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I had thought this novel was light (I'm not sure why, the name, the cover?). It definitely is not. It's about dealing with social violence and even psychopathy, all while growing up.

But it's written so well. And the narrator's friend is a character for the ages.

Be ready to read the next in the series; this book ends on what felt to me like an inciting incident of a climax. Not exactly a cliff-hanger, but I need to continue.

I did make it through, but I cannot recommend this one.

The prose was so obfuscating that I'd just stop bewildered asking, 'What was that for?" I decided to continue seeing that there was some skill there. But, out of the four POV characters, two were a-holes. So I was frustrated and annoyed. Eventually, many hours later, the plot resolution did have gripping scenes; that was nice. But then the denouement was sooo freekin' depressing. So the ending didn't save it like I'd hoped.

Just can't recommend. I did not have any fun with it.

This was definitely an interesting book; I flew through it. The unfolding story was very compelling. The psychological investigations were pretty intense, much more than I had expected.

But, although I don't know much about the profession, the characters didn't seem to act like therapists to me. And the ending didn't work for me, though it was well thought out, so I can see where it might land for others.

For as intensely emotional this book is, it wasn't 'heavy'. It definitely isn't 'light' either, but I attribute the lighter feel to the clarity of the writing. You are never in doubt about where the characters are and what they're thinking (even if it's confusion). This way you as a reader are free to process the emotions, which includes grief, trauma, and PTSD anxieties. I highly recommend.

Pretty good portrayal of a woman that falls apart quickly when she is forced to investigate herself.

The middle is a bit muddy but the book starts and ends strong.

I'd thought this one might be solarpunk. It most definitely is not that style, much more old-school, hard-SF. And it is full-on dystopian in the beginning. (The first chapter is traumatically good.)

But the rest of the book was like an economics lecture to me. Never hit emotionally. Plus, some of the solutions didn't seem plausible, so it was hard to see the characters as experts.

Whoops. Forgot change this one's status...

I'm not sure what to say about this one.

I had heard about it from a list of mysteries. This isn't written like a mystery though.

I couldn't understand what the author was going for in the beginning, but the writing was clear. About half-way through, it dives into the psyche of all the characters; which was interesting. Then it ends like a mystery with a sum-up.

Maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind to see the themes. I'd be interested to see what others think of the writing and characters.

The book starts off a bit clunky, like the dialog is forced. But if you hold out, which isn't too hard because the story's interesting, you begin to love the characters. Like in The Martian, the whole book becomes a science-based problem to solve. So fun, and emotionally fulfilling by the end.

Finally got the ebook from the library. I think I was 176th in line at the beginning.

Another good meandering story about Lucy. There are places I cried gently.

I just found out that many of Strout's books are related, more than just the Lucy stories! They mention Olive Kitteridge in this book.

Trigger warning: This book touches on almost all the way old cultures, meaning patriarchies, have devastated women.

This is an amazing book. It starts out with two women characters, unflinching in their inner thoughts. Then it moves into a tough journey novel. From there it gets even more brutal in its honesty.

But it is so cathartic. The characters investigate themselves in ways I hadn't imagined for myself.

I'll have to check this out because I just watched this conference based on it, Oxford Ministry for the Future Event. (youtube link)

Which has the great Kate Raworth of Doughnut Economics. (Which I'm about half-way through (patting my own back).)

I realized what I don't like about romance-style writing in other genres. Romance as a genre is fine; it has a very specific structure to lead to specific outcomes. And this is because the readers want these things. Mysteries are the same; very specific needs.

But you know what sitcoms are like on TV? They set up a situation for the characters then try to find the comedy in it. This book sets up a situation then tries to find the romance in it. It's a sitrom.

Finding romance in plots or situations of other genres pulls the emotion out of the moment. It completely deflates the character's story and does nothing to add to the plot's advancement. In this way, it lets the reader down. I did not finish it.

Brain not working well. Try something light...