Review: The Idea of You

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this book from Net Galley. I don't remember requesting it. It's not really my type of book.

The protagonist Lucy Carpenter and her husband Jonah seem to have it all. Great careers, a nice house, everything but the baby that Lucy wants so desperately. They try and try, but it just never works out for them. Jonah wants to quit trying, because he sees how hard it is for Lucy to fail time and again. Then his teenaged daughter Camille comes to live with them. What a blow. Now Lucy can live her failure to be a parent every single day while knowing that Jonah got his chance.

As the book progresses the reader learns more about Lucy through her letter to her unborn child. Lucy resents Camille, not just because Camille is a teenager with all the trials and tribulations that come with being a teenager, but because Camille is a constant reminder of her failure to be a mother. I found Lucy to be whiny and unsympathetic. As someone who has never wanted biological children I am not the proper demographic for this book. I can empathize with her plight but don't really understand the driving force that motivates her.

Finally, there is a dramatic reveal that ties the whole story together. The final portion of the book makes Lucy's story much more complete. She has cathartic moments with her husband, her mother and Camille. Ultimately, Lucy comes away a much better person.

As I said, I'm not the demographic or proper audience for this book. I don't understand the need that drives some women to insist that only a biological child will satisfy their craving for nurturing. So the storyline didn't entirely make sense to me. However, the writing was good. The author captures Lucy's pathos and emotion. There is enough detail, but not too much. Perhaps if I were a mother myself I would have rated it more highly.

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