After reading Me Before You by JoJo Moyes, and LOVING IT!, I decided to give some of her other works a go. I usually get burned when I do this- so I proceeded with caution!
In the first chapter, you are introduced to a bevy of characters and it gets a bit muddy with names and details. Some bloke named Ed, along with his friend Ronan, own/developed their own company and Ed is approached by a few gentlemen (the "Suits") who discuss a serious allegation that a women claims to make against Ed.
As in Me Before You, this first chapter is something the reader needs to remember, as it will become important a bit later. But the second chapter moves onto a completely different set of characters, Jess (Jessica) and her family (a little girl named Constanza-aka Tanzie, a high school-aged boy named Nicky, and a huge dog that go by the name of Norman.)
At the start of each chapter, Moyes lists a characters name. The reader quickly grasps the fact that the chapter will be following the actions or thoughts of that particular character. I have found that this can get extremely confusing when I've read other books with this same method, but Moyes only switches from Ed to Jess with a few chapters by Tanzie and Nicky intermittently dispersed in.
The basic plot is as follows: Ed (a divorcee) had a short, hot & heavy, "relationship" (really just a few nights of good sex) with a women. When she becomes immensely clingy, he attempts to get rid of her. She mentioned that she wanted to travel but lacked the proper funds. He gave her some information about his company that would allow her to make some money if she invested in a few stocks, evening giving her a check to allow her to purchase said stocks. The woman and her brother made a fortune off of the information, and the Feds went after Ed for "insider trading."
Introduce Jess and her family. Jess is a part-time house cleaner and a part-time bar maid. Money is tight, to be generous. The father of the children (Marty) left two years prior to live with his mother, and he has no job so is unable to pay child support. Nicky, the high-school aged boy, is Marty's son from a previous marriage, but his mother was a drug addict and couldn't take care of him, so Jess welcomed him into her family. Nicky is partial to the "Goth" look and, because of this, he is constantly attacked and hurt by a group of boys (the Fisher family.) He even winds up in the hospital at the start of the tale. Little Tanzie is a math genius!! Her math teacher at school referred her to a private school (St Anne's) that would be able to help her develop her skill and talent as well as provide her with a top notch education. St Anne's offered Tanzie a 90% scholarship to their school, but that still wasn't enough for Jess to be able to afford it.
Ed winds up in the bar that Jess works at (she also happens to clean his Beachfront home), and he drinks to the point of intoxication. So drunk that he has to be driven home by another bar patron (while Jess accompanied them.) On their way back, Jess discovers that $500 pounds has fallen out of Ed's wallet. She pockets the money and uses it to reserve Tanzie's spot at St Anne's.
Faced with the prospect of still not being able to afford the tuition, books, and uniforms for St Anne's, Jess is distraught. She then receives a phone call from Tanzie's math teacher notifying her of a math competition (The Olympiad) that was taking place in Scotland that awarded the winner $5,000 pounds- enough to cover the first 2 years of St Anne's! Unfortunately, they didn't have the money to make it there via train or bus. Fortunately, Marty (the Ex-husband) had left a beat-up Rolls Royce in the garage (along with it's expired tags, and rat-eaten seats.) Jess, determined to give her little girl a chance in life, boards the family (including the dog!) in the car to drive them to Scotland! Unfortunately, Jess hasn't driven a car in years and is not very good at it, AND they get pulled over by the police within a few miles. Fortunately, Ed drives by, recognizes Jess (from both the bar and his house cleanings) and gives the family a lift back to their house. Jess, Tanzie and Nicky explain what they were doing, and Ed offers to drive them across the country to Scotland!
Not believing that Ed will actually show up the next day to drive them, embarrassed that they have to depend on a complete stranger, and nervous that he knows she took his money, Jess is a ball of emotions! She is shocked when Ed shows up and Ed, in turn, is shocked when he realizes that Tanzie gets sick if you drive over 40 mph, and their 8 hour trip was going to turn into a 5-day trip. Meanwhile, Ed is caught up in the lawsuit, his ex-wife pestering him for money, and his sister's insistence that he come to visit their dying father.
The trip is chalk-full of discoveries, disasters, nerves, smiles, and dog farts! As each day passes, Jess and Ed relax more around each other and their fondness for each other blossoms. They reach the Olympiad, more disasters, and then it's time for the return trip. They make a detour to see Marty, who has a new wife and lives in a beautiful home with the woman's two children! The relationship between Ed and Jess finally reach a boiling point and they both decide to let themselves fall! Once they are back to their home, a series of unfortunate events take place and you, the reader, find yourself racing to finish and uncover the ending!
SPOILER:
During the course of the story, I (like Jess) had COMPLETELY forgotten about Ed's stolen money. It seemed like two completely different people and a completely different time! When the deceit was uncovered, I covered my mouth in shock! I was fully rooting for the positive and sweet-hearted Jess, who deserved to be loved, to be happy, and to have someone take care of her. And I cared about Ed, who was accused of a crime he didn't intend to commit, who needed to experience the bright side of life, and who DESPERATELY needed someone like Jess! After Ed left, I didn't know where the story would go. Then, when Tanzie is attacked by the Fishers, and Norman, in an attempt to help her, was hit by a car, I cried. I don't know what it is about the death of an animal that causes such a visceral response from me! If a person dies suddenly in a book, I feel sad, but if an animals dies unexpectedly, tears fall!
The story does have a happy ending! All of the characters get what they want and most deserve. I finished the book with a smile!
I highly recommend this book! It was a good read! The plot is easy to follow, language isn't bogged down, characters are relatable & likable, and you get to experience a rainbow of emotions!
RATING:
I give One Plus One by JoJo Moyes 4.5 stars.
I struggled with this rating! I really enjoyed this book, but I LOVED Me Before You (which I give 5 stars to!), and this book seemed to fall just below that one. It took me a moment before I realized the reason for that. In Me Before You I learned something. I received insight into the lifestyle and the psyche of a quadriplegic. I didn't 'learn' anything from One Plus One, but it was a great read. Thus, 4.5 stars!
NEXT BOOK:
I decided to continue the JoJo Moyes reading spree and try The Girl You Left Behind. Let's hope it's a good one!
