I thought I had read all of Sophie White’s books. Yet when I saw The Snag List on a few people’s wrap-up posts over on Instagram early this year, it didn’t ring a bell. Turns out it was sitting unread on my Kindle. This is what I mean about having too many books. It is not a judgment on the number of books you have, but I am absolutely calling myself out! On the upside, I spent some unexpected time with Sophie White’s characters, which is always a wild and enjoyable ride.
The Snag List centres around Lindy, Ailbhe, and Roe, who have moved to Monteray Valley, a luxury gated housing development that gave me more than a few uncanny valley vibes. We also have a Eurovision musical and a reality-TV show about the making of the musical. We know from the prologue that everything is not as rosy as it seems!
Lindy is the CEO of Maxxed Out, her son's YouTube channel. She runs the business while her husband, Adam, creates and often co-stars in Max's videos. But what if she doesn't want this to be her career anymore?
Ailbhe should be settling into marriage and motherhood, but Tom spends most of his time abroad – he's American, and Ailbhe and Tilly are planning to join him in the US. Ailbhe just needs to keep her self-sabotaging tendencies in check long enough not to interfere with those plans.
Roe and her husband Eddie, are trying for a baby, except Roe isn't sure she wants to be a mother.
While working on the snag list for their Monteray homes, Lindy wonders what would happen if they could snag list their own lives. Better yet, what if she were the person who helped you work through your personal snag list?
I am pretty sure I say something similar each time I review White’s commercial fiction, but if you are looking for a novel that explores the complexities of female friendship, the darker side of online culture, mental illness and addiction without bashing you over the head with the point, then you can't go far wrong with Sophie White. Lindy, Ailbhe, and Roe are flawed characters, but White ensures that they never feel like caricatures. I really enjoyed The Snag List!
The Snag List by Sophie White is published by Hachette Books Ireland, an imprint of Hachette Livre.
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