Amalie in Orbit
Gloria DeVidas Kirshheimer

Reviewed by Tina Avom

 

I have just finished reading Amalie in Orbit.  It is a very quick read, being only 204 pages!

 

I find myself in a bit of a dilemna, I thought the book had some pluses, but could not seem to "get" into the storyline or find myself engaging in the direction the author obviously wanted me to go. 

 

 I knew I was in trouble in the opening chapter where we find our main character Amalie finding her naked son, Charlie sitting in the kitchen.  The dialogued that followed was weird and felt somehow pointless - especially since the whole thing was being exchanged between a grown woman and her grown son!  If this was meant to show us how quirky the characters and the storyline were going to be - it failed.  In my opinion, it made the whole opening chapter feel cheap and weird.

 

I wish I could say that the storyline got better, but what follows is Amelie getting herself into some weird situations that were just not particularly funny or even witty.  She stands up for tenants rights (which just coincidentally happens to be at the time where she is close to being evicted), she gets a job, she fights and then makes up with her weird son and, of course, she attracts the weirdest, but yet lovable guys around.

What I did like about the book is the fact that the author chose to make Amelie a strong willed character - who is determined to make her way through life on her own terms. I also like the writing style - clear, down to earth and to the point.

While I would love to recommend this book, I just did not like the character and the overall weirdness of the storyline.  As for the son Charlie, I think a good smack upside the head would have been of great help here!