Book Review: As If Nothing Happened
by Monica Carter
Publication Date: Aug 01, 2002
List Price: $14.95
Format: Paperback, 220 pages
Classification: Fiction
ISBN13: 9780971843608
Imprint: Rootsky Publishing
Publisher: Rootsky Publishing
Parent Company: Rootsky Publishing
Read a Description of As If Nothing Happened
Book Reviewed by Tiffany M. Davis
"And in the nine years she had known Joya, since freshman year, and in the
eight years they had known Yvonne, the three had never become distant. Even
though, Jennifer had to admit, guiltily, there had been plenty of times when her
friends should have kicked her aside because of her mouth. But they didn’t. She
wondered what she would do without them." - from As If Nothing Happened.
As If Nothing Happened marks the literary debut of Monica Carter. It is a story
of friendships, relationships, and the costs of keeping secrets.
Joya, Yvonne and Jennifer have been friends for many years. Joya is a financial
planner who has worked herself out of poverty into a life of material stability,
though she yearns for the completion of love. Yvonne is a dancer with dreams of
making it big, but is constantly in danger of being derailed by her poor choices
in men. Jennifer is married with a beautiful daughter and thinks that her life
is better than those of her friends until her seemingly drama-free home life is
threatened. The women usually turn to each other when times get rough, but
events in their respective lives seem to prove too large for even their strong
friendship to endure.
Monica Carter displays a crisp, realistic dialogue that flows throughout the
story. Indeed, the conversations are as familiar and comfortable as if one were
sitting down and listening to members of a family gathering. Each woman’s
life-changing event is laid out from that woman’s point of view in a clear and
non-confusing fashion. Unfortunately, the beauty of this gift of dialogue is
almost lost in the thin and predictable plot of the story.
While this story can be argued as being true-to-life, the triteness of the
storyline leaves much to be desired. Readers may be able to figure out the
ending of the story within the first chapter of the book, an ending that left no
loose ends. Such endings are usually reserved for romances and may leave readers
disappointed. If As If Nothing Happened had challenged the reader a bit more, it
might have been more enjoyable and satisfying, instead of eliciting the
complacent "ho-hum" responses similar to the other cookie-cutter novels that
grace this nation’s bookshelves.
Many readers will have encountered these characters before in some fashion,
whether through societal stereotypes, or from reading other works, or viewing
movies. There is the financially successful woman who has everything she
wants/needs except a man, being that most men don’t measure up to her standards.
There is the pretty woman who is not that intelligent yet has a heart of gold —
a heart that is constantly being bruised by her dalliances with "wrong" men, who
spout pretty words in order to fulfill their pleasure-seeking. Lastly there is
the superwoman who works full-time, takes care of the children and home, and
constantly cuts her man down by telling him exactly what he is not doing for her
and that she can do it all by herself. The male characters bring more of the
same, prominently featured in the roles of the "Player," the "Nice Guy," and the
"Lecherous (White) Boss". While the author attempts to add depth to these
clich’s, the characters still manage to come off as flat and two-dimensional.
As If Nothing Happened seems to ultimately be more about Joya and how she
wrestles with her personal demons in response to her relationships with Yvonne
and Jennifer, but it is nonetheless an interesting read. The story, though it
has been told in many other versions and ways, is still entertaining and will
compel the reader to keep going until the end. Readers should look forward to
seeing Ms. Carter’s future works.