Cover Image: The Comeback

The Comeback

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Member Reviews

Thanks to Netgalley and author for the arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion on the book. Love the book. Would love to read more from the author

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This book was very different from the usual - hmmm. It was intriguing/ engaging. I didn't know if I was reading a text book type of thing, or a novel. It's a mix of both, I guess. It's definitely a novel, and you wanted to read on, but it's more underpinned by business and business speak. IF you're reading for escapism from work, this might not be the one for you but overall it was a very interesting approach. I think HR students, practitioners, and business people generally would love it. I certainly enjoyed it!

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Anyone who knows a thing or two about crisis in management, or the pressure to come up top at work could find this interesting to read.
Thanks Netgalley for the eARC.

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What this novel was was a self-help (company-help?) book creatively disguised as a narrative about Dominal Industries' HR department and its struggle to reduce turnover in the face of a very competitive market.

It really is amazing how the author managed to make something as traditionally boring as a company's HR department something actually absorbing and engaging to a person like me, who would normally have no interest in such matters. While reading, I found myself invested in Jen's storyline, watching as problems were thrown her way and rooting for her as she and Meg found various ways to tackle them. Baseball fans may also enjoy the several references to baseball that Deshpande made – although you may not be too keen on it if you aren't a Cubs fan, since that's the team Chicago-based Jen supports!

The novel does tend to lean heavily on the "As you know, Bob" trope of having a character ask a confused question like "Hey, Meg, I didn't get your point, could you please elaborate?" and getting a response like "Of course, Jen, let me go over this topic with you in more detail..." for the sake of audience understanding. It detracts from the "fictional" writing style, drawing the reader suddenly out of their immersion in the story and reminding them that this novel isn't entirely just a fun read.

My rating reflects my own personal opinion of the novel. Although pleasurable overall, its target audience most certainly did not include me, which meant I could not understand or enjoy everything that was mentioned (though I did learn a lot). However, that doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it to others: it's written well, and if you have experience working in or with HR, this book is meant for your amusement.

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