A longer version of this reviews was published on Lost in a Good Book - https://wp.me/p3x8rS-2Ze

I know we’re meant to hate Jeff.

I know we are meant to hate Jeff.

I have to keep reminding myself we are meant to hate Jeff.

I don’t know why I chose to read this book. Reverse Pygmalion grabbed my attention. Being a short read grabbed my attention. I was curious. But my god, the willpower it takes to push through the hatred is incredible. Kudos to Sachs for writing someone I wanted to punch more than Holden Caulfield.

It is a short read but it is a fascinating study into people like Jeff. People who feel they are superior to those around them and anyone beneath them needs punishing. That when they have their egos bruised even a tiny bit they retaliate, or worse, when they feel they aren’t being appreciated enough, or praised enough for doing the bare minimum, retaliate.

Ellen is the stereotypical overweight person. She eats too much, she’s clumsy, she bumps into things and Sachs really digs it in deep by mentioning Jeff thinks she smells. Everyone other than Ellen is referred to as ‘normal’, Jeff thinks he is a ‘nice guy’ and blames Ellen for him being mean and not making him a good person. It’s incredible.

It is a fantastic book about making you aware of people like Jeff. If you come across someone like Jeff, run for your life.

Weirdly I didn’t hate the book, but with Jeff behind the wheel I didn’t like reading it. But Sachs points out people’s flaws well, despite the fast pace and the minimal detail and depth. You get a sense of who these characters are and even though the story rushes through days and events, you can see the characters in their elements succinctly.

The blurb mentions the confusion of control vs love, and Jeff 100% loves being in control, and controlling Ellen. He patronises her, controls how she looks and acts. He dismisses her opinions and thoughts, he is belittling and tells her what she thinks. He ignores her protests, she begs him not to make her do things but he convinces her to do them.

I was initially going to give this book 1.5 stars, the .5 because Ellen and Norma were the only sensible people in there. But then I remembered you can’t mark a book down because you dislike a character who is designed to be unlikable. So I had another think through and while I disliked Jeff, Sachs tells him in a way we’re supposed to dislike him, supposed to see he is wrong. I had to look at the other characters, not through Jeff’s eyes but through their actions.

Writing wise it’s quick, it’s basic detail, jumping quickly through days, but that isn’t a deal breaker. I’m happy with the three. I liked the story it told, but it a different liking the story than anything I have ever read. I hated the story but I liked what happens. I’m going to be confused about this one for a while.