Book Review: Stop the Clock by Alison Mercer

Chick Lit comes of age

  

Stop the Clock is the debut novel by Alison Mercer, and tells the story of three university friends, Lucy, Tina and Natalie. With the certainty of youth, they each know what they want out of life, and ten years on, when the story really gets going, they appear to have it – Lucy has an apparently happy marriage, two children and a perfect home; Natalie is married to the boyfriend she’s dated since college, and is pregnant; Tina is living the single life (with a secret affair on the side) and has a byline in a national newspaper, just as she had always hoped. But, as the story goes on to explore, having what you wanted isn’t necessarily what you thought it would be...

It’s an engaging story, and a quick read – the sort where you feel deeply irritated to have to abandon it in order to make meals for your children, or go to the playground – but that’s not to say it’s flighty. It’s got a lot more to it than the sort of frothy high-heels-and-confetti novels that first gave chick-lit its name (and status). It’s not a simple romance, it’s about what happens after that. And it’s not all tied up neatly at the end, because life’s not like that. It also deals unflinchingly with childbirth, which is surprisingly rare in fiction given how many women go through it, and how willing most mothers are to share their birth stories with each other. It’s a brutal portrayal of hospital obstetrics [...Tina cried out, ‘Help me! Help me!’ and the doctor said, ‘Yes I think we will help you,’ and selected a pair of scissors and cut Tina open...] and doesn’t shy away from the effects of motherhood on a woman’s life, physique and perspective.

Most of all, it’s about the sisterhood of good friendships, and what that bond can sustain; the narrative moves fluently from one character to another so that you see all three of them responding to circumstances in their own way. It’s a wonderful heart-warming story of women living life, and dealing with what is thrown at them. Oh, and it’s funny too. Highly recommended! 

Alison has written an article in the Guardian about the birth scenes: you can read her article here.