be bothered anymore, and when a frantic attempt to join the nunnery next door (to escape yet another mandatory moment at the employee joyfulness work program) backfires, she finds herself on leave with instructions to “rest.”

Her mother and desperate family take over, sending her to the fancy seaside resort she dreamed of as a child. But . . .things have changed just a bit. The resort isn’t quite so fancy now. As a matter of fact, it’s struggling. There are only a few remaining staff and three other guests, one of whom just rubs her the wrong way, despite his dashing good looks. This is going to be a long vacation, and Sasha doesn’t see how her mother’s well-meaning peace app and exhortation to drink kale smoothies is going to fix her critical burn-out.

Kinsella is the queen of taking the everyday, the ordinary, and seeing the comical, laugh-out-loud side, from the irony of workday drudgery peppered with “joyfulness” programs to “uplifting” apps that think peace can be quantified by the right exercise and mindfulness regime. Interspersed in these mirthful moments, Kinsella sprinkles romance and relatable scenarios that leave us both tearful and inspired. Yes, it’s chick-lit. But it’s (usually) GOOD chick-lit, and this comes from someone who prefers to indulge in horror, thrillers, and mystery. Normally, chick-lit is far out of my wheelhouse, but Kinsella brings quality and characterization. You will laugh, and you will relate. You will care about the characters, worry about the inevitable fights and their on-again, off-again relationships, and you will root for the romance while also enjoying the humor.

That being said, The Burnout is not the best of Kinsella’s work, despite the A+ premise. I was excited when I saw this book available for pre-order. It’s no secret to friends and family that I have been burned out at work (and life) lately, and I was desperate to throw my lot in with Sasha and laugh at the absurdities and meaninglessness of the corporate world. But the “work sucks” and “I’m tired” premise is all too brief in the book. By the third chapter, Sasha’s work woes are far behind her, only to reappear briefly as she returns in glory at the end. So much comedy is missed or overblown with the incredibly unlikely attempt to become a nun. Despite the title, Sasha’s burnout is backburner.

Image by Евгения from Pixabay

The hotel itself is not as funny as it could be. Why would anyone stay at a hotel so run down? Sasha’s mother’s pretense as her personal assistance, calling the staff, demanding kale smoothies and exotic health food, is only amusing for a moment. Despite Sasha’s love of junk food and desire for a complete meal, she is, of course, too embarrassed to break the lie and so most of the comedy is around how hungry she is and how bad kale is. It falls flat. A lot of it falls flat. It’s too overdone or just a mild chuckle instead of expected roar of laughter.

The romance is equally unlikely. The love story becomes distracted by an entire backstory about surfing and finding yourself through “riding the waves,” helping an elderly dementia patient who taught both Sasha and Finn (the love interest) back in their idyllic childhood. Of course, before this elderly man teaches them the true meaning of life, both Sasha and Finn will have lots of petty, easily fixed through-one-simple-adult-conversation misunderstandings too, with an entire couple/not couple thing going on as well and a sudden mystery around an old painting and mystery present on the beach. It’s a lot going on, with very little to do with actual burnout. My work weary soul wanted burn-out comedy, wanted Sophie Kinsella’s version of Office Space so desperately. Instead, I got surfing and a half-assed romantic comedy. Sigh.

Overall, it’s not bad. I stayed entertained enough. For anyone else, this would be an ok book, but for Kinsella it’s disappointing, especially compared with her previous works (such as Confessions of a Shopaholic, Wedding Night, Undomestic Goddess, etc.) Enjoyable, but The Burnout needed more focus and less forced comedy and romance.

 

– Frances Carden

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Frances Carden
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