Book review: Apocalipstick by Sue Margolis

Apocalipstick - Sue Margolis

Synopsis:
Rebecca Fine has dreams of becoming a hot investigative journalist and settling down with the man of her dreams. Instead, as a reluctant beauty columnist, she has to write menial articles about makeup woes, and endure dates that her grandmother has set up for her with boring men that still live with their mothers. To make matters worse, her widowed father announces that he is getting married - to Rebecca’s old high school nemesis Lipstick- and Rebecca immediately suspects that she’s up to no good.
But things begin to change when Rebecca meets Max Stoddart, her new workmate who closely resembles Hugh Grant, and who seems to have an extreme interest in her.
And when Rebecca discovers a scandalous secret about a new miracle anti-wrinkle cream that is about to be launched, it seems that her chance to prove herself as a journalist is about to arrive.
But will her revelations ruin the beauty industry forever? Is Max really interested in her? And is Lipstick really reformed, or back to her old tricks?


What I gained from reading this book:
While reading this novel, one theme came up quite a lot- the issue of trust. Rebecca’s relationship with Max, while wonderful, is also extremely rocky due to moments when she feels that she is unable to trust him. The same is evident in her tentative friendship with her father’s new fiancé who Rebecca already holds a strong aversion to, especially after being bullied by Lipstick while in high school.
This book teaches that honesty needs to be valued, and that sometimes it takes a long time to be able to earn the trust of someone, especially after wrongs have been done.


Positives:
Margolis combines her well thought-out storylines with points of interest and topical humour. She makes brilliant observations about the fickleness of the beauty industry and the importance of advertising in the media, but also adds wit by detailing Rebecca’s grandmother’s quest to find her granddaughter a suitable husband. The end result is an interesting but effective mix.


Negatives:
Although this novel is meant to be funny, some of the jokes fall flat- although that may depend on your sense of humour or your interpretation of the joke.


Rating: 6 out of 10

Genre: Comedy/ Romance

Recommended for: People who are looking for romance and laughs

Australians can buy the book by clicking the picture below: