Bibliography: Potter, Alexandra. (2010). The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN: 978-0452295889
Plot Summary: 30 something American living in London Charlotte appears to have it all–her own successful PR firm that pursues top clients and a boyfriend who wants to buy a house and move in together. Why isn’t she happier? One morning she is thrown for a loop–she sees a young woman in a beat up VW that looks a lot like her younger self. Inexplicably, she decides to follow her, and discovers through some fantastical time travel or worm hole that she is meeting herself ten years earlier. Not one to let opportunities go to waste, Charlotte starts to think of all the sage advice she can give herself at 21. Little does she suspect how much her younger self will teach her.
Critical Analysis: Like the best chick lit, this fluffy, fun, humorous and romantic tale is much more than it first appears. Potter, like the best chick lit authors, understands that the best story will be grounded in some larger themes but refuse to let these themes become didatic or weighty.
Readers who like their fantasy and science fiction pure will argue with how the time travel takes place. Me, I could care less, because it sets up such a great juxtaposition between Charlotte then and now. Charlotte is part of what makes this work so well. Readers will identify with her desire to be the best and a success and will also know what it feels like to wonder if that’s all there is.
Not just Charlotte, but all the characters are funny, witty, sharp and endearing, and Potter places them into marvelous humorous and often sticky situations that will ring true. I did find the ending little abrupt, as it felt like Potter had sort of decided she had written enough and ended the story. Or maybe I was just enjoying everything too much to want it to stop.
Readalikes: This would be a great read for teens who enjoyed Sarah Mlynowski’s Gimme a Call, where a high school senior girl discovers the fact that she can call her freshman self on her cell phone.
Review Excerpts: “Though the plot mechanics grind noisily, Potter (Me and Mr. Darcy) rescues her high-concept romance with charming characters, sharp dialogue, and a satisfying conclusion.”–Publisher’s Weekly
“Potter recaptures the humor and charm of her debut in this quirky, lighthearted follow-up. Despite the implausible plot, Charlotte’s struggle to reconcile where she is now with what her dreams once were will ring true with readers.”–Booklist
“If you were in your late teens or early twenties in the 1990s, you’ll identify with Charlotte and her time-travel adventure. Chick-lit connoisseurs will enjoy this twist on a much-loved, albeit familiar, story line.”–Library Journal
Reviewed from public library copy. Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
