The Park Bench Test

by Sarah Lefebve

[Leah]

As soon as I saw The Park Bench Test, I knew I wanted to read it. I am a sucker for novels that are about finding Mr Right, and I’m always curious how authors will let books like this play out; is there such a thing as Mr Right? Do people make it up? I adored the cover and I was so intrigued as to what the whole “Park Bench test” theory was. As soon as it downloaded to my Kindle, I couldn’t wait to get started, although unfortunately it didn’t really hit the spot I expected it to hit. I dunno what I expected to be fair, but I truly believed from the title that park benches were going to be a massive part. That the park bench was some big kinda test as to whether it proves you’re with your Mr Right or not and although it is a bit of a part in the novel, it’s not what I expected, which probably sounds silly because just HOW MUCH can a park bench effect a novel?

The Park Bench Test wasn’t a bad book by all means, but it was a bit strange. It’s a novel that asks the question about how you know when you’ve found Mr Right but the thing is, if everyone’s answer is “You just know”, how can you make a novel out of that if there isn’t a scientific specific reason you know someone is right for you? If there’s no definitive answer other than you just know then all the asking, all the wondering, all the debating is pointless because that isn’t an answer. Don’t get me wrong, there are some fab tales of how couples knew they loved each other, one in particular featuring a ski slope, cold hands and a tissue springs to mind as easily my favourite one, I just do not know how a book that asks a question that cannot be answered with a reasonable explanation can hinge on said question. I just found it strange. The sensible side of me didn’t agree with it. It’s a fun journey that ends with a conclusion you learn pretty much from the off, and it just sort of means you finish the book thinking “Well, is that it?”

It’s a sweet read, a quick read, with some lovely characters though Becky did get on my nerves a bit. She’s consistently questioning whether she can be a writer/if she should go back to her job at Penand Inc and she drops more breakables than a two-year-old child (no one is THAT clumsy). If you’re going to write a novel in first-person you can’t have that person be irritatingly repetitive. At times I just wanted to tell her to shut up whinging and just get on with things. Instead of saying you don’t want to work at Penand Inc any more, just bloody do something about it, y’know? There’s indecisive then there’s just plain lazy. I also found her actions towards the end of the novel to border on stupid. What she does isn’t heroic, she’s being a martyr, and then she’s whinging even more on top of it when everything that happened and how she ended up was all her fault and no one else’s.

I just felt sort of let down by The Park Bench Test. For it’s beautiful title and gorgeous cover, I expected a lot more. I’m a firm believer in Mr Right and I was hoping for a wonderful life-affirming answer on how you know Mr Right is Mr Right! I wanted to be so blown away I would go out looking for my Mr Right immediately. This novel will have its fans, people who can suspend their sensible side from intruding, but I couldn’t keep mine at bay. I was mostly disappointed. It’s a shame but it happens from time to time and not every book is going to be my cup of tea. I will certainly look out for a second novel from Sarah Lefebve though, because despite my many issues, this was well written and with the right plot, and right characters etc she could write a book I would love, it just wasn’t this one.