The Opposite of Love

November 5, 2007
Harvard law grad Buxbaum makes an appealing debut with this tale of Yale law graduate Emily Haxby, eager to break through the emotional and professional ties that bind her. “It's like you get pleasure out of breaking your own heart,†best friend Jess tells Emily after her bustup with her doctor boyfriend. But Emily isn't through self-destructing; she also implodes over her fast-failing Grandpa Jack, from whom Emily learned “everything... about lifeâ€; chilly relations with her lieutenant governor father, Kirk; and a precarious career as a litigator defending big, evil corporations for a Manhattan law firm. This single-gal-in-the-city finds her white-knuckle hold on life and love slowly slipping as it dawns on her that the opposite of love isn't hate, it's emptiness. Grandpa Jack and his retirement home pal, Ruth, help steer Emily to a soft landing, but the big disappointment is that the resolution is far less interesting than the unraveling that precedes it.

Starred review from January 15, 2008
Buxbaum's debut is a welcome addition to the having-it-all genre. The characters are likable, and the story line moves along so amusingly that you'll want to keep reading into the night. Emily Haxby is an up-and-coming attorney at a big firm in Manhattan. From the outside, she seems to have her life tied up flawlessly with a big red bow; however, the package is coming unraveled. On the verge of becoming engaged to Andrew, the perfect guy, she freezes and breaks up with him. Other life events creep in to sidetrack Emily. She's given an assignment on a sleazy legal case defending a company that's knowingly polluting the environment, and her lecherous boss propositions her in a hotel room. Then Emily's favorite family member, Grandpa Jack, starts to exhibit the frightening symptoms of Alzheimer's. Repeatedly mourning the death of her mother (when Emily was a child) and her completely distant politician father, Emily finds that the turmoil in her life is leading her to take harsh actions. Can Emily pull it togetherwork, family, love life, and all? You'll be turning pages until you find out! Highly recommended for all fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 10/1/07.]Beth Gibbs, Davidson, NC

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2007
In the space of a few weeks, Emily Haxby breaks up with her longtime boyfriend, leaves her job at a corporate law firm, and learns that her beloved grandfather suffers from Alzheimers disease. Suddenly, this accomplished yet emotionally stunted woman is left picking up the pieces. The resounding success of the chick-lit genre resides in the fact thatyoung women seek fiction that reflects decisionsthey face about romance, careers, and family. Buxbaums taledoes so withnotableintelligence and grace as she explores that uncertain time between physically becoming an adult and actually coming to terms with it. A Harvard Law alum, Buxbaum is likelydrawing onher own experiences. Her debut novel is sure to generate buzz because ofher much-touted generous two-book deal. But beyond the hype, this isa realistic and well-written portrait of a young woman on the cusp of having it all.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

Starred review from March 31, 2008
Ariadne Meyers gives a masterful performance of this realistic novel about Emily, a young woman whose life is unraveling: she breaks up with her longtime boyfriend, hates her job, and her beloved grandfather is dying. Meyers inhabits the role perfectly, conveying all the nuances of Emily's character: her doubt and confusion, anger, love and vulnerability. Meyers especially shines in Emily's monologue to her late mother's tombstone that starts out joking as a defense mechanism, then gets serious and then gradually starts to break down, her voice trembling and full of tears. Meyers also creates distinctive, authentic character voices—the elderly, New York–accented tones of Emily's grandfather and his female friend Ruth; Emily's two closest female friends, including a scene in which one friend is drunk and sobbing; her smug, lecherous boss; a backstabbing co-worker; a Russian diner owner; and a soothing psychologist. She switches seamlessly between the voices during conversations without missing a beat. The abridgment is likewise seamless. This excellent production is a must for chick lit fans. Simultaneous release with the Dial Press hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 5, 2007).