Book Review: Sundays at Tiffany’s, by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

It’s a love story with a twist. As a child, Jane was loved and protected more by her imaginary friend, Michael, than by her own powerful mother, Vivienne. But on her ninth birthday, Michael must leave Jane – that’s how the imaginary friend gig works. He needs to move on to his next assignment, and she will forget him, move on, and grow up. That’s how it’s supposed to work, anyway. Michael finds himself in Jane’s life again, only now she is grown up, and neither of them know how to explain what is happening to them. Is it love that makes us human? Is it love that makes us never forget?

This book reads like a movie, which made for an easy, enjoyable afternoon (which is how long it took to read it). It is sweet and funny at turns, with several emotional tugs. I like how it’s largely up to the reader to decide exactly what Michael is or what the nature of his existence is. Jane and Michael keep asking questions that neither can answer, and that’s the reader’s experience as well. In fact, it’s probably best not to ask too many questions at all while reading this. It’s meant to be a love story, and love cannot always be explained.

Since I did have Hollywood on the brain while I read this, I kept wondering how they would cast the parts if the story got optioned for film. I’m interested to know – if you’ve read this, who did you imagine in the roles?

One final thing, and it seems I always have these caveats to my reviews. There is one scene in this book that will keep me from handing it to my 14 year old daughter. Just one scene. Everything was fabulous up until this one point, and then I had to shake my head and say, “Well THERE it is, the ONE scene!” I had the same experience with Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader. Fabulous, fabulous book, except for a couple of strangely placed scenes that seemed unneccessary inclusions. I know authors do what they do on purpose, but sometimes I still have to wonder why they’ve gotta throw that fly in my soup.

You might also enjoy these related posts from Tree, Root, and Twig:

1. CLOSED: Book Review & Giveaway: Spaceheadz Book #1, by Jon Scieszka
2. Review: Holding Fast, by Karen James
3. Book Review: Gentlemen of the Road, by Michael Chabon

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