I wanted to like this book. It’s a gritty, dysfunctional family drama, which is usually my cup of tea. But this book just didn’t work for me. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t great, it just didn’t work for me.
I think part of that has to do with the fact that I listened to the audiobook. Parts of this book felt very overwritten and the narrator of the audiobook read in a very histrionic way, making things feel more dramatic than they needed to be. The combination made for some eye-rolling on my part. Yes, I understand that this is a rough time the main character is going through but it doesn’t need to be this dramatic.
The book jumps through a variety of perspectives and I did actually really enjoy that aspect. MacArthur jumps through time and does a good job of dropping lines that get picked up and pulled into other perspectives. I liked the story and the way the plot was crafted. My problem mostly came from the writing itself. If you don’t mind overwriting, which I know not everyone minds, then definitely check this book out. Otherwise, don’t worry about it.
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