The Way It Breaks by Polis Loizou – Reviewed by Guy Portman
When Orestis lands a job at a luxury hotel, the ambitious young Cypriot decides this is the opportune moment for a makeover. It is out with the flab and in with the gym. He also becomes acquainted with a gigolo who frequents his place of work. This culminates in Orestis moonlighting as a rent boy and having a tryst with a Belarusian trophy wife. The pair become close. But a strange coincidence is poised to unveil itself that threatens to jeopardise everything Orestis has worked so hard for.
The novel is set in Cyprus. Themes include body image and relationships. This reader found the early chapters eminently readable, if painstakingly slow. However, the abrupt shift in point of view from Orestis to the trophy wife at a critical point in the book was not to his liking. Other criticisms include the excessive observation, commentary, virtual absence of plot, lack of tension and suspense. The Way It Breaks is an onerous read that fails to deliver on its promising premise.
