Hey guys, this is Abi here,
And I'm back with a surprise review- from a book I finished a month ago, no less.
Don't worry, it's still fresh in my mind, and I have a lot of thoughts on it!
So much so, that I had to share them with you!
So without further ado, I hope you enjoy my thoughts on Watermelon, by Marian Keyes!
Title: Watermelon Author: Marian Keyes
Genre: Contemporary
Status: Book 1 in a 7 book series
Release date: 01/09/1995
Pages: 520
Blurb: "Meet Claire Walsh.
On the day she gives birth to her first child,
Claire's husband James tells her he's been having an
affair, and that now's the right time to leave her.
Right for who exactly?
Exhausted, tearful and a little bit furious, Claire
doesn't know what to do. So she decides to go back to
basics... and runs home to Mum and Dad.
But it's not the sanctuary she'd been hoping for.
Juggling her sister's drama, her parents' pity and the
demands of a baby, Claire desperately misses the way
things were. So when James gets back in touch, eager
to put things right, Claire faces a choice.
Will she forgive and forget? Or can she find the courage
to take a chance on herself, and start a life of her own?"
My Thoughts
Even if I hadn't read Rachel's Holiday before this, I still think I would have fallen in love with this series from this.
There are a number of reasons why I loved this book as much as I did.
1. Marian Keyes knows how to write a story that is engaging, realistic, empowering, gripping and overall, emotional.
I laughed, I cried, I blushed, I clenched my teeth in frustration at some points in this story- sometimes in the same chapter.
2. Watermelon is a situation that could happen to anyone- which made it easier to relate to Claire.
3. The story is spun together perfectly. There was always something going on, something that made it hard to put the book down.
The whole dynamic of Watermelon, truly, is amazing. The series is called Walsh Family, and that's exactly what you get with this. Her whole world turned upside down, Claire escapes her desperate situation, returning home- to Dublin. Once there, she realises that her family home isn't the secluded place she thought it would be. She has to deal with crazy sister energy, pitying parents, whilst figuring out her next move. You get an insight into the younger Walsh sisters' characters, Helen and Anna, at this point in the series.
Honestly, I quite liked getting to meet some other characters. In Rachel's Holiday, it's just her, the odd friend at the start, and then everyone else in the rehab centre. There wasn't a huge cast of characters in Watermelon, but everyone played their part, and I knew the majority of them I'd be meeting again at some other point in the series.
The best part by far was Claire's character arc. Desperate, alone, and completely heartbroken, she has no clue what to do at the start of the book. I mean, what are you meant to do, when the love of your life, husband, and father of newborn daughter, up and walks out, saying he has been having an affair, and no longer loves you? Get through it in any way you can.
I'll tell you, my heart really wept for Claire at that point, about 100 pages in, when she's at her family home in Dublin, and she's completely lost. She's drinking more and more, missing James, despite his betrayal, and she doesn't know what way's up.
But somehow, little by little, she picks herself up, she begins to meet more people (hint hint), she begins to see that there's more to live for than her crappy ex, and looks towards the future. Then what happens? Her stupid ex-husband shows up!
I don't want to spoil what happens next, because I want you all to read the book yourself, honestly, the range of emotions I felt from that point onwards was so varied, from one chapter to the next, it's a wonder I didn't pass out exhausted.
Now, what would you do if the love of your life comes back, tries to cancel divorse, tells you about the problems they had, were mostly because of you, but wants to try again? If you truly loved them before all of this happened? If it was for the sake of the daughter you shared? Would it still be easy to stick to your morals?
Anyway, you can understand why I was clenching my teeth in frustration at some points in this book.
But anyway, after that, you can't help but feel genuine pride for the character that had her head lower than her heels, but in the end, picked herself up, and took her life in her own hands. Truly empowering.
Just read the book, then you'll know what I'm talking about, if you haven't figured it out already.
Overall, an absolute gem. I know I'm not alone in loving this series, because they recently released a tv series based off of these books. (I really want to read them, but I think I'm going to read the books first- best get a move on.) But honestly, Watermelon is a serious contendor for my Favourite Books of 2026 at the moment.
The third book, Angels, gives us a new protagonist- Margaret, or 'Maggie'. I haven't met her yet, but I know that she leaves everything behind for sunny LA, so I'm intrigued to see what she's like. I'm thinking I'll look for a second-hand copy on Ebay at some point- don't want to wait for too long before continuing on with this series.
Okay! Those are all of my thoughts on Watermelon! I know it's a lot, but please comment down below if you've read the book, enjoyed it, hated it, and why!
Also, should I watch the show now, instead of reading the books first? Let me know in the comments!
I hope you have a wonderful afternoon, or morning, wherever you are, and I'll see you all soon!
Byeeeee!
-Abi xxxxxx
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