Book Review: The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

by Jillian @ http://blueshelled.com . August 31, 2010 . 3:17AM

In “The Actor and the Housewife” by Shannon Hale, a new screenwriter and dedicated Mormon housewife named Becky stumbles into a chance meeting with Felix, an actor she’s had a crush on for most of her adult life. For most women, drooling and acting a fool would commence, but Becky is pregnant and Mormon and too cool for that and it leads into a storybook friendship that will take Becky and Felix through the next 10 years of their lives. The book itself spends a great majority of the time asking the question as to whether or not a man and a woman with great friendship chemistry have to be more or if they can remain friends.

Ultimately, the book is a fun, easy read. The character of Becky is written with great wit and a sassy demeanor. Unfortunately, her struggles with her feelings for Felix come off as too easy and faith played. The author spends a lot of time letting Becky nag Felix, and the reading audience, with Mormon and faith based principles. It comes across less dynamic. Felix, as a character, allows himself to be harassed and rarely pushes Becky back as a character. In this way, Becky never grows as a person. There is an instance where Becky is forced to see how Felix felt in situations she put him in, but the writing feels hard to read and inauthentic. Growth is not shown in her character and the reader feels somewhat harassed and put upon much in the way Felix might feel.

Tragedy occurs about halfway through the book and rather than outright deliver in writing style, the author skips a great majority of what could be character development because “Becky would want it that way.” It was a major cop-out in the chance to really show some movement. If, as an author, you choose to force the faith of your character on your audience in one setting you absolutely must show the lack of faith in other settings instead of glossing over it.

Overall, the book was good. The lack of characterization and movement makes it a quick read, if an unbelievable one. The ending, again, felt rushed and as a reader I felt somewhat cheated, but this is chick lit. A well-developed ending is probably not to be expected. I was disappointed, but there was hope in the ending and I suppose that is the message the author wished to convey.

*Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in order to review it. Thanks for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts on it with others!