Sarthak Shankar
Irresistible, Liz Bankes, e-book, Piccadilly, Pp 213, £ 6.99
LOVERS of love have a new title to rejoice, Irresistible by Liz Bankes. As the title implies the story is of a perfect miss average ending up with a thoroughbred heart throb. But as the plot goes Irresistible is any thing but.
No two ways about, the plot is devoid of surprises, thrillers, tear-jerkers or “hooks” of any sort. The characters are predictably plain. The protagonist is Mia, who is a plain, shy, and more or less innocent i.e. a perfect girl next door. She has normal friends, normal grades, and normal aspirations including those of travel. She falls in love with Jamie Elliot-Fox. He is her exact opposite. He is a rich, handsome, lady-killer.
He is the stereotypical bad boy housing an even more stereotypical lover boy in his heart. All that’s missing in his life is true love. And who other than Mia to provide him with it? Mia has a rival in the form of Cleo, who needless to say is any number of times more beautiful than her. On the other hand Jamie’s rival is Dan, who , predictably, is the smart, funny and dependable. Plus he has dreams of traveling the world, just like Mia. Suffice to say both of our main characters have their work cut out for them. So we have our closely anticipated doses of jealousy, temptation, betrayal (betrayal happens four times over, actually) and of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a round of scandal. And after pages of nail biting suspense, Jamie and Mia reconcile.
Irresistible doesn’t even try to experiment with the formula rehashed since the horse and buggy. All the events, characters, and their actions are predictable. The writing is modern, and conforms to the nuanced styles of teenage colloquialism, which is a saving grace, and the book is recommended to anyone who enjoys the satisfaction of hearing once more a well rehearsed story. But any bibliophile on a budget is advised to look elsewhere. Irresistible will not leave you wanting more, nor will it stay with you for hours, like a good friend, after the last page has been turned. (Piccadilly Press Ltd , 5 Castle Road, London NW1 8PR)
