Review: Oh the "Flavours" You'll Meet...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 28, 2013
I love humor. I enjoy a good dramatic book now and again, but I'm a sucker for the funny. If anything, the one subject that should be approached with real, honest-to-goodness laughter is dating and love. The trials and travails of our nation's true pastime can be harsh and unforgiving... hence the importance of humor. "Are You the One?" hones in on that ideal, but ensures that humor is the side-dish while the meat of the book is the real main course.There is only one way that humor can really be found in an autobiography of this kind, and Debbie uses it to the full extent - complete and utter honesty. The author leads us through what she refers to as "samples" of the many types she's come across during her online dating adventures. She really ramps up the truthfulness - a huge credit to her storytelling skills. This truthfulness lets readers easily put themselves in her shoes... and even feel a bit of the burning embarrassment and hilarity of those awkward situations.One of the most chilling quotes I found in this book, however, was this: "So my foray into the world of singledom wasn't with a leap and a yell of triumph, but with a haunting sense of sadness and loss, and the overwhelming feeling of needing to replace what I'd lost as soon as possible otherwise I would be incomplete." Ouch. How often have we all felt that? It's brutally honest - once we've gotten past our first relationship, I think we all feel this way on one level or another. We long for the happiness we've had, and can only find it in another person. This is one taste of the real honesty this book offers.I'll admit that my favorite "sample" was that of Mark, a.k.a. "Mr. Cold". While I haven't dated anyone like this, I've sure seen a scad of my friends date them - the man who treats you like an extra toy, and when you stay too long (or interrupt his other very important plans), he's as mean as a snake. Again, Debbie's plain observation and complete honesty make it all too easy to sympathize with each situation.This was an enjoyable read - not too heavy, but definitely gets you thinking. The thousands of different "types" out there... so many people, so little time to meet (and understand) them all. This book will help just a bit, and let you feel a bit comforted by the fact that you're not the only one whose had to handle them!