Ask Again Later

A Review   Ask Again Later by Jill A. Davis

Purchased after reading an ADVERTISEMENT for it in the USAToday.

The following was taken from the author’s website:   [jilldavis.com]

“Emily has a tendency to live with one foot out the door. For her, the best thing about a family crisis is the excuse to cut and run. When her mother dramatically announces they’ve found a lump, Emily gladly takes a rain check on life to be by her mother’s side, leaving behind her career, her boyfriend, and those pesky, unanswerable questions about who she is and what she’s doing with her life.

But back in her childhood bedroom, Emily realizes that she hasn’t run fast or far enough. One evening, while her mother calls everyone in her Rolodex to brief them on her medical crisis and schedule a farewell martini, Emily opens the door, quite literally, to find her past staring her in the face. How do you forge a relationship with the father who left when you were five years old? As Emily attempts to find balance on the emotional see-saw of her life with the help of two hopeful suitors and her Park Avenue princess sister, she takes a no-risk job as a receptionist at his law firm and slowly gets to know the man she once pretended was dead.”

I was interested in this book because the author is known for her comic writing.  I have not read her first novel, Girl’s Poker Night, but she had been a writer for Letterman’s The Late Show and that was enough for me.   That, and when I happened to be in Borders later that day (after seeing the ad for it – I believe Wednesday editions of USA Today have a section devoted to books), this was prominently displayed.   And not too thick.   Since, I was traveling, I like non-heavy books!

From the beginning, I had trouble with the style of writing.    It is written in a present tense voice to describe present AND past events.  Sentences are not run on sentences.  They are short;  noun -> verb.    Subject noun.  Action verb.    Over and over and over again.    She also uses fragments (eek – I do, too?!)

Her dialogue, however, is quite good.    I enjoyed the conversations, the banter, the back and forth.

For example of the present tense short sentence annoying style:

Perry pulls some glasses out of his cabinet.  He inspects two of them.  Then gets out a white cloth napkin and starts shining up the glasses.  Not good enough.  He pulls out two more.  They meet his standards.  He uncorks a bottle of wine.  Pours.  He’s not talking. 

WAIT A DERN MINUTE!   So THAT’s it!!   She’s writing a screenplay!?    It just got so tedious. 

For a story that does have some heartwarming moments (she gets to know her father, and thus, learns how to (possibly?) commit to love) and yes, some comic hilarity, I was too annoyed with the staccato style of sentencing to describe the action to rate it even average.    However, it was tender enough for me not to give up on.

The beginning of this tradeback includes three (3!) pages of PRAISE - that should have been a clue for me.    Too much praise and I bring too high of an expectation!     I’m rating this 2 1/2 stars out of five. 

[ew...  I just got a pingback/spam due to my having the word POKER in this post.   You know - those annoying 'stealing my words' post on a poker site?!]