The Good Part by Sophie Cousens

 

Summary (from the publisher): By the New York Times bestselling author of Just Haven't Met You Yet, a downtrodden twenty-six-year-old wakes up to the life she's always wanted, but is it really a dream come true?

At twenty-six, Lucy Young is tired. Tired of fetching coffees for senior TV producers, tired of going on disastrous dates, and definitely tired of living in a damp flat share with flatmates who never buy toilet roll. She could quit her job for a better living, but she's not ready to give up on her dreams. Not just yet. After another diabolical date lands her in a sudden storm and no money for bus fare, Lucy finds herself seeking shelter in a tiny shop, where she stumbles upon a curious wishing machine. Pushing her last coin into the slot, Lucy closes her eyes and wishes with everything she's got: Please, let me skip to the good part of my life.

When she wakes the next morning to a handsome man, a ring on her finger, a high-powered job, and storybook perfect little boy and baby girl, Lucy can't believe this is real--especially when she looks in the mirror, and staring back is her own forty-something face. Has she really skipped ahead to the future she's always wanted, or has she simply forgotten a huge chunk of her life? And as Lucy begins to embrace this new life and new relationships, she'll have to ask herself: Can she go back, and if so, does she want to?

Review: Lucy Young is twenty-six years old and living in a depressing apartment in London with three roommates and a ceiling that leaks into her bed. She's tired of waking up to find no toilet paper in the loo, only to head to work where she's a glorified assistant even after spending several years trying to climb the ladder. On the way home from a depressing night out, she spontaneously puts a coin in a wishing machine and wishes to skip to the good part of her life. When she wakes up, she's married to a handsome man, has a successful career, and a beautiful family. Lucy can hardly believe this is real. Has she really skipped ahead in time or is she suffering from amnesia that is making her forget the last fifteen years of her life? Even as she falls in love with this new to her life - with her husband, with her children, with her satisfying career - she can't help but mourn all the things she missed, both good and bad. Can she go back and even if she could, would she choose to?

I adored this novel. Obviously borrowing from a lot of classic films like 13 Going on 30, it emphasizes the value in experiencing both the good and bad in your life. Without the hard experiences she lived in the gap in her memory, Lucy can't fully appreciate the life she finds herself in. And without the years of working her way up to her place in her career, she lacks some of the crucial skills needed to run a successful tv business. I really liked how Cousens left the source of the time jump intentionally ambiguous for most of the novel. You were kept guessing if it was some sort of magic, some sort of medical emergency, or maybe just all a dream, that has caused this crisis in Lucy's life, and it really helped with suspension of disbelief. 

Perhaps my favorite part of this novel was the depiction of the marriage between Lucy and Sam. I feel that it is truly rare to see a happy, supportive marriage depicted in fiction, but this book has it! "Of all the things I have had to adapt to, being loved by this man has been the easiest to accept. I like being his wife, I like sharing a bed with him, knotting hands after sex and knowing I don't have to worry about whether he'll still be there in the morning. And even though objectively I should be less confident in this world-worn shell, the fact that Sam adores every stretch mark, every wrinkle, liberates me from a trap I didn't realize I was caught in" (283). Sam is such a loving and supportive partner. Neither Lucy or Sam is perfect, and they have been through some really hard times together, but they really love and support one another. One of the great joys of Lucy waking up in her 40s was being able to fall in love with her husband all over again, and really fall in love with her whole life. 

Such a great book with a great message about embracing your life, even all the messy, hard bits. I really loved this, especially Sam and Lucy's relationship and her relationship with her son Felix. So glad I picked this one up. 

Stars: 4.5