Two days ago, at almost 11:30 p.m., I finished my first (and probably only) book of February: The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella. Reading a burnout-themed rom-com while I myself was in a burnout phase turned out to be a good thing. I felt… entertained.
True to the theme, this book follows the story of a burned-out marketing employee named Sasha Worth. Being completely snowed under at work, Sasha barely has a life outside her job. Even something as mundane as cooking dinner has become a difficult task for her.
After an incident at work, Sasha finally gets a few weeks off to recover. She heads to Rilston Bay to clear her mind by following a personal wellness program (including—but not limited to—drinking kale smoothies, noni juice, and doing yoga by the beach). Or at least, that’s her original plan.
Upon arriving, she discovers that Rilston Bay isn’t as packed as she remembers. The hotel she checks into, once so majestic, is now in shambles. The presence of a fellow burnout employee named Finn doesn’t help either. How can Sasha focus on her wellness program when there’s a mean guy constantly watching her? Still, determined to follow the guide earnestly, she’s sure Finn won’t get in her way.
I think it took me two days to write this review because I was a little… undecided. What do I truly think about this book? Do I love it? Do I hate it? Do I think it’s good?
I’m not going to lie: the first 50% of the book was hilarious. I laughed so hard at the sheer absurdity that is Sasha Worth. She reminded me of most of Kinsella’s heroines—and, as with them, I found Sasha incredibly entertaining.
The last 50%, on the other hand, was less humorous but equally enjoyable. As proof, I read most of it in one night. It’s just that… the level of too-good-to-be-true was so too-good-to-be-true that it felt unrealistic (yes, even for me). By the end, I realized that while I liked the story, I found it hard to believe.
Still, I didn’t get tired of it. Like I mentioned earlier, it was enjoyable throughout. Some of the dialogue even works perfectly as work wisdom. And I liked both Sasha and Finn as characters—I just didn’t fall madly in love with them.
In conclusion, The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella is a fun and entertaining read. It explores the theme of burnout with just enough pressure and stress to avoid making the story too heavy. While it isn’t my favorite Kinsella novel, I would say there’s a good chance I’ll reread it sometime in the distant future.
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