Bitter Bitch

Author: Maria Svelend
ISBN: 978-1616083038
Skyhorse Publishing
Purchase Link: Bitter Bitch: A Novel
Source: BookPleasures

Bitter Bitch is a novel of honest anger, genuine sadness and hurtful betrayal. The novel, which promotes thinking outside the box, tells the story of Sarah, a wife and mother, who has an awakening while seated on a plane bound for Teherite, Spain. Sarah, who is by herself on a one week vacation, realizes she is thirty and completely unsatisfied with life. She is angry with her family, her choices and herself. As a result Sarah realizes she is becoming a bitter bitch.

The title of this novel certainly gives a reader a certain level of insight in regards to the content they can expect from this book. Though a certain level of criticism and complaining was suspected in this story, the bitter ranting and complaining is fluid throughout the book. As a result the novel lacks a plot or any real storyline. I didn’t expect the bitterness of the main character to be the story. In essence not much happens in this book. While the reader is given topics to ponder and issues to contemplate, the lack of story doesn’t give this book the feel of a novel.

While it is true that I had a hard time relating to Sarah, I did understand her as a wife and mother. Though I don’t have the angry and bitter views the main character displays, I can certainly understand how worn out a woman can get with the daily issues of life that we deal with. My thought was who doesn’t? I had a difficult time with the feminist viewpoints in this novel since I lack interest in them. However, the book does bring up many issues, viewpoints and thoughts that could easily spark discussion since it’s highly unlikely everyone would agree with everything offered forth in this book.

I am inclined to think this book was written years too late. I don’t think the book would have presented itself as ranting or complaining if it was written in the 50’s or 60’s when equality of women and equal rights were a big focus and change. I personally feel our society, at least in America, is much more an equal society rather than a “man’s world”. Regardless of personal opinions on the subjects in this novel, be prepared for language, bitterness, un-satisfaction, an occasional laugh and not a whole lot of story to surround it all. I wish the author could have found a better plot to deliver her message with. Maybe this title simply needs to be published as something other than a novel? Though it was easy to read, it lacked in interest. I wasn’t drawn to it.