Customer Reviews

The Opposite of Love

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Perhaps it's a sign of the times. There have been several young heroines lately who would seem to have it all, but really don't know what to do with it. In brief, such is the case with Emily Haxby. She's an attractive not yet 30-year old woman with a great job at a prestigious Manhattan law firm and a wonderful boyfriend, Andrew, who is about to pop the question.

What more is there for her to do other than say yes and go bridal gown shopping? Emily can't quite manage this. In fact, when she learns that Andrew is about to propose she surprises us.

"Today, I break up with Andrew in a restaurant that has crayons on the table and peanut shells on the floor. A drunken young woman in the midst of her bachelorette party, wearing little more than a cowboy hat and tassels, attempts to organize a line dance. I realize now that I should have waited for a better backdrop."

Does that seem like a rather flip way to recount the way she dismisses the man who loves her? Emily isn't being flip - she is simply confused. Does she truly love Andrew as she once thought she did? How can she really know? Is her job fulfilling despite a lecherous boss? These are he questions that plague her.

It's not long before Emily begins to wonder whether or not she's made the worst mistake of her life in letting Andrew go. As a best friend tells her - it's like you take pleasure in breaking your own heart.

So begins Emily's journey to find herself, the person she is, the person she wants to be. There's scant help from her father with whom she has had a distant relationship since the death of her mother. And her beloved grandfather is suffering from Alzeimer's. However, Emily is a strong young woman and she seeks answers, sometimes looking in the wrong places, but eventually making happy and satisfying discoveries.

Ariadne Meyers, star of TV's Kate & Allie, offers a splendid voice performance as we hear of Emily's trials and triumphs.

- Gail Cooke

The Opposite of Love, by Julie Buxbaum, is a terrific read. It is really an emotional book that goes to the edges of feelings and relationships. At times humorous it its own raw honesty, at times sad as her protagonist, Emily Haxby, struggles with discovering her self, one in which she is capable to put herself in a position to love, that is, a position of vulnerability. It seems that every reader these days likes to pigeonhole books into various and sharply defined genres. Perhaps they would call this "chick lit". Or "coming of age". I would caution against such categorization and say this book, while far from being "deep" is clearly a fun read. Call it a summer read and bring it to the beach or the lake this summer. I, for one, am glad Ms. Buxbaum decided to take a risk as a writer. She is off to a fine start.

An intimate portrait of a thirty year-old woman's reclamation of self, Julie Buxbaum's novel "The Opposite of Love," is as moving as it is fun to read. The book is an unabashed tale of an everyday girl, protagonist Emily Haxby who tackles self-doubt, abandonment and the cobwebbed skeletons that are in all of our closets that we rarely let out for people to see. Emily works hard to reconstruct her identity and it is her earnest inner voice which all along charters her progress that lies at the core of this book's narrative.

What really makes this story worthwhile is that the author strikes a perfect balance between wit and poignancy. No small feat... At times I found myself laughing out loud. Often actually! And other times I found my eyes welling with tears cause the author was able to so deftly capture a moment or a relationship with the perfect word choice or descriptive feeling. Thank you Ms. Buxbaum, for sharing your unique and fresh voice, I look forward to reading more of your work in days to come.

At the beginning of this appealing novel the main character, Emily Haxby, is floating through her life, never really making conscious decisions about her career or relationships - a problem facing many 20 and 30 something year olds in America today. The main character confronts this apathy head on, although probably not in the most constructive manner possible, and takes control over her life. The story of Emily regaining direction is at times funny, at times heartbreaking, but all the while remaining a captivating read. While reading Julie Buxbaum's debut novel, I realized this is one of those books where you relish each page, for fear of the book ending too early. At the end of the book I was sad when there were no more pages to read and I look forward to Julie Buxbaum's next book with baited breath!

AMAZING, AMAZING, AMAZING novel! I first learned about it through Redbook magazine. The excerpt in Redbook blew me away, and I could tell Buxbaum's writing is the style that I love to read.

Buxbaum's debut novel had me laughing and crying. One of those books where I go through my day as a mom to three kids and I keep thinking, "I can't wait till I can get into bed and get back to the story at the end of the day!"

It's one of those novels where when you close the book, you actually miss the people you've just read about, and you want to know what has happened to them, what will happen to them next.

