'The Rosie Effect' sells well in the US, receives mixed reviews
Following its release in America, Graeme Simsion鈥檚 sequel 鈥淭he Rosie Effect鈥� is selling well and has received some positive reviews.
鈥淓ffect鈥� was published in the US on Dec. 30 and debuted at number six on the IndieBound hardcover fiction bestseller list for the week of Jan. 8.
The book continues the story of scientist Don Tillman, who in Simsion鈥檚 first book about the character, 鈥淭he Rosie Effect,鈥� embarked on a search for a wife. Now, in "Effect," his wife Rosie tells him she's pregnant. (This is not a spoiler: a stork is on the book cover.) As we previously reported, 鈥淓ffect鈥� received some mixed reviews when it was released in the UK and Australia.聽
Now that it鈥檚 reached America, writer Christina Ianzito called the book a 鈥渞omantic comedy that鈥檚 just as smart, funny and heartwarming as the original鈥�. As a reader, it鈥檚 hard not to cheer for this well-meaning misfit [Don].鈥� And gave the work a starred review, with Robin Nesbitt of Ohio鈥檚 Columbus Metropolitan Library writing, 鈥淒elightful characters鈥�. Readers who loved the first book are in for another treat," while Shelf Awareness writer Katie Noah Gibson found it to be "heartwarming, poignant and often hilarious[.] 'The Rosie Effect'聽is a worthy second chapter in Don and Rosie's story."
However, delivered a more mixed verdict, writing that 鈥淸Rosie, Don鈥檚 wife has] become completely unlikable鈥�. Simsion tries to swiftly mend what's been broken, but the happily-ever-after is lacking confidence.鈥� And critic Samantha Edwards gave the book a B-, writing that 鈥渢he second half of the book, in which Rosie is demoted to playing the stock pregnant woman, drags along as [Don鈥檚] behavior progresses from cringeworthy to tiresome鈥�. The rom-com genre is known for these breakneck-speed resolutions and, sure, it鈥檚 the ending that will make Hollywood execs happy, but it feels phony for a book that has spent 300-plus pages slowly constructing a realistic narrative.鈥�
