Review: Love is a form of divine madness, a fire that renews us even as it consumes
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 15, 2014
It was Plato, I'm pretty sure, who first described love as a form of "divine madness," and Insipid does an awesome job of putting flesh on the bones of that abstract concept. It's a beautiful story, beautifully told, that unfolds gradually, just as MC Jade's world is crumbling around her.  But that process of destruction is also a process of creation, as each seemingly crushing blow contains within in the seeds of the next stage of Jade's journey.  What I really loved most about this book was the way it describes that astonishing, reason-overwhelming experience of being consumed by the irrational emotional experience of falling in love, inappropriately, wildly and inexplicably, even to the person undergoing it. That crazy feeling of "I know this is a bad idea, why is it so compelling?"There are several other elements of this book that really stand out for me as well.  First, the portrayal of Jade's world of finance and deal-making.  Many writers attempt to depict this world - there's no shortage of sexy CEO's, bad-ass billionaires, and make-believe moguls in the realm of romance and women's fiction. But few, if any, have the verisimilitude and believability of Christine's portrayal of Jade's world.  From the boardroom encounters to the painstaking process of document review, her familiarity with the setting, and her ease at recreating it bring the background to life.Another element I loved is the way Christine uses the seasons and elements of the natural world as metaphors.  Okay, that's maybe not the most original thing in the world, but that's a fault more of my description, because her use of it is fresh and always apropos. Allusions to the natural world enhance the emotional impact of the story, as well as move the narrative along.Finally, I want to just touch briefly on Christine's eloquent style - she has a lovely gift for a memorable insightful phrase that lights up the story like brief flashes of lightning.  You'll find your highlighting finger working overtime as you discover them.  Here's an early on example that draws in the seasons, too:I found love in the summer and then lost it in the spring.  I cried myself to sleep in the winter and froze my heart with the soft tumble of the snow.Lovely, really.  And although at this point in the book it's just foreshadowing, it serves a narrative as well as poetic purpose.Christine's skill as a storyteller and writer has matured with each of her novels, and here in Insipid she has really hit her stridee.  I urge you to enjoy the sometimes bittersweet, but always artful pleasure that Insipid affords.