Thursday, June 4, 2015

Aussie Review: The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex by Gabrielle Williams

Published: April 1, 2015
Publisher: Allen & Unwin

A rock chick.

An artist with attitude.

A girl with a past.

A party animal.

Four lives collide when one of the world's most famous paintings is stolen. It's a mystery that has the nation talking, but while Picasso's Weeping Woman might be absent from the walls of the National Gallery, in other parts of Melbourne the controversial painting's presence is being felt by Guy, Rafi, Luke and Penny for four very different reasons.

Life, love, art and one giant party intersect in this offbeat comedy about good intentions, unexpected consequences and the irresistible force of true love.

My Thoughts
Absolutely perfect!

This book has it all… an uncomplicated plot that's made up of complicated characters.

The Guy, the Girl, the Artist and His Ex starts off with an interesting account that I still need to research a bit more. It’s about a group that calls themselves the Australian Cultural Terrorist. Back in 1986, they stole a Picasso painting of theWeeping Woman from the walls of the National Gallery of Victoria with the intent of getting the government to increase funding and support for struggling artists.

But really, this book is about:
A Guy who forges his grades, is failing school and incredibly good at hacky sack who also happens to have hero-like reflexes.
A Girl who’s been raised by a mother that believes in old legends and has been tormented by her little brother’s death.
An Artist with a messed up plan involving a Picasso painting.
And his Ex that brings them all together one fateful night.

Gabrielle Williams is masterful when it comes to sharing a story about four different lives in a way that’s both humorous and engaging. I loved how she weaved Latin legends of La Lloronaand art history where it became relevant to the story. Books such as this have me researching facts and comparing details because Williams tells them in a way that captivate my attention.

As you can see, it's hard to explain what this book is really about, but I can definitely tell you how it made me feel - connected and in the moment. I felt I was right there with Guy, Rafi, Luke and Penny experiencing their sadness, happiness and frustrations. I worried about all of these characters to varying degrees and when the story ended, as with most Aussie books I enjoy... I wanted more... just a little bit more.

Overall, Gabrielle Williams shared a wonderfully crafted tale about love, death, art and making mistakes. I finished this book in two quick sittings because I was eager to see how these four lives would converge, and let me tell you... what a clever book!
4 Snowflakes

2 comments:

  1. This looks so interesting and I haven't read a mystery in a while :) I'm really interested to see how those four people could possibly connect! Great review!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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  2. Thanks for your review - couldn't have described my book better myself!!! Gab xxx

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