I was not meant to read this book when I did, it was next in my queue after JK Rowling's Post-Harry Potter book for adults 'The Casual Vacancy'. However, I got disheartened by struggling my way through the heavy prose of this book (a review will come eventually) but felt I needed to switch, so picked up 'Life Without' by Ben Warden.
Now Ben is an old friend of mine way back from my school days. It's difficult reading a book from someone you know as you either end up having to lie and say it's great or if you do say it's great it's only because you're friends.
However, though I fall into the latter camp, it's because 'Life Without' is a very enjoyable read from the first-time author.
'Life Without' tells the story of banker Steven Goodman who has the perfect life all except for his wife Sophie with whom he has just divorced from. Wanting to shake his life up he goes into a multi-million pound venture with famous artist Julian Stroke, giving up his job and putting his flat on the line to make his dreams of becoming a politician come true. Will he be able to pull it off or will he have to fall back on his friend Pete to pull him out of a nightmare situation?
'Life WIthout' is an easy, enjoyable read. The chapters are short and flow well, and there is a definite must-read-one-more chapter feel to the novel. There are plenty of twists and turns and the last third in particular sees a lot of developments and changes in the lives of all the characters with it never being obvious whether everything will turn out happily every after come to the final page or whether everything will come crashing round their ears.
Mixing in some humour throughout the book and some neat comedy scenes, as well as some well orchestrated set-ups of tragedy, there is much to keep you reading and it never feels forced.
A thoroughly enjoyable read with some nicely fleshed-out characters and a well tied-up conclusion with some likeable characters, all with their own flaws, and enjoyable set-pieces. The drama may be a little soap-opera at times, not this is a bad thing, and some of the elements of the world they live in fantastical, but the world is well drawn and though it does share some parallels with the book I have temporarily abandoned in its favour - character drama with intrigue and a little bit of adult material - it's a far more enjoyable and satisfying read than Rowling's book.
You can pick up a copy of 'Life Without' at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Without-Ben-Warden/dp/1908853190/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358695156&sr=1-1, also available on your Kindle.
Sunday 20 January 2013
Ben Warden - Life Without (Review)
Posted on 07:30 by Unknown
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