Hello, my friends! Welcome back! I’m here with a brand new book review, and I think you’re going to like this one. I don’t remember what exactly attracted me to The Three of Us, but I decided recently to try to get through several books in my Netgalley backlist, and this was one of the books I chose. I’m so glad I did, because it was a really good choice. I hope you enjoy my review!
The Three of Us is told in three parts, each from a different point of view. Each point of view, and each person, has a different motive for how they want the story to turn out, but only one actually gets their way. I won’t tell you which one, obviously, because it’s kind of interesting how everything turns out.
What’s really funny about The Three Of Us, is that the wife? Doesn’t have a name. The other characters refer to her as “my wife” or “her friend.” I’m not even sure the best friend or the husband have names. It’s really interesting how the characters refer to each other. Their dynamic and dysfunction is interesting to read, and the book was difficult to put down.
Synopsis
The Three of Us is told in three parts, each from a different point of view. Part one is told from the wife’s point of view. It tells about her history with her best friend, and about the dynamic between her best friend and her husband. The wife and her best friend grew up together, and best friend had plans for the two of them. Those plans did not include marriage, so when wife met her husband, it created a weird rift. Husband didn’t like best friend, because he had the idea that she disliked him, for whatever reason.
Part two is from the husband’s point of view, and part three is from the best friend’s. Each offers a different perspective into the weird threesome that the group has become, however inadvertently. Husband wants his wife to himself at least some of the time, and feels as if best friend is always there. Best friend wishes wife would realize husband isn’t the man for her, and move on already. The dysfunctional relationship, with the wife in the middle, makes for interesting reading.
My Thoughts on The Three of Us
When I first started reading The Three of Us, I thought it might be an interesting look into a polyamorous relationship, and the dynamics thereof. That’s not what I got, however. It was an interesting look into the dynamics of a relationship, but not the one I was expecting.
This seems really confusing, and sometimes it is.
So, many times in books, I feel like men who complain about how their wives treat them are being too sensitive. Because, come on, just because the pork chops get burnt, or the meal isn’t on the table right at 7pm, doesn’t mean she’s the worst wife in the world.
Who’s side am I on?
In The Three of Us, though, I’m kind of with husband in his points. He doesn’t complain about how his wife treats him, he complains about hos his wife acts when her best friend is around. Best friend makes snide comments about him, and instead of defending him, wife agrees, or laughs along with what is obviously not a joke. To me, and to husband, it’s obvious that best friend is trying to break them up, because she has this odd idea that she and wife aren’t meant to be married to anyone, and are meant to travel the world and be independent women.
While I can’t fault best friend for having this ideal, the fact that she’s held so tightly to it that she is trying to break up what is a happy marriage otherwise, and the fact that wife is so insecure in her own mental health that she allows her best friend to “be who she’s going to be” is really frustrating. So yeah, I’m on husband’s side in this little dysfunctional threesome. Once you read the book, if you have a different idea of what’s going on, and if you’re on a different side, please come back and let me know in the comments. This would be a great book to get a little psychological discussion going about, because of the three separate dynamics presented. It’s really interesting, and I honestly had trouble putting it down, even though parts of it truly frustrated me to the nth degree.
Recommendation
I can’t really say too much about specific parts of the book, and my normal questions I ask myself, such as “who would I invite to a dinner party?” aren’t really going to do much for this particular review. My recommendation is going to be this, however. Read It. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I don’t say this to try to sway your decision one way or another, but it does feature black african characters.
If you’ve been trying to diversify your reading, or if you enjoy books with black or non-white characters, I encourage you to give it a shot. I did notice a few references to African culture points, even though the book is set in England, I believe. If I remember correctly, the wife and her friend are Nigerian, so there were a few references to that particular culture that I found interesting. I grew up with a couple kids from Nigeria, and have always found that part of the world fascinating. If, like me, you do too, this book will add to your repitoire of knowledge, however small it may be.
One more reason to recommend The Three of Us is the psychology of relationships. The three people involved in the story are hugely different, and what they bring to the table is so different. Those differences create a dynamic that’s unique and original, and may cause you to look at your own relationships in a new and different light. If the psychology of friendship and marriage is interesting to you, even in a fictional setting, I encourage you to check out The Three of Us.
Conclusion
Have you already read The Three of Us? If not, I hope you do, and I hope you come back to leave a comment with your thoughts! I thought the book was really interesting, and really want people to talk to about it! Someone needs to read it! There’s a link above for you to buy it on Amazon, but I’ll find other links for you, too. They won’t be affiliate links, but that’s ok. Since I’m not on Twitter as often these days, please come follow me on Threads at ThePickyBookworm or Instagram at ThePickyBookworm. I’d also love if you subscribed to my newsletter! The form is in the sidebar. I’m working on keeping in touch with everyone as best I can, so need your help. Thanks everyone! Love you all, and…
Until Next Time, Friends!
