Sunday 25 November 2012

Review: The Reluctant Hallelujah by Gabrielle Williams


It's three days till Dodie finishes school forever, and her life is in chaos. Not because of school, but because her parents have gone missing and she's discovered that they've been hiding something in their basement. Something that millions of people would love to get their hands on - including some very Bad Guys. Now Dodie must transport The Thing from Melbourne to Sydney with her little sister, an acquaintance and two strangers in tow... and the Bad Guys on their tail.

I'll be honest: I didn't think I was going to like The Reluctant Hallelujah. A couple of reviews from Goodreads friends suggested it really wasn't my cup of tea, especially after I found out what The Thing is. It sounded bizarre and like the book was about shock value more than anything else. But I already had the book on my shelf, and so when I was looking to clear space on there, I decided to read it so I could get rid of it. I would have just gotten rid of it, except I was mildly curious about how The Thing would pan out, and it's a pretty small book so it was only a small investment in terms of time.

Boy, am I glad I didn't just throw it in the donation bag. Perhaps because I already knew what The Thing was, it didn't blindside or shock me as it did with others, and I think this helped me to enjoy the book more. I already knew the weirdness I was heading towards, so I was happy to go along for the ride. And really, when you think about it, The Thing isn't any less realistic than say, vampires and werewolves falling in love with teenagers. I mean no offence by that if you know what The Thing is; it's just the way I was able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the book.

While The Thing was the driving force behind the road trip (ahem), and faith was a central theme of the novel, the most interesting part to me was Dodie's own personal journey, and her relationships with the other characters. I loved Dodie's voice; it was distinct and smart, but still very real. All of the characters felt authentic to me; they weren't perfect, but that was part of their appeal. There was one little part that irked me: when Dodie comments she's glad to have a guy with her, because he can be strong and read maps. Generalising, much? But that was a really minor disappointment in an otherwise gorgeous book.

The Reluctant Hallelujah has a bit of everything: family drama, mystery, road trip fun, suspense, romance, humour, whimsy and oh, so much heartbreak. It's been awhile since a book affected me so much and made me ugly cry, and I think it's because I felt so connected to the characters. That, and Gabrielle Williams' beautiful writing. The symbolism in the end, and the way the story connected back to The Thing, made it all the more powerful. Despite the fact I'm generally a fan of happy endings, I appreciated the way Dodie was still kind of struggling towards the end, and grappling with issues of faith, love and identity. It was nice to see that she was on her way to healing, but it was even better that everything wasn't neatly tied up in a cheesy package. It felt real, which is something, considering the very surreal plot. Although The Thing isn't usually my thing, I'm so glad I gave The Reluctant Hallelujah a chance -  it's an absolutely beautiful book.

Rating: 4/5

Fine Print
Published: February 2012, Penguin
Get It: Bookworld

10 comments:

  1. I'm glad you gave The Reluctant Hallelujah a chance, because I've been pretty curious about it and haven't really seen enough to make a decision about reading it, but now I think it's the kind of thing I'd really like.

    Thanks for the great review, Belle :)

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    1. Thank you! It's not for everyone but I enjoyed it.

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  2. This is the first mention I've seen of this one--obviously I'm a bit out of the loop. I must say I'm a bit intrigued, but given your thoughts, I'm not entirely sure it's my cup of tea. :)

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    1. It's beautiful writing, so maybe check out some of her other books? That's what I plan to do now :)

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  3. It's always so nice when a book turns out to be better than initially anticipated, right?! And to top it all off, some of my favourite books are the ones that don't necessarily have a happy-ever-after ending. I like it when an author keeps to a degree of realism because it makes it more believable for me. I can personally identify with a character that's still left to struggle a bit and that's what it's all about for me. Glad you gave it a chance and ended up enjoying it.

    By the way, I really wanna know what The Thing is!! To read spoilers or not to read spoilers? That is the real question here.

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    1. Oooh. Well, for me, I think knowing was better. You find out pretty early on, anyway.

      Psst... if you really want to know, you can probably figure out by looking at the cover.

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  4. I've never heard of this one!! Which is funny, because I work at Barnes & Noble and am usually aware of most books going around! lol :))

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    1. Are you in America? It's an Australian book, I don't know if it's been released in the US yet.

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  5. Hey Belle, Thanks for such a great review. I'm thrilled that you decided to keep TRH out of the donation bag! And this has come at a great time for me - I've just finished my first draft of my next book, so to read such nice things about my writing has really bolstered my confidence (ah, the insecurities of being a writer - I can hardly stand it). Anyway, glad you liked my book, and thanks. Gab W

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    1. Hi Gabrielle, thank you for your lovely comment. I'm thrilled I kept it out of the donation bag, too - it's definitely staying on my shelf! I'll have to find another way to make room ;) It really is such a beautiful book, I can't wait to read your next one! xx

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