With some books, there is a feeling where I must suspend belief in order to enjoy some of the plot. To say, "Oh, I guess I can go along with this." There was nothing contrived in Opposite. I felt the confusion in Emily's life. I felt her depression, her sadness over her mother's death, and the fact that she never really came to terms with it. Each and every relationship in the story felt real to me, and that is what made this book such a great read--it's realness. These were real people. People I wanted to be happy. This book will stay with me for a long time. I will remember these characters, and that is a sure sign of an amazing book, and I already cannot wait for Julie's next novel!

Kudos on an incredible debut!!!

The Opposite of Love is an absolute page turner. The development of the main character Emily is remarkable. You can't help but see a little bit of yourself in her as well. The books makes you want to cry and laugh out loud at the same time. Julie Buxbaum captured the emotions people face when they feel as though their life is falling apart around them. From the very first page I didn't want to put it down. I think the book would appeal to the true book lover.

I loved reading The Opposite of Love. It is the story of Emily Haxby, a young woman who appears to have it all: an Ivy League education, job at prestigious New York City law firm, and doting doctor boyfriend, Andrew. But when Andrew starts dropping hints about diamond rings, Emily abruptly ends things with him and can't seem to explain why to even her best friends or her beloved Grandpa Jack. As Emily reflects on her relationship with Andrew and why she could not fully let him in, the rest of her world quickly comes undone.

Buxbaum depicts Emily's out of control life with elements that include both comedy and total seriousness. You will cringe as you read about the things Emily must endure while working on a big case with a lecherous partner, laugh as she awkwardly bumps into Andrew post break up at the most inopportune times, and cry when Emily's Grandpa Jack, whom she loves more than anyone, begins to exhibit signs of Alzheimer's Disease and health deterioration. It is also heartbreaking to read about her memories of her mother who died when Emily was young, her relationship with her distant father, and her regrets about leaving Andrew. You really begin to feel for this character and want her to turn her life around.

Although it definitely seems like Emily has far too many catastrophic things happening in her life, she is bolstered along the way with the help of her best friend, Jess; colorful co-workers, and Grandpa Jack's retirement home pal and former judge, Ruth. All of these characters are well-developed and fun to read about. They offer Emily support, wisdom, and a few too many cocktails!

With a writing style similar to that of Emily Giffin, Buxbaum chronicles Emily as she picks herself up and dusts herself off and begins to take control of her life. She realizes that she must learn to love herself before she can let someone else love her back. I will warn you that the end of this book is sad - I shed literal tears as I turned the last few pages - but it is also very hopeful and sweet and will leave you thinking of the characters long after you close the book. I loved it and highly recommend it!

The story line is simple. A single, professional career woman (about 30 years old) breaks up with her boyfriend, regrets it and tries to get him back. There are many great subplots involved, mostly dealing with her father, her grandfather, her boss and friends. It's all about relationships, loss, regret, communication, self-growth and love. The author is great at going into detail about what the main character is thinking. The book really brought out my emotions; had me crying in parts. I liked the ending and think very highly of this author.

When I first heard about The Opposite of Love back when it was released, I thought it sounded good and added it to my ever-increasing list of books to be read. I pretty much forgot about it until I recently heard that it was being made into a movie with Anne Hathaway in the leading role. (My post about it). So I made it a point to read it, and I only have one question: Why did I wait so long to read this amazing book?

The Opposite of Love is charming, funny, sweet, and heart wrenching. It deals with love, loss, and the difficulty of life - sometimes it can be so hard to remember to live each day, rather than just exist. I can't believe this is Julie Buxbaum's first novel; she writes with the confidence and grace of someone who has been at it their entire life. It is beautifully written, but simple; the words don't get in the way of the emotions she is trying to convey.

I loved the character of Emily. She is so damaged without even realizing it; she goes through life in denial, afraid of losing those she loves. While I was reading, her emotions were my emotions. I laughed when she laughed, was heartbroken when she was, and yes, I even cried when Emily cried. I was amazed at the way I was drawn into the character and into the book.

I think The Opposite of Love has something for everyone; Emily's life basically comes crashing down as she has to deal with trouble in the workplace, her breakup with her boyfriend, and the deterioration of her beloved grandfather. It's not your typical chick lit book; it is about love, but not the search for a boyfriend. Instead, the love described in the title is more general; it is the love of a father, a mother, a grandfather, a friend, and a boyfriend. It is about the fear of losing those close to you. I adored this novel and I can't wait for Buxbaum's next book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The main character, Emily, has a spunky, strong personality, and overcomes some serious issues. I found that all of the characters were interesting and quite realistic, and that the protagonist's inner conflicts were easy to relate to...good stuff!