Review: 27: Six Friends, One Year, One very insightful and enjoyable book
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 14, 2014
27 (Twenty-Seven) Six Friends, One Year27, Six Friends, One Year by R. J. Heald is a well-told tale of love and marriage, drinking and sex, and the real life that happens in between. The drama takes place during a year in the lives of six friends who are all twenty-seven years old. But while they were friends at college, or “uni” as the Brits say, they haven’t stayed in touch or been particularly good friends to each other during the ensuing years.Sarah is just back from traveling the world on a shoestring. She’s broke and aimless and secretly in love with Dave. Dave is disheveled and not the most ambitious of men, but he’s charming in a sloppy, easy-going way that makes him very attractive to women. Katie and Andy were the perfect couple at school, but their marriage is on the rocks. James seems to have the perfect life: a good job, lovely wife, and a beautiful baby. The only problem is that James can’t stop drinking. Ever. Steve is a workaholic who falls in love with a young woman he meets on Facebook. In the background, there’s Sam (Samantha). She was on the outskirts of the group in college, and is ready to emerge triumphant with a new slimmer figure and an older man who’s asked her to marry him. Sam’s eager to play the part of Cinderella, but her chosen Prince Charming is a scary fellow prone to violence.There’s a lot happening in 27. A less skillful storyteller would have had a difficult time weaving this many divergent plotlines into a single enjoyable and page-turning story. Heald pulls this off; however, I wish she had delved deeper to show us why these people cared about each other in the first place. And why we should care about them. When we first meet the six friends, they’re difficult to like or admire. They’re self-absorbed and negligent about the people in their lives who love them. Of the many characters in 27, I found myself caring the most about Sam, and I would have liked to see more of her in the last scenes of the book.R. J. Heald is a talented writer with a clear, strong voice; witty humor; and deep insights about human nature. She does such a great job of conveying the inner feelings of her male and female characters. At first, I was convinced that the author was a man after reading chapters written from the perspective of the male characters.  But after a particularly poignant chapter written from the point of view of one of the women, I looked up the author’s bio and realized that I’d been wrong.27 would make for a great screenplay and movie. It’s a natural successor to Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Big Chill. I recommend this book, and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Heald.