Review: The Truth about Delilah Blue by Tish Cohen

HarperCollins Canada, 2010

Delilah Blue Lovett has always been a bit of an outsider, ever since her father moved her from Toronto to L.A. when she was eight, claiming Delilah’s mother no longer wanted to be part of their family. Twenty now and broke, but determined to be an artist like her errant mom, Delilah attends art class for free — by modeling nude at the front of the room, a decision that lifts the veil from her once insular world.

While Delilah struggles to find her talent, her father, her only real companion, is beginning to exhibit telltale signs of early-onset Alzheimer’s. And her mother, who Delilah always assumed had selfishly abandoned them, is about to reappear with a young daughter in tow . . . and a secret that will change everything. Delilah no longer knows which parent to trust — the only one she can really rely on is the most broken person of all: herself.

From HarperCollins Canada Website.

I don’t often watch book trailers. The odd time I’ll check one out, but on a whole I tend to shy away from them. It’s not that they’re horrible or anything,  I just don’t watch them. But for some reason when the trailer for The Truth about Delilah Blue came out I figured I’d give it a look.  I loved it. And based solely on the trailer I decided to read the book.

I had never read anything by Cohen before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard her novels described as chick lit, but really, The Truth about Delilah Blue was so much more than that. It’s about love, and family and all the craziness that comes with it.

And when I say craziness, I mean craziness. And that’s what I loved about this book; all the characters were believably flawed and just a teeny bit crazy. This not only made for an enjoyable story, but it added a depth that made Delilah’s tale more believable.  There is nothing worse than a book where everyone is perfect. Or, where every character is painted in black or white, good or bad.

The characters in this novel were a great combination of good and bad; basically they were human. They did what they did because they honestly believed they were doing good, whether this was the case or not. Because of this “grayness” so to speak, I found myself constantly wondering what I would do in each character’s place. It’s not often that a book really makes me think this way and it really helped me to connect with the story.

There were some really, really funny parts and parts where I was cringing with embarrassment for Delilah. She was just such a great character that once the book was finished, I was sad that I wouldn’t get to see her journey continue.

Cohen’s writing style is both accessible and expansive at the same time. Her prose flows and is beautifully descriptive, but never once did I feel that I was getting lost in the floweriness of it, if that makes any sense.

If you are look for a great, smart chick lit book, this is definitely one to pick up. And if you are looking for a book with complex characters, a killer plot and writing that will appeal to your senses, this is the book for you.

Check back tomorrow where Tish Cohen herself lets us in on what she thinks makes a good read.

Browse inside The Truth about Delilah Blue.

Thanks to HarperCollins Canada for sending this little piece of delightful craziness my way.