The Bus on Thursday

Recieved in A Book and A Brew subscription box

The concept of this book really intrigued me and I was excited to start reading it. From the start I didn't like the main character at all (I actually didn't like any of the characters), but persevered because of books like Eleanor Oliphant, where I didn't like the characters at first but grew to love them.

The main character in this is just crass, inappropriate and completely unrelatable. The plot (if you can call it that) is not much better. It is completely bizarre and unbelievable. The demon part is not conceived in enough depth to be a significant part and if developed further could have been an interesting aspect to the book. As it is, the book seems half finished, with more questions than there are answers. It feels like a tangled mess of half complete ideas with awful characters.

Ah, sometimes the perfect book arrives when you are in the perfect mood for it. So it was for me when The Bus on Thurday showed up. I needed a laugh and this snarky little gem fit the bill. Eleanor finds herself starting over in a remote Australian town trying to fill the shoes of, apparently, the greatest teacher who ever breathed. The former teacher disappeared mysteriously and the townfolk still mourn her loss. Everything might be okay, except that Eleanor seems to be losing her mind and the people of the town-very, very strange. I went into it expecting Wicker Man and got more [b:The Red Tree 5356476 The Red Tree Caitlín R. Kiernan https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1312130705s/5356476.jpg 6823081], but I loved every minute of it and found myself laughing out loud multiple times. Also, dandelion leaves as a pregnancy test? WHO KNEW?As for the reviewers who are put off by Eleanor. Yes, she's abrasive and kind of obnoxious but would this story have worked so well if she had been a kind and attentive person? It would not. Also, yay to arrogant, mean female characters! There are not enough of them in literature, but tons and tons of grumpy, arrogant male characters.

Madness and fun. This was the perfect way to start the new year!

Well that was one of the stranger things I have read in a long time.

Um, ok, so that happened. Did it, though? I'm not 100% sure what I just read, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ride! 4.25 stars.