Review: First You Try Everything by Jane McCafferty |

Hardcover:304 pages
Publisher:Harper (January 17, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0066210623
Source: Publisher

Evvie and Ben married relatively young after a pretty idealistic romance. They traveled the country, sleeping under the stars. Life seemed so much simpler then. Things have changed over the years. Evvie continues to life the alternative lifestyle she did when she was in college, most of her time spent writing letters to politicians about animal cruelty Ben has become more “mainstream,” heading to the office in a suit all day.

A divide has formed between them. Evvie notices it just as much as Ben, but Ben is set on making a change. He’s formed a friendship with another woman. Not a physical relationship, but in my mind, an emotional one. He craves the ability to have an intellectual conversation with someone close to him. He still has some feelings for Evvie, but he questions if it is love.

When he Ben tells Evvie his decision to leave she is quite reluctant to accept it. She does so, certainly not willingly. Months pass by and she continues to be unable to really process the fact that their seperation isn’t temporary. Ultimately, just as she’s beginning to accept her new life, she sees Ben and his girlfriend, Lauren, at the movies. Up until this point, Ben has kept this relationship from Evvie, not certain how she’ll handle it.

It is at this point that Evvie becomes desperate, agreeing to partake in a dangerous (and ulitmately devastating) scheme to get Ben back. However, it is the results of this scheme that force Evvie to wake up, in a sense, truly evolving into a completely new individual.

Admittedly, as I was reading First You Try Everything I was on the fence in regards to my feelings about this book. It is certainly a very emotional book; I experienced a wide range of motions as I read it, including sadness, anger, and in parts, amusement. It was tremendously difficult to “side” with either Evvie or Ben. They both have aspects I liked and disliked. How can you hate a man wanting a little more in his life, a relationship with a woman who isn’t afraid to leave the house. Conversely, however, Evvie’s eccentric behavior isn’t new. This was the woman Ben fell in love with, the one he married. Yes, some of her behavior is a little out there, but I felt a great deal of sympathy for her as well.

I did a great deal of contemplating after reading this book, ultimately coming to the realization that it was the author’s skilled writing that prevented me from siding with one character over the other. I don’t believe McCafferty intended the reader to do so, but to look at this relationship as a neutral observer. Granted, one cannot be expected to be completely void of emotion while reading this book. It certainly evokes a great deal of strong emotions. Throughout a great portion of this book I wanted to grab Evvie by the shoulders and shake her to get her to wake up from the fog she was under. Her signs of desperation really bothered me, but once I really thought about it, can I guarantee that iI wouldn’t act similarly (not nearly as severe, however) if I were in a similar situation?

Given these statements, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend First You Try Everything to just everyone. It is a dynamic psychological evaluation of one couple’s separation, the steps one woman will take to save her marriage. It’s not a simple read, but a completely emotionally complex. Beyond the surface of this book is a vastly different world dealing with the psyche of this woman, desperate to keep her marriage whole. That said, it might be a little much for some readers, but if you are up for it, First You Try Everything is a book that I do recommend.