A Chronic Wanderer

I Couldn't Put it Down

Revisado: 08-07-21

What can I say about Palm Beach?

First, I want to say that I listened to the audiobook and finished it in two days. it was impossible to put down after getting past the semi-infodump of a beginning other than the fact that I had things to do that I couldn't do while listening to an audiobook. Once I passed that and Rebecca and Mickey found themselves in Florida, the story picked up with some fantastic pacing. The characters introduced from this point were interesting and The Stones were a believable wealthy couple based on my own experience with such. Mrs. Stone actually reminded me of someone I encountered often at a community outreach thrift store I worked at while in college. They were quirky and strange yet comical and somewhat typical.

I have to admit that I didn't Love Mickey or Rebecca but not in a way the affects the story. They almost felt like they were written to not be completely likable but to be relatable. Whether that friend we look at sideways sometimes or the cousin we don't truly understand. Also, their marriage was hard to resolve because they just didn't seem compatible for most of the story. At times you could gleam why their relationship worked but not always. Sometimes it just didn't make sense why they were even together but I know people have thought the same about me and my husband so we choose who we choose.

I hated how passive Mickey was. He was an actor through and through because it seemed like he was always playing a part in every scene he was in until he flipped his wig. Then he felt childish. It worked for the story, and yes this is just my opinion of a character. Both Rebecca and Mickey seemed to be idealists even if Mickey would disagree, he had ideas about how people should behave even if he was rarely bothered by the wealthy people he worked for, he had an idealized version of Rebecca in his mind based on her own idealized version of herself. When that image wavered, it was clear Mickey didn't know how to respond to that. That is understandable and relatable. So in the end, I would likely never be friends with Rebecca and Mickey but they made good characters to tell this story through, even if Rebecca disappointed me more times than not. She learned who she truly was and what she was willing to do in a pinch. Mickey learned that, too. Rebecca was another beast altogether and I just don't know how I feel about her but she told her story well. Another big point of the story besides not judging people for what they have. I couldn't say that this was a book to garner sympathy for the haves versus the have-nots but not to show that they aren't much different at the end of the day.

I felt like the ending was tied up a little too neatly for my taste but that is literally my preference and no reflection of the story or the writing. The writing quality was great as I couldn't stop listening and just resolved myself to finish it as quickly as possible. I haven't finished a book this quickly since Dread Nation by Justina Ireland. The words just flowed and the direction was clear without feeling predictable. There are funny moments that can't be overlooked either.

Overall, I really enjoyed this Palm Beach and haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. It's a book that requires that you leave your expectations at the door and allow the words to take you where they're going.

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