Clearly there’s a lot going on [within The Book of Essie and it is a testament to author Meghan Weir’s firm hand on the tiller of her plot that it never gets confusing. Indeed, her novel is nothing if not readable ... Without a deeper exploration of the behaviors she describes, Ms. Weir has created a novel better adapted to young adults ready to engage with dilemmas and take the high road to solutions rather than to questioning readers, who may prefer to walk the low road explanation. Nonetheless the tight plot and the inspirational ethos will make this novel, Ms. Weir’s first, an attractive candidate for summer entertainment.
Debut novelist Meghan Maclean Weir delivers a page-turning tale informed by her background as a preacher’s daughter. She divides the story among three young narrators: Essie, her potential groom, and a journalist covering the show. It’s a good device, but Weir struggles to create three distinct voices. Readers also may flinch at her occasional swipes at evangelical churches and the fictional show’s resemblance to the real-life 19 Kids and Counting. Even so, the story’s fast pace and plot twists will hold readers until Essie’s episode comes to its dramatic end.
[A] gripping page-turner that will have readers rooting for Essie's freedom, and her baby's safety, at ever surprising turn. But what The Book of Essie offers readers is more than entertainment. It offers us a chance to explore our deep-rooted obsession with fame and celebrity, with reality television and its stars. The novel forces us to ask what role we play in creating them, and in turn, what responsibility we have for any pain or trauma they might cause.
[A] propulsive debut novel ... The tentative trust that grows between [the protagonists] gives The Book of Essie emotional depth, and the questions at its center have a surprising moral weight. Readers will root for Essie through every twist and turn of her story.
The Book of Essie proves to be a tale built on timely, contemplative topics: like the perils of adapting too well to a life in the uninterrupted spotlight; whether it’s possible, or desirable, to escape the long reach of family; and ultimately, whether it’s possible to create your own self while still caught in the strong gravitational field of those who created and tried to shape you.
[The characters in The Book of Essie] sound pretty much the same. But if the characters never quite have all the depth you might hope for, the well-paced plot is enough to keep the pages turning, and the unexpected tenderness between [characters] gives the novel genuine emotional punch ... Sensitive if not particularly subtle.
[A] topical but uneven debut ... Weir’s narrative features some finely nuanced characters, but its villains lack dimension ... Though not without its faults, this is nevertheless an incisive novel.
