Walking With Elephants ~ Book Review

I have to tell you straight off the bat that the cover of this book is what drew me in. It wasn't just the description and information I received, but this image is almost haunting, isn't it?

And yet -- the book itself? Totally nothing like the cover.

I enjoyed the read. It was mostly light, somewhat intriguing, but not at all in a mysterious kind of way. I still feel, looking at the image here of the cover, that perhaps it was mixed up with something else? Another book? Some other work? Just somewhere ... anywhere ... else.

I know that sounds cliche, as though I'm judging a book by its cover and all, which I did. And don't tell me you don't do it. We have to sometimes. We look at the cover and it draws us in. Makes us want more. This cover totally did that, so someone on Ms. Bell's staff definitely had the right idea. Thing is, it doesn't mesh with the story at all.

OK, that out of the way (yes, twice, I know), I did like the book. I liked the main character, who was a working mother with three children, a husband she barely saw or connected with, and a recent re-connection with a man from her past. She's got a best friend who needs her as much as you'd expect a child to, and yet, these children don't. Not really.

We're wrapped up in Suze (our primary character) and her world, some of her home-life, a little bit about her kids, and then mostly work, work and more work. We do get some wonderful scenes between her and her co-worker Elliott (who I adored, completely) and I have to confess that parts of his life seem more interesting than the day to day we're otherwise exposed to. Which is the point, I believe. Elliott is the kind of man who talks in hushed tones, lives a whirlwind life and is already planning to quit his job and start a business of some sort with his latest love interest.

I'll be honest, I totally want an Elliott spin-off!

I know that this review may make things sound dreary, but it's not all that bad. Suze is in a position that many working moms experience, and she seems to be tired of it. She's also stuck with a backstabbing b!tch of a colleague at work, who turns into a backstabbing b!tch of a boss. And we all know how that can be, I'm sure.

I'm not sure if the cliched aspects of the story bothered me, or helped me relate to her more, but I think it was a [mostly] light and easy read. I would like to know more about Suze, and I'd like to read more about her and what happens next. But I also want her to develop more of a backbone. And once she does that I think we have our sequel. If the author were to be so inclined. And if not, no biggie -- as long as we get more of Elliott!

** This review was scheduled via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated in any way for my post and all opinions expressed are strictly my own. I did receive a copy of this book to facilitate my review. **

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