Author: Matthew Quick
Publisher: Harper Avenue
Publication Year: 2015
Language: English
Format: Paperback
Pages: 416
Portia Kane is having a meltdown. After escaping her ritzy Florida life and her cheating pornographer husband, she finds herself transported back to South Jersey, where things remain largely unchanged from her unhappy childhood. In need of saving herself, she sets out to find and resurrect a beloved high school English teacher who has retired after a horrific scandal. Will a sassy nun, an ex-heroin addict, a metal-head little boy, and her hoarder mother help or hurt Portia's chances in this bid for renewed hope in the human race? This is a story of the great highs and lows of existence: the heartache and daring choices it takes to become the person you know (deep down) you are meant to be.
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Love May Fail opens with Portia Kane catching
his husband cheating. After almost doing things she might regret, she went back
to her hometown. There, as she figuring out on what to do with her life, she
decided to help her high school English teacher whom she believes represent the
goodness of humanity. While trying to help her high school teacher, Portia
reconnects with her past life and finally pursuing her dreams.
This book is
divided into several parts with different narrators. The first narrator is
Portia Kane, then we have Nate Vernon who is Portia’s high school teacher,
Sister Maeve Smith, a nun whom Portia met on a plane back to her hometown, and
Chuck Bass who is the brother of Portia’s high school friend. I know it might
seem too much but each character has their purpose and they all are
interconnected in some miraculous way. Some people might find it ridiculous and
unbelievable but for me, I don’t mind it. I do need a little bit of miracle in a
time like this.
At first, Portia Kane came off as privileged to me. As I
read through the book, I learned her background and she kind of grew on me.
Although I find her motivation to help her high school teacher as selfish. I
think while she’s trying to find herself, her character also grows. Her chapters
are my favorite in this book.
On the other hand, Nate Vernon’s part broke
my heart. However, I can totally see a young teacher with high hopes and spirit
to teach only to be crushed by his student (or reality). It’s not the first time
this topic been brought up in books and movies. It doesn’t happen only to
teachers, I think many people started out idealist and full of hopes then as we
grow up we learn the harsh reality and settle. I know it sounds bleak but that’s
the truth because I’m experiencing it too. So in a way, I could relate to this
book. I understand the struggle of the characters in this book. In spite of
that, I like how this book presents this disheartening theme in a light-hearted
way.
Some would say that the ending of this book is too good to be true.
Though I agree with that, I still like the ending because it reminds me that
it’s a fiction. The topic brought up in this book is real that all the
miraculous coincidence is needed to bring me back to the fact that it’s a
fiction. Still, Love May Fail is not for everyone. This book could appear too
grim or too hopeful. Either way, I enjoyed reading this book. I think this book
is exactly what I needed at the time I read it.
You tell us that we should all be different, but if we were all different, we’d be the same. Can’t you see that? Not everyone can be different, or we’d lose the sense of the word – just like everyone can’t be extraordinary.
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