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aserra's review
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
As a writer, as the child of a narcissistic parent, as a person with depression, this book is a massive disappointment. It feels as though Fitch presented the manuscript to her editors, they copy-edited it, then it was sent to press (to be clear, I doubt this is what actually happened).
This book should've been a novella at most, ideally a short story. I think the most effective form this story could've taken is a short story, with just the ending chapters where Josie drives to the motel where Michael died by suicide and leaves with Wilma .
The book is over-saturated with meaningless, meandering purple prose with insensitive language sprinkled in. Granted, the book is set in the 80s, and I believe Fitch used the crass language as a tool to establish the setting--I just don't think it worked. The paragraphs where that language is present are undoubtedly the weakest in the entire book (i.e. the prose is simply bad in those parts). Additionally, I'm not one to preach "show, not tell," to death, but this book is far too heavy-handed, has far too much telling. By the end, I was literally rolling my eyes. There was nothing for me to speculate on, to figure out.
The ending is sweet, but it mismatches the book. It's overly idealistic. Josie, who's hooked on drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, is going to take in this girl who can barely speak English and everything's going to be hunky-dory? No, I don't think so. Wilma's just going from one bad environment to another.
Finally, the portrayal of Meredith as a narcissistic parent falls unbelievably flat. It's as though Fitch was hesitant to fully go there with Meredith, and/or just didn't have a proper grasp on what narcissistic parents look like in action. Same, I think, with the portrayal of Michael's everyday depression. The depiction of SI is one of the book's (few) strong points, but the little glimpses we got into Michael's everyday depression, again, were one-dimensional and felt as though they were written by someone who doesn't fully understand depression.
All of this said, the book is not irredeemable. This book was given to me by someone who didn't understand depression and SI prior to reading it, and it helped them understand some of what people with depression and SI endure. So it has potential to be eye-opening and a catalyst for dialogue and consideration with some. Plus, the prose, while meandering, was of decent to above average quality most of the time.
As upsetting as I find this book, I cannot in good conscience say it is objectively one of the worst books I have ever read. Hence, 2.25 stars out of 5, and a hearty "do not recommend" from me to my fellow neurodivergent folks.
This book should've been a novella at most, ideally a short story. I think the most effective form this story could've taken is a short story, with just the ending chapters where
The book is over-saturated with meaningless, meandering purple prose with insensitive language sprinkled in. Granted, the book is set in the 80s, and I believe Fitch used the crass language as a tool to establish the setting--I just don't think it worked. The paragraphs where that language is present are undoubtedly the weakest in the entire book (i.e. the prose is simply bad in those parts). Additionally, I'm not one to preach "show, not tell," to death, but this book is far too heavy-handed, has far too much telling. By the end, I was literally rolling my eyes. There was nothing for me to speculate on, to figure out.
The ending is sweet, but it mismatches the book. It's overly idealistic.
Finally, the portrayal of Meredith as a narcissistic parent falls unbelievably flat. It's as though Fitch was hesitant to fully go there with Meredith, and/or just didn't have a proper grasp on what narcissistic parents look like in action. Same, I think, with the portrayal of Michael's everyday depression. The depiction of SI is one of the book's (few) strong points, but the little glimpses we got into Michael's everyday depression, again, were one-dimensional and felt as though they were written by someone who doesn't fully understand depression.
All of this said, the book is not irredeemable. This book was given to me by someone who didn't understand depression and SI prior to reading it, and it helped them understand some of what people with depression and SI endure. So it has potential to be eye-opening and a catalyst for dialogue and consideration with some. Plus, the prose, while meandering, was of decent to above average quality most of the time.
As upsetting as I find this book, I cannot in good conscience say it is objectively one of the worst books I have ever read. Hence, 2.25 stars out of 5, and a hearty "do not recommend" from me to my fellow neurodivergent folks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Animal death, and Cursing
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicide, Transphobia, and Vomit
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Addiction, Incest, and Sexual assault
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