Review of 28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir
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Review of 28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir
[Following is a volunteer review of "28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir" by Poppy Mortimer.]
Poppy Mortimer, intelligent and bewitching, on her hunt to find Mr. Right, comes across all kinds of men. She has documented her amusing and sometimes, appalling journey in the book 28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humorous Memoir. This romantic journey spans twenty years whereby the author moves from England to Australia and then to Los Angeles and finally back to Australia.
There are 28 chapters in the memoir, followed by a summary of lessons and final thoughts. Each chapter is assigned to a date, how they met and interacted, and ends with some insights, judgments, and lessons learned from the particular date. Some chapters have trigger warnings for sensitive readers. The names of the chapters are very captivating, they instantly catch your attention and bring a smile to your face. They define the unique characteristic of the author’s date.
The narrative is straightforward, friendly, relaxed, and adapts a conversational style. The author has used a combination of sarcasm and satire with frequent quips. The readers will experience many laugh-out-loud, hysterically funny moments and some moments that would be downright bizarre to squeamish while going through the narrative.
What I liked most about the memoir is that it not only provides comic relief but also provides lessons to its readers. Throughout her dating journey of 20 years, we can see Poppy’s metamorphosis from a submissive, self-neglecting young adult into an empowered, successful, and self-confident woman. She makes interesting observations about her date’s personality from their appearance, body language, and interaction with others. Poppy evolves with time, learns through her experiences, and identifies what she was truly seeking in her better half with each date. Her journey teaches a lesson to readers to keep discovering themselves, identify their true worth, not settle for less than they deserve, and never compromise on principles. She came across some very common and often overlooked problems of male psychology which if left unchecked, can play havoc with one’s life like male ego, lying, lust, inappropriate and manipulative behavior, deceit, and insecurity. But she handled them like a queen giving a strong message to all females to respect themselves, and their choices and stand up for themselves when required.
Another important lesson communicated through the memoir is to trust one’s gut instincts. The author often landed herself in danger when she did not pay heed to her sixth sense. Poppy never got so emotionally wrapped up, so as to lose sight of red flags in her dates. Time and again, the author emphasized listening to gut instincts over logic.
All in all, the book is a good escape from boredom and stress. It is exceptionally well edited as I could not find any errors. I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars and recommend it to adults, specifically women, 18 and above as it contains some adult content. Those seeking love, companionship, or those who have just started their dating game would also relate well to this narrative. Anyone who has been through the dating journey years ago will thoroughly enjoy it too.
******
28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Poppy Mortimer, intelligent and bewitching, on her hunt to find Mr. Right, comes across all kinds of men. She has documented her amusing and sometimes, appalling journey in the book 28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humorous Memoir. This romantic journey spans twenty years whereby the author moves from England to Australia and then to Los Angeles and finally back to Australia.
There are 28 chapters in the memoir, followed by a summary of lessons and final thoughts. Each chapter is assigned to a date, how they met and interacted, and ends with some insights, judgments, and lessons learned from the particular date. Some chapters have trigger warnings for sensitive readers. The names of the chapters are very captivating, they instantly catch your attention and bring a smile to your face. They define the unique characteristic of the author’s date.
The narrative is straightforward, friendly, relaxed, and adapts a conversational style. The author has used a combination of sarcasm and satire with frequent quips. The readers will experience many laugh-out-loud, hysterically funny moments and some moments that would be downright bizarre to squeamish while going through the narrative.
What I liked most about the memoir is that it not only provides comic relief but also provides lessons to its readers. Throughout her dating journey of 20 years, we can see Poppy’s metamorphosis from a submissive, self-neglecting young adult into an empowered, successful, and self-confident woman. She makes interesting observations about her date’s personality from their appearance, body language, and interaction with others. Poppy evolves with time, learns through her experiences, and identifies what she was truly seeking in her better half with each date. Her journey teaches a lesson to readers to keep discovering themselves, identify their true worth, not settle for less than they deserve, and never compromise on principles. She came across some very common and often overlooked problems of male psychology which if left unchecked, can play havoc with one’s life like male ego, lying, lust, inappropriate and manipulative behavior, deceit, and insecurity. But she handled them like a queen giving a strong message to all females to respect themselves, and their choices and stand up for themselves when required.
Another important lesson communicated through the memoir is to trust one’s gut instincts. The author often landed herself in danger when she did not pay heed to her sixth sense. Poppy never got so emotionally wrapped up, so as to lose sight of red flags in her dates. Time and again, the author emphasized listening to gut instincts over logic.
All in all, the book is a good escape from boredom and stress. It is exceptionally well edited as I could not find any errors. I would rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars and recommend it to adults, specifically women, 18 and above as it contains some adult content. Those seeking love, companionship, or those who have just started their dating game would also relate well to this narrative. Anyone who has been through the dating journey years ago will thoroughly enjoy it too.
******
28 Disastrous Dates: A (Mostly True) Humourous Memoir
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
