Tart by Jody Gherhman

The first question is, why was I reading Tart in the first place? Answer: I read a lot. The Blacksburg public library and the Virginia Tech library have a collectively terrible selection of new novels. I guess if I was on top of things, I’d use inter library loan and get something I actually want to read. But I’m not. So there you are.

So I picked up Tart, which is a genre of books I actually like a lot- fluff directed at women, I don’t know if it is for despondent housewives or single thirtysomethings or adolescents or what. Books like Bridget Jones Diary. I like them. They make me laugh.

“Judy Gehrman teaches writing at Mendocino College.” It shows. The writing is smooth and well-edited. Bad writing and bad editing are usually my peeves.

The problem with this book is that the protagonist does not really add up to a ‘real’ character. She is a sort of California-Everywoman, sexually liberated, from a divorce-remarry-divorce household, latte drinking, cool without trying, a good dancer. She’s an appealing character, but she’s got the emotional depth of a puddle. I don’t know why California-Everywoman is a cliche who makes me want to scream, whereas a Hiaasen-Everyman is just a vehicle for an amusing nonsense-plot. That’s the point of this book, after all, it’s just to amuse. Is it sexism? I don’t know.

The other big problem here is a hackneyed plot. 2 of the more original plot twists are explained on the back of the book. The other plot twist is so terrible and obvious we will not speak of it. It might have worked in Pride and Prejudice, but it doesn’t work here. As I was reading I was thinking “OH NO!!! She can’t be going to pull THIS ONE!!!” But then she did.

So the point of this meandering post is I enjoyed Tart but it wasn’t profound? It’s not like I thought it was going to be. If you enjoy this genre of book, you’ll probably like this one. Flaws aside, it was pretty funny and engaging.