Adventures with Max and Louise
By Ellyn Oaksmith
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Release Date:
February 12, 2013
Molly Gallagher is content to
fade into the background. Even her career as Diner X, a newspaper columnist who
shares her take on Seattle restaurants pseudonymously in her newspaper column
and blog preserves her anonymity. But her life changes dramatically when she
goes into the hospital to have scars on her chest removed and ends up with breast
implants when her chart is confused with that of another patient. The surgeon
is properly horrified and apologetic about the mistake, but he is adamant that Molly
must wait several months for him to perform a second surgery to correct his
mistake.
Molly finds it difficult to adjust to all the male attention that she’s getting after the change in her appearance. When the men paying attention includes Chas Bowerman, her high school crush, she begins to think her new figure may have some advantages. There’s also a new guy whom she can’t ignore—even when she’d like to do so. When her desire to cling to her old way of life conflicts with a longing to embrace life with all its risks, she gets advice from Max and Louise, voices that emanate from her enhanced boobs.
This book was self-published in 2011 under the title Knockers. Had Avon kept that title, it’s
unlikely that I would have requested the book. But the new title had a certain
appeal, evoking associations with Thelma and Louise, a connection intensified
by the cover. The book description was promising, and so I found myself reading
it. I liked Molly who has some significant issues with guilt over her mother’s
death. Her guilt and her poor self-esteem give the story substance that
balances nicely with the humor. The secondary characters were also likable and
amusing. But I just could not get past the talking boobs.
I liked Oaksmith’s voice enough to check out other books by her,
but this one was that rare review book that was a DNF for me.
Have you ever read a book you wanted to like but one facet of it
created an obstacle you could not move past?
