Culture

Author: Michelle Holman. Publisher: Harper Collins (2/5)

Barefoot is a loose sequel to Michelle Holman’s debut novel Bonkers. She claims that she felt compelled to tell Sherry and Glenn’s story after they featured as more minor characters in their siblings’ story.
 
 
This book can without a doubt be categorised as ‘chicklit’, so if this is not your thing, stay clear. If you are looking for lighthearted, easy read that doesn’t involve too many brain cells, on the other hand, you could do worse.
 
 
Sherry is the practical daughter, the cop. Cool calm and collected. That is, until Glenn walks into her life. Tall, cocky, and famous to boot, Sherry doesn’t like him. But she really really wants to fuck him. He feels the same way. What follows is embarrassingly predictable. Blatant foreshadowing eliminates most suspense, and the main source of tension is frustration at the characters for being so slow to realise the obvious. What was meant to be one night in a motel room becomes a lot more when the condom breaks and Glenn neglects to let Sherry know. Sherry, of course, becomes pregnant, and what ensues is essentially a struggle of wills between two incredibly stubborn people who will not admit their affection for one another. Sherry always seems to see Glenn at his worst, and he can’t seem to catch a break. He wants to be a father, but Sherry doesn’t believe he has it in him. I didn’t personally relate well to the main character, but found it refreshing that she was a little flawed and could (at times) admit it to herself. The male protagonist is typical of the genre; handsome, kind, talented and, of course, filthy rich. Both lack real depth beyond their prescribed role in the drama. Sherry’s job allows Holman to brush the surface of some tough topics not usually addressed by this kind of novel however; she works with victims of domestic abuse.