Member Review
Review by
Christina D, Reviewer
Thank you to She Writes Press and Net Galley for an ARC!
3 stars
In "Split-Level," Berger offers up an interesting glimpse into the fast-n-free lifestyle the 70s have been known for--easy and customary recreational drug use, open marriages and the exploration of sexual boundaries and seemingly hands-off parenting styles where kids were a bit more free-range and without the burdens of technology and helicoptering that have become part of the norm nowadays (and justifiably so in many instances).
Alex Pearl, an almost-thirty mom of two and recent transplant from the city to the suburbs of New Jersey, knows the threads of her marriage are fraying, but she sees the bottom falling out when her husband is accused of sexual transgression. (Notably, the fallout from this event isn't really explored or explained any further than an angry phone call with the mother of the babysitter her husband *may* have been appropriate with.) This event is the catalyst that compels Alex to convince her husband to go to "Marriage Mountain," a couples' retreat sold as healing and restorative to marriages in all seasons of life. (Again, the repercussions of going to this retreat are not really fleshed out after the Pearls return home). From here, we begin to see Alex ripen to the idea of opening their marriage and after a few flirtatious encounters with their neighbors, the Bells,... well, we already know where this is going.
Berger takes us inside the foursome as they meander in and out of each other's beds, dens and lives. Along the way, slowly revealing layers of Alex and her husband (definitely written to be a jackass). There's a bit of a twist (no spoilers here), which predictably sets Alex on a path where she chooses to live with more intention and truth to herself (good things of course).
On balance, a good, quick read, set in a time I haven't seen a lot of authors delve into (the 70s), but my main issue with it is that Berger while introduces a lot of interesting story lines/character development opportunities, there's
a failure to follow through on most of them. The lack of development leaves the reader with a 2-D experience and a lack of investment in any of the characters. Example: There is clearly something going on with Alex's folks--why did her father essentially force her mother to move to Florida, away from the family/grandkids that she so clearly wants to be closer to? What's with the weird power dynamic between Alex's mother and father? Alex and her father? Or, what's the deal with Paula and Charlies's oddball marriage? And Alex's off-putting relationship with her supposed best friend Rona? Alex clearly has some self-deprecating stuff going on, where does that come from? Can we draw a line between her folks' relationship and why she seems to believe she isn't worth more than the sh*t sandwich her husband, Donny, offers up on the regular?
Like other readers, the book moved at a bit slower pace than I would have expected for what we end up with--a partially-baked story about a somewhat vanilla main character torn between her arsehole husband and the man she could have a meaningful connection with. There are missed opportunities throughout the book and the reader feels rushed out the door, so to speak, at the end of the book with no sense of how the course of events changed/impacted our main character. But then again, since we aren't encouraged to be particularly invested in our characters, not knowing what happens to them after the final page closes doesn't feel like much of a loss.
On balance, I'd say--pick up this book if you're in the mood for a novel set in a nostalgic time (if the 70s is such for you), be ready for the reminders of the social culture regarding women at the time, don't worry if you end up skimming a bit, because you won't really be missing any key details or events. Perhaps good for a beach read or an audiobook you can breeze through while doing other things.
3 stars
In "Split-Level," Berger offers up an interesting glimpse into the fast-n-free lifestyle the 70s have been known for--easy and customary recreational drug use, open marriages and the exploration of sexual boundaries and seemingly hands-off parenting styles where kids were a bit more free-range and without the burdens of technology and helicoptering that have become part of the norm nowadays (and justifiably so in many instances).
Alex Pearl, an almost-thirty mom of two and recent transplant from the city to the suburbs of New Jersey, knows the threads of her marriage are fraying, but she sees the bottom falling out when her husband is accused of sexual transgression. (Notably, the fallout from this event isn't really explored or explained any further than an angry phone call with the mother of the babysitter her husband *may* have been appropriate with.) This event is the catalyst that compels Alex to convince her husband to go to "Marriage Mountain," a couples' retreat sold as healing and restorative to marriages in all seasons of life. (Again, the repercussions of going to this retreat are not really fleshed out after the Pearls return home). From here, we begin to see Alex ripen to the idea of opening their marriage and after a few flirtatious encounters with their neighbors, the Bells,... well, we already know where this is going.
Berger takes us inside the foursome as they meander in and out of each other's beds, dens and lives. Along the way, slowly revealing layers of Alex and her husband (definitely written to be a jackass). There's a bit of a twist (no spoilers here), which predictably sets Alex on a path where she chooses to live with more intention and truth to herself (good things of course).
On balance, a good, quick read, set in a time I haven't seen a lot of authors delve into (the 70s), but my main issue with it is that Berger while introduces a lot of interesting story lines/character development opportunities, there's
a failure to follow through on most of them. The lack of development leaves the reader with a 2-D experience and a lack of investment in any of the characters. Example: There is clearly something going on with Alex's folks--why did her father essentially force her mother to move to Florida, away from the family/grandkids that she so clearly wants to be closer to? What's with the weird power dynamic between Alex's mother and father? Alex and her father? Or, what's the deal with Paula and Charlies's oddball marriage? And Alex's off-putting relationship with her supposed best friend Rona? Alex clearly has some self-deprecating stuff going on, where does that come from? Can we draw a line between her folks' relationship and why she seems to believe she isn't worth more than the sh*t sandwich her husband, Donny, offers up on the regular?
Like other readers, the book moved at a bit slower pace than I would have expected for what we end up with--a partially-baked story about a somewhat vanilla main character torn between her arsehole husband and the man she could have a meaningful connection with. There are missed opportunities throughout the book and the reader feels rushed out the door, so to speak, at the end of the book with no sense of how the course of events changed/impacted our main character. But then again, since we aren't encouraged to be particularly invested in our characters, not knowing what happens to them after the final page closes doesn't feel like much of a loss.
On balance, I'd say--pick up this book if you're in the mood for a novel set in a nostalgic time (if the 70s is such for you), be ready for the reminders of the social culture regarding women at the time, don't worry if you end up skimming a bit, because you won't really be missing any key details or events. Perhaps good for a beach read or an audiobook you can breeze through while doing other things.
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