Mary and O’Neil Romance novels usually pique my interest, but Mary and O’Neil completely caught me by surprise. From the description on the back of the book, the plot seemed drab and predictable. I would not have even classified it as a romance novel at first glance. I started reading it with low expectations but found myself completely seduced in the language by page three. Once I dismissed my original judgments of the book, I couldn’t put it down. I wouldn’t even let myself read it unless I had a big chunk of time to indulge in its poetry.
Mary and O’Neil, Justin Cronin’s first novel, follows the lives of Mary Olson and O’Neil Burke told through a collection of glimpses into their lives from their early college days through adulthood. At the beginning of the novel, O’Neil, a sophomore college student, is a carefree boy just discovering himself when his parents die in a tragic car accident. O’Neil is then left to raise himself with the help of his older sister. Mary, also in college, finds herself in shambles after terminating a pregnancy and ending a dead-end relationship. The reader follows Mary and O’Neil separately until they finally come together somewhere in the middle of the novel.
The realistic quality to the plot is what draws the reader in. Everything is not perfect and not everyone lives happily ever after, but the characters’ flaws allow the reader to relate to them. They’ve endured hard times and have been hurt by love in the past. And of course, the underlying theme is one of overcoming the fear of hurt and finding love again. This novel also overflows with immaculate details from the beginning, enabling the reader to visualize every detail. For example, one can see the exact caramel color of the coffee that O’Neil’s father drinks the morning of his death. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could smell the aroma, too. Along with visual details, the reader will also really get to know and understand the characters and their motivations, thanks to the descriptive text, making this a highly worthwhile read.
—Melinda Tam
This article appears in Aug 28 – Sep 3, 2002.
