Review: Smart, funny, heartfelt romance from a man's point of view
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 10, 2013
What I loved most about The Thirty Something Snap was the characters. They take themselves seriously and not seriously at the same time, so their desires and circumstances led to affecting, heartfelt and funny developments and dialogues. They felt real to me, like a great buddy movie or reunion movie can feel real, reminding you of your own friends, hopes and dreams while also being thoroughly engaged with the characters. Penny, Sylvia and Ben were all exceptional, as was Howard, our lead.Helgasson's entire concept is intriguing. We lump the term "midlife crisis" together with a lot of threads, but the impulsiveness and drive from the titular Snap is distinctive and captured really well by the author, including the desire for a meaningful romance and for career opportunities. I love how Helgasson made the PR firm a solid character in and of itself. I really loved the sense of place throughout the book, too. Especially fun was descriptions of Florida, which can lend itself well to ridiculous scenes, and the author's descriptions of everything from Key West to Epcot Center brought it all to life. John Travolta even makes an appearance.All of these details provided a great escape, with a winning romance and great characters holding it all together. What a fun read.