This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive: A Novel by Carolyn PrusaPublication Date: November 22, 2022
Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster
Pages: 336
Goodreads
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Women
Rating: ★★★
Synopsis:
Perfect for fans of Maria Semple and Jennifer Weiner, this smart and witty debut novel follows Ramona through the forty-eight hours after her life has been upended by the discovery of her husband’s affair and an approaching Category Four hurricane.
Ramona’s got a bratty boss, a toddler teetering through toilet training, a critical mom who doesn’t mind sharing, and oops—a cheating husband. That’s how a Category Four hurricane bearing down on her life in Savannah becomes just another item on her to-do list. In the next forty-eight hours she’ll add a neighborhood child and the class guinea pig named Clarence Thomas to her entourage as she struggles to evacuate town.
Ignoring the persistent glow of her minivan’s check engine light, Ramona navigates police check points, bathroom emergencies, demands from her boss, and torrential downpours while fielding calls and apology texts from her cheating husband and longing for the days when her life was like a Prince song, full of sexy creativity and joy.
Thoroughly entertaining and completely relatable, None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive is the hilarious, heartwarming story of a woman up to her elbows in calamities and about to drive off the brink of the rest of her life.
REVIEW
None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive: A Novel by Carolyn Prusa is a book that I had to read. The title alone guaranteed my interest, regardless of the story. The story follows the main character, Ramona, through a tumultuous 48 hours in her life. During this time, she discovers her husband’s infidelity, evacuates for a hurricane, deals with an inconsiderate boss, and reevaluates her entire life.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. Ramona, the main character, was immediately likable and relatable. She navigates through an unreasonable boss, the betrayal of her husband, the need to evacuate her home, and a complete reassessment of her life. Ramona’s journey is filled with constant challenges.
From the beginning, it is clear that Ramona is a huge Prince fan, which I personally love. If you are unfamiliar with Prince, I feel sorry for you. If you have never witnessed the joy of watching Prince perform, you have truly missed out. If you have never had the chance to simply observe his existence, I pity you. Prince was an unparalleled, unrivalled, and unmatched talent, the likes of which we will likely never see again. Ramona measures everything in her life as “before Prince died” and “after Prince died.”
“Prince has been gone six months, and the world already feels less sparkly, specifically my world. He is never again going to don a shoulder-padded blazer with a billowing scarf and remind us that we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.”
Ramona – None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Still Alive
Ramona represents every woman at her core. She embodies the struggles of being a wife and mother who constantly gives her all, sacrificing parts of her personality, desires, dreams, and passions just to make it through the day. Yet, despite her efforts, she is rewarded with her husband’s infidelity because he prioritizes his own needs for sex, while she is left exhausted from taking care of everyone else but herself. I greatly admired Ramona’s reaction and how she handled the situation, as I would have likely reacted with the same fiery determination as Angela Bassett in “Waiting to Exhale.” Honestly, watching Ramona’s journey unfold is a true delight, and by the end of “None of This Would Have Happened If Prince Were Alive,” you not only grow to love Ramona but also appreciate her personal growth throughout the story.
