Review: One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
Posted: 29 Apr 2015, 17:32
The world isn't perfect, we are not perfect. We make mistakes, we get stuck into sticky situations, and we sure as heck don't expect them. Good things come to good people though, right? We can always sort something out, right?This is what Jojo Moyes proves in the novel One Plus One.
A man meets a woman, this can never be simple. So let me give you some background knowledge of this complex pair. Jess the woman in this story is a young woman with two kids, one of which is her step child. Her husband has some depression issues that needs sorting out so he has been gone at his mothers house for two years doing just that without helping Jess with even a penny. Therefor this single mother works two jobs (cleaning houses, and working at the pub) and even that isn't enough to pay the bills. Her daughter Tanzie is a math wiz and her son Nicky doesn't fit in. Tanzie gets teased at school for her clothes that her mom sews for her and for being a "geek", as Nicky gets teased for wearing makeup. It's easy to say this family is not having an easy time getting along. Now the man Ed, of course his life isn't simple either though once it used to be; it used to be everything he dreamed of. Ed was married to an Italian model Lara, and owns a software company. He however has been divorced for two years and met a new girlfriend who soon irritates him and is poor and all she wants to do is travel. To get the girlfriend away from him he gives her some information, very exclusive information that leads her to making lots of money and him to being suspended from the company.
The pair have yet to meet and yet do you see the complexity? It gets more complicated...Jess works for Ed, cleaning his house. They reunite at the pub in which she works and he is too intoxicated to drive home, she hails him a cab and rides along since she knows his address. Ed loses something in the cab that night that Jess finds and doesn't give back. Eventually they meet again where Jess is pulled over by the police. Ed takes care of her and her kids and offers her a ride across the country to where an olympaid is occurring that Tanzie has been invited to participate. These strangers are now becoming quite close on the three day car ride, oh and did I mention they brought their dog Norman?
Road trips really do bring out the best and worst of people, you can see their true colors and get to know someone pretty quick. Ed finds out about the struggles of Jess and her kids life, but he also learns that she is the most optimistic person he has ever met. While Jess learns about Ed's luxurious life, but also that he is possibly going to jail. Ed is very kind and warm, he helps Jess, Tanzie, Nicky, and Norman and becomes like family. They all become very fond of him and he has made their time together quite wonderful. Jess and Ed are both faced with the ugly truth in this novel and they help each other through it, through all of it; until they arrive back at home and Ed finds what he has lost. The Novel takes a twist then, a large twist in mostly a bad direction but some good comes out of it. Then lots of good comes out of it... because good things happen to good people, and we can always sort something out right?
I absolutely adored this book! I felt so connected to the characters and enjoyed watching their journey, though it was sad at times, it was moving. They all deserved each other and deserve a happy life. We all deserve a happy life, so like Jess; lets be optimistic. We never know what's on the other side of the tunnel...It might just be wonderful.
A man meets a woman, this can never be simple. So let me give you some background knowledge of this complex pair. Jess the woman in this story is a young woman with two kids, one of which is her step child. Her husband has some depression issues that needs sorting out so he has been gone at his mothers house for two years doing just that without helping Jess with even a penny. Therefor this single mother works two jobs (cleaning houses, and working at the pub) and even that isn't enough to pay the bills. Her daughter Tanzie is a math wiz and her son Nicky doesn't fit in. Tanzie gets teased at school for her clothes that her mom sews for her and for being a "geek", as Nicky gets teased for wearing makeup. It's easy to say this family is not having an easy time getting along. Now the man Ed, of course his life isn't simple either though once it used to be; it used to be everything he dreamed of. Ed was married to an Italian model Lara, and owns a software company. He however has been divorced for two years and met a new girlfriend who soon irritates him and is poor and all she wants to do is travel. To get the girlfriend away from him he gives her some information, very exclusive information that leads her to making lots of money and him to being suspended from the company.
The pair have yet to meet and yet do you see the complexity? It gets more complicated...Jess works for Ed, cleaning his house. They reunite at the pub in which she works and he is too intoxicated to drive home, she hails him a cab and rides along since she knows his address. Ed loses something in the cab that night that Jess finds and doesn't give back. Eventually they meet again where Jess is pulled over by the police. Ed takes care of her and her kids and offers her a ride across the country to where an olympaid is occurring that Tanzie has been invited to participate. These strangers are now becoming quite close on the three day car ride, oh and did I mention they brought their dog Norman?
Road trips really do bring out the best and worst of people, you can see their true colors and get to know someone pretty quick. Ed finds out about the struggles of Jess and her kids life, but he also learns that she is the most optimistic person he has ever met. While Jess learns about Ed's luxurious life, but also that he is possibly going to jail. Ed is very kind and warm, he helps Jess, Tanzie, Nicky, and Norman and becomes like family. They all become very fond of him and he has made their time together quite wonderful. Jess and Ed are both faced with the ugly truth in this novel and they help each other through it, through all of it; until they arrive back at home and Ed finds what he has lost. The Novel takes a twist then, a large twist in mostly a bad direction but some good comes out of it. Then lots of good comes out of it... because good things happen to good people, and we can always sort something out right?
I absolutely adored this book! I felt so connected to the characters and enjoyed watching their journey, though it was sad at times, it was moving. They all deserved each other and deserve a happy life. We all deserve a happy life, so like Jess; lets be optimistic. We never know what's on the other side of the tunnel...It might just be wonderful.