Book Review of The Rewrite
A Book Review of The Rewrite
Tropes: Second Chance
Representation:
Black male main character, Black female main character, and Black side characters.
I obtained this arc through NetGalley. Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Viking Penguin, for sending me this advanced copy of the Re-Write for my honest opinion.
Introduction
Re-White is such a cute romance novel. The author is Lizzie Damilola Blackburn. She is a British Nigerian writer who drew on her life experience for her first book, entitled ‘Yink, Where is Your Husband?’ This new book is also based on her experiences as a young writer.
Temi is the main female character. She is a writer from London. Although she ghostwrites, she aspires to complete her novel. Temi has been patient in getting a job while finishing her book. Yet, her agent wants her to complete her manuscript quickly. In addition to that, lands a job ghostwriting a celebrity’s memoir. Only to find the client is her ex, Wale. Wale broke her heart, and she has never recovered from it.
Wale is still considered a heartbreaker. After dumping Temi, he signs up for a reality dating show. On the show, he flirts with one contestant only to turn around and not follow through. The public voted him off. Now, his followers are calling him out on social media. Wale’s publicists want him to revamp his career. They want him to write about his youth and what he’s been through. To portray him as a kind human being who made some bad decisions. Temi does not want to do it, but needs the job. Also, you can tell her supervisor is very aggressive because she nicknamed him with a slur.
One thing I appreciate is how Lizzie Blackburn provided background information about the characters’ actions and personalities. Temi agents and publishers rejected her work. Now she is frustrated and overwhelmed. This can be seen in how she cries after talking to her agent. Temi was exhausted with the deadline publisher and agent’s timeline. But Temi did not tell them how she felt. If Temi had told them, the outcome would have been different. But her fear of failing prevented her from being honest.
This fear stems from looking bad in front of her overachieving parents. Her parents are ambitious. Temi’s mom optician and her dad is the senior director of John Lewis. Temi mentions it, and it seems to be a source of anxiety about not living up to their expectations.
The call from her current agent brought dread instead of
joy. However, she still has hope, particularly because they are offering
publication. But she feels defeated upon realizing it is her ex. Now she would
have to work with Temi. Temi does not trust him or believe in him anymore. She
is also attempting to make him sound kind. Temi doubts she will put her
feelings aside to write about Wale. She wrote an entire book about how much of a
flirt Wale was, following their breakup. That is logical, given the way he
ended things.
Wale thinks it is a clever idea to have Temi work on his
memoir. He believes in her writing skills and says she can do the best job. His
affirmation reminds Temi of how he treated her in the past. She appreciated how
he affirmed her fighting for what she wanted. Strangely, he trusts her
to write about him. But he does not trust Temi enough to stay with her.
He did not trust her because of a rumor and fear he had from a previous relationship. He decided that what he heard was
true. Wale should have told Temi how he felt. But he did not, and his actions
caused a world of hurt for Temi. Temi did not want to break up, but he gave her
no choice. Now she is trying to move on with her career, but Wale is
re-entering her life. His behavior is odd, as if nothing has occurred.
Overall, most of the conflict that occurs in their
relationship are was lack of communication, being honest, and trusting one another.
Part of it was because of the youthful age. They had not fully matured yet when
it came to managing emotional issues. Their family drama was also an issue. Wale
never let her know what it was like growing up. He hides it. I can understand
because you can tell he was embarrassed by how he lived.
The best audience for this book is people who like flawed
book characters. Neither Temi nor Wale is perfect. They lack maturity and
honesty. But they do experience growth. When Temi works on Wales' book, she
discovers how he behaved as a child. She realizes that he is not as cocky as
he appears. That is the best part of the book. They realize their mistakes and
own up to them. This book is also good for those who want to understand the background
of the characters.
This book has some romance scenes. Such as the flirty banter in Wale
and Temi’s text messages. The two do
have chemistry, but it is more non-sexual way. Temi and Wale encourage one
another. For example, Wale motivates Temi with her writing. When Wale is finding fame difficult, Temi helps him deal with his anxiety. This allows him to be vulnerable about his childhood.
Overall, it was a well-written book that provided details about the main and side characters. This made me understand the characters in the book and made them relatable. It also made the book engaging because I wanted to know how they would change. The author tackled important issues like anxiety, moving on after a breakup, and the realities of being a reality TV Star. That is, I give this book a four because of how Blackburn handled difficult situations with love and care.
