Jamie reviewed The newlyweds by Nell Freudenberger
Review of 'The newlyweds' on 'Goodreads'
1 star
I hope I don't sink so far as a one word review ("meh", in this case) but this one was really close. In part, there's a good reason so many stories end "And they lived happily ever after." The petty squabblings of newlyweds sorting out the first years is so much less interesting than what comes before.
Beyond that, this novel's a bit muddy. Saddling the newlyweds with multicultural struggles makes the disagreements seem more petty and trifling rather than less. Odd complications with in-laws, the economy, visas and citizenship, and travel do not sharpen this so much as present a timeline.
The Newlyweds has no real emotional heft, though the characters do experience some pretty heavy stresses and hurdles. That might be because there are so few sympathetic characters.
The Newlyweds is just a smidge above 'Abandon' level.
