Review of Don’t Be Like That

[JustKam]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Don’t Be Like That" by Cynthia A King.]

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2 out of 5 stars

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I give Don't Be Like That a 2/5 rating. The author put a lot of effort into this story but the second half of this book contains highlighted words and editing notations; as if this book is still in the draft phase, not a finished copy. It also contains a multitude of typos on top of the editing notations.

In addition to the typos and editing notes, I deducted a point from the rating because nearly half of the book was the main character, Leslie's, history with her husband. It was delivered in one big chunk, not flashbacks, and I did not prefer this plot structure. It felt like this could have been two separate stories: the first of Leslie's life with Paul, and a second book about her life after Paul (this is not a spoiler because the book begins the morning Paul leaves Leslie).

The author did not vilify Leslie's husband Paul enough. He seemed like an amiable and admirable character after reading their history together. His betrayal of Leslie seemed out of character after reading their backstory.

The character of Michael seemed underdeveloped and uninteresting. He was just thrown into the last quarter of the book, and I didn't feel he had enough time in the story to become a character I cared about.

I truly enjoyed the female rage throughout the book. The author wrote Leslie's emotions of anger and confusion and determination very well. I sympathized with Leslie as she slowly sorted her way through betrayal. Throughout the entire book, Leslie's self-worth and confidence remained constant, and I appreciated that character trait. I also liked that Leslie was content with simple pleasures, even though she had spent many years as a wealthy Manhattanite.

This story made me think about chance meetings and how they can and do change the course of a life. In that way it seemed very realistic. The author was also very successful in showing how people fell out of Leslie's life when her circumstances changed, and those few characters who were with her through thick and thin.

The author found a good balance between giving voice to Leslie's fears and doubts, while also showcasing her resilience and independence. If this story was edited and polished, I would recommend it to women over thirty years old who like a strong female character and a plot of new beginnings.

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Don’t Be Like That
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