Book Review: One-Hit Wonder by Lisa Jewell

Bee Bearhorn had a number-one hit single in 1985 – and was never heard of again. Fifteen years later she is found dead in her flat and nobody seems to care … But Ana Wills always day-dreamed about the exotic half-sister she hasn’t seen in years. And when she comes to London to clear Bee’s flat, she uncovers a life more exotic than she imagined: a secret country cottage, mysterious weekends away, and even a missing cat. With Bee’s closest friends – mad Lol and strong, silent Flint – Ana sets out to discover exactly what did happen to Bee Bearhorn, the one-hit wonder … Read my review underneath

This Lisa Jewell novel was definitely darker than the previous novels I’ve read of hers. It took me a hundred or so pages to get into it but once I did I really wanted to know exactly what happened to Bee and what everyone knew of her. It is marketed as chick-lit but it isn’t really, or if it is it is much less fluffier. How many chick-lit novels deal with aids and suicide?

It was good yet sad to read how much Ana found out about her sister after she had died. Not only that but there’s Bee’s mysterious cottage which introduces us to Zander, a disabled boy, who is probably one of the best child characters I’ve read; there’s also Amy, Bee’s next door neighbour as well as Flint & Lol. The whole story twists and turns right up until we find out exactly why Bee killed herself.

I think there’s a morality issue: because Bee wasn’t paying attention she killed 4 people and left a boy disabled and orphaned and while Bee did help make it up to Zander and was deeply regretful and that is ultimately what killed her, she never faced legal action. However that’s a minor issue and doesn’t detract from such a great book.

The ending was incredibly sad with the wake and the revelation of what drove Bee to kill herself. It was incredibly sad when everyone was making the speeches at the second funeral (if that’s what I can call it).

The best part about the book was Ana coming out of her shell and accepting herself for who she is, height and ganglyness and all. I loved Ana and Flint together, too. There’s a potential sequel in there somewhere and maybe after Lisa finishes her Ralph’s Party sequel she can do one for Ana, Flint, Lol and the gang.

It was a very enjoyable book and I’m looking forward to Lisa’s next book: The Truth About Melody Browne.

Rating: 3/5

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