It may be a very used trope but many stories feature opposites attract couples. And there isn’t a more opposites attract couple than Beef and November in She’s Found Her Mind by Francois Tremblay.
Meet Beef Rockslab. Beef is ruled by rationality and reason. He considers himself to be the picture of Alpha masculinity. He belongs to a cult called the Lightbringers. The Lightbringers is a bothersome mix of a Scientology-like religion and an Ayn Rand mindset.
Now meet November Whimsickle. She’s a professional manic pixie dream girl. November is all about emotions, feelings, and spontaneity. She even turns cartwheels while hanging out at the mall and passionately kisses total strangers.
Beef and November meet in an odd fashion. Though there are differences between the two (many differences), they can’t help but be drawn to each other. Can these two very disparate kids make it as a couple? With crazy twists and turns, Beef and November make an attempt at love and romance.
Of course, they have different goals when it comes to their relationship. Big-hearted November sees Beef as a broken soul, and she thinks her love and devotion can fix him. As for Beef? Well, he just wants to have sex with November (well, actually he’s just desperate for sex). And when these two do finally tumble under the sheets, it’s not exactly romantic and erotic.
Does their romance survive? Does November’s love inspire Beef to become a better man? Well, not exactly. Beef is pretty much a lost cause, and November has to get beyond this and perhaps grow a bit herself.
She’s Found Her Mind isn’t a perfect book. I found the writing at times a bit off the rails. And I wasn’t too keen on the characters. I’ve spent a lot of time studying the “manosphere” to know guys like Beef need a therapist not a girlfriend and a romp in the hay. As for November, I often found her antics too ditzy, but I do think she has the ability to become more level-headed. However, the descriptions of the far-right the Lightbringers and some leftist activists did come across as very true to me. We know people like this.
Though She’s Found Her Mind wasn’t my literary cup of tea, I know there is an audience for quirky, off-beat characters and nutty romantic antics.
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