Aug 8 2006
REVIEW: Speechless by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout
Ladies,
I loved your second book, “What I Really Want to Do is Direct” and knew I had to go back and read your first, “Speechless.” It’s worth every trade paperback penny. I hope you two have something else in the works because if not, I’m afraid I’ll go into withdrawal.
Anyone who’s ever suffered under a supervisor from hell and or worked for the government needs to read about Libby McIssac. Bored with her regular job in the Education Ministry, she decides to take a chance and apply for the position of speechwriter to the Minister of Arts, little knowing what she’s getting herself into. The Minister’s ratlike assistant Margo makes Libby’s (or Lily, as the Minister insists on calling her) life into one long misery. But since Libby isn’t one to tuck her tail and crawl off, it’s hilarious watching her outfox Margo and finally begin to do the job she was hired for. If only she could get her personal life on track as well.
Sandy, while I know that your experience in government came in handy in this book and Yvonne’s film industry career helped in “What I Want to Do,” one of you must be tall since you appear to know what you’re talking about as far as the life of a woman over 6 feet in height. As a petite and dainty little thing, I can only imagine the headache in finding shoes to fit and coming up with the appropriate responses to people who mistake you for a man. Libby is lucky with her friends, each of whom is distinct from the others. And while everyone’s experiences in life and love are truly funny, there is enough reality to ground them and keep them from being caricatures. And I love that her gay friend Elliot was willing to take a bullet-I mean bouquet- to break her wedding bouquet catching curse.
I like the fact that Libby knows who the real gem is when comparing the men in her life and that you can make her dithering about going after him acceptable instead of maddening. And you give her a one night stand in a pickup truck! And with a younger man. Whoo-hoo! But what really made me happy is the fact that Libby grows as a person throughout the book. You make the whole book mean something instead of just being a bunch of cute sequences strung together. B+ for this one.
~Jayne
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Aug 08, 2006 @ 11:33:31
I remember this book! I’m going to have to dig it out of a box in the basement and reread it. Hadn’t realized that the authors also wrote What I Really Want to Do is Direct. ::sigh:: Another book to add to the TBR list.
Aug 08, 2006 @ 13:43:58
They’ve also written some YA books as Sandy mentioned in her comment about my review of “What I Want to Do is Direct.” Those books feature the daughter of a film diva. I’m planning on trying them at some point.
Aug 08, 2006 @ 22:47:27
I have both of these waiting tbr. Glad to see you liked them though – I might have to bump them up on the reading list.
Aug 09, 2006 @ 18:48:10
Hi Jayne,
Thanks so much for the great review of Speechless! It’s true that I did my time in the government ranks, and I definitely have unruly hair issues, but I’m afraid I topped out at 5’5″. That’s where the fiction comes in!
Anyway, Yvonne and I really appreciate your kind words, as Speechless was our first. As noted, we have been focusing on YA of late, but you’d probably enjoy it. (Some of our friends prefer it!)
We’ve recently started a blog on Amazon.com, so come visit us there. We’re also developing a website. Even the most confirmed tech dinosaurs eventually succumb… Take care, Sandy
Aug 09, 2006 @ 19:42:31
Hi Sandy, good to hear from you again. I found a sort of chat posts site at Amazon but no blog. Or was this the blog? Anyway, I Googled and Yahooed you both looking for a website or some way to contact you and let you know about the review. But obviously you have your sources!
Are any of your books going to be released in ebook form? My blogging partner Jane just loves YA books but getting her to read print books now is like pulling teeth.
Aug 09, 2006 @ 20:18:07
Hi Jayne,
No e-books as yet, unfortunately.
Our website is still in development and not likely to be up until the fall. As for Amazon, it’s called Amazon Connect and you’ll see it at the bottom of the page for any of any of our novels. There’s a profile of us and our first blog entry.
Thanks again,
Sandy
Aug 09, 2006 @ 22:31:58
I do love YA books but am constantly surprised at how few of them are in ebook format. As a teen, I would have been all over the ebooks, furtively reading them on my cell phone in biology class (if I had taken biology).