Book Review: The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing

My favorite bookstore in New York happens to be at the Chelsea Market. I like it for many reasons, mainly though for their great selection of staff recommendations. That’s where I found The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank.

A compilation of fictional personal essays, The Girls Guide… discusses the emotional plights of relationships—both romantic and otherwise. Nearly every story centers on a girl named Jane. We meet her at various points in her life, witnessing both ups and downs. By the end, Jane learns the secret to having an honest relationship, one we can all learn from.

Overall, the novel was worth the read. I liked how human each story felt, how I could understand each emotional response she had. Humor is a clear strength and security of Bank’s. At first, it was cleverly used, but towards the end, the humorous moments began to feel a bit too obvious. While I understand the novel was meant to be a series of short stories, I wanted a bit more closure at the end. She’d shared many stories with us, but I wanted it to be wrapped up nicely in the end. I’m sure that was an intentional choice on Bank’s part, but I was left wanting to know more.

If you’re looking for a lighter summer read, I’d recommend this book. It’s the kind of novel well suited for the beach and best read with a good glass of wine.

 

 

 

 

 

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