The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center
Release date: 2007 / 245 pages
Synopsis (from jacket cover): Jenny Harris always expected that she’d fall in love, get married, and have a baby– in that order. Now, very pregnant and not quite married, she actually doesn’t mind that she and her live-in fiance, Dean, accidentally started their family a little earlier than planned; she’s happy to have so much to look forward to. But Dean — who is charming enough that Jenny can overlook his bad facial hair, his smoking habit, and his total commitment to a cheesy cover band — is acting distant, and not in a pre-wedding-jitters kind of way…
First line: “The end began with a plane crash.”
Review: As promised, as soon as I read Center’s latest novel, I requested her first one and immediately devoured it when it arrived.
I realized that Center has become like Sophie Kinsella or Jennifer Weiner for me — a guaranteed good time. I think I might have enjoyed Beautiful a little bit more, but Disaster is also a wonderful romp through a very likeable heroine’s life. Would I want her life? Nope… But I sure enjoyed the hours I spent with her.
Center creates wonderful characters — and not only a loveable protagonist, but yummy minor characters as well. In this novel, I especially loved Jenny’s parents. In subtle ways, Jenny is subconsciously recreating her parent’s dynamic, yet we are never hit over the head with a grand realization of this (thank you). Instead, any woman who has ever been in a bad relationship with a loveable loser is able to empathize with Jenny on her journey.
As I stated in my earlier review, Center’s prose is just so easy… Here’s an example of her gift of characterization:
“The woman who ran our childbirth class was named Betty, and she moved like a hummingbird. She was so perky I worried she might explode… She was blond, and tan, and amazingly fit. And despite her Midwestern accent and blow-dryer hair, she was the most radical person I had ever met. Taking her class was an indoctrination. Breast-feeding was good, bottle-feeding was evil. Home births were good, hospitals were evil. Midwives were good, doctors were evil. Nipples were good, pacifiers were evil. Pain was good, epidurals were evil.”
So, do I recommend this novel? Absolutely… It is light, engaging, and a thoroughly good time…
I devoured both of Center’s books, too. I read Bright Side first and liked it a little more than book two…perhaps order matters? Awaiting book three…hope Center is working furiously.
This sounds like a really good read. I can’t believe I haven’t read anything from Center yet. I’m especially interested after your comparison to Kinsella and Weiner.
I have a suggestion myself! If you like Kinsella and Wiener, you’ll also love a book called ‘Knickles and Dimes’. It has hilarious characters and a really great story. I’d recommend it!
Anyway, thanks for the review : )
Thank you, Jillian! I will request it ASAP!