Book Review: The Rejected Writers' Book Club

I can't remember where I saw this book mentioned, but I made a mental note of the intriguing title, The Rejected Writers' Book Club. I suppose you could say I could relate, having received my fair share of rejection letters, from outright "this is just not for me" to "we wish we could publish your book, but we only publish two YA books per year and our quota is already full." It sounded like a book sure to appeal to would-be-writers.

Despite the awesome title and splendid cover, I didn't really enjoy it. I thought it was ridiculous and far-fetched, a sort of comedy of errors based on a highly unlikely premise. The Rejected Writers' Book Club members are thrown into a tizzy when one member receives, horror of horrors, an acceptance letter, thus ruining their lengthy streak of some 475 rejections in a row. Instead of elation, the would-be-author is horrified and goes to great lengths to retrieve the manuscript and secure the highly-sought-after rejection letter she believes her manuscript deserves. The ensuing adventure, despite moments of levity, pushed the envelope into the outlandish category.

The writing was sound enough, but the characters were caricatures. The club enlists the assistance of a local librarian, who looks on in amusement at their antics and eccentricities. Their road trip includes the predictable elements of young love, haunted houses, obstacles, and crazy encounters. The women manage to win over every stranger through the blessings of their cooking skills. In the end, the librarian joins their ranks, won over by the thrill of receiving her own rejection - really? Although it was a light-hearted, easy read, it was simply too absurd for my tastes. For those in the market for a ridiculous romp of a read, the author has written two more in the series (all available on Kindle for less than two bucks). I'm afraid, I'm not up for the ride.