Book Review: Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson

1/5

I greatly disagree with The Telegraph (in its 4/5 rating) when it comes to this book. I think that might be a little harsh but I think it’s because I really wanted this book to be good and it just wasn’t. I skimmed the last half of it because I was so bored by the writing. SO BORED. I find it very difficult to leave a book unfinished so I did slog through and the ending was disappointing and I just didn't care.

The main premise of the book revolves around a teenage girl Marina who is brought up in London by her English mother but in the household of her Hungarian Grandmother. Her Hungarian family moved to England when her father was a boy. Marina's father has left leaving Marina and her mother (Laura) forced to move in with his mother and the rest of her father's extended family. Laura and Marina have a very tense relationship and the book is about them overcoming that as Marina decides to go to boarding school. I thought that I would definitely enjoy this – because I thought some of the content would resonate with me personally. A lot of my family is Polish and had to leave Poland, I was born in London etc. etc. But no. The writing is so convoluted, it doesn’t keep one engaged with the story. The characters are also not likeable in the slightest so I honestly did not care whether Marina and Laura mended their relationship – I just wanted the book to be over because of their constant moaning and complaining. Marina is an insecure teenagerbut to the point where her inner monologue just gets frustrating... Maybe this is realistic? But it was awful to read. And Laura is a rather pathetic woman. I did not care for either of them.

Hopefully my next review will be on the happier side!

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