Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Where'd You Go, Bernadette

I think the main selling point for this story is the way it's told partially via emails, notes, articles, etc ; I'm a sucker for that trope. Unfortunately, Where'd You Go, Bernadette falls victim to the classic pratfall of that trope, which is that the characters write unrealistically long and prosaic emails and letters in order to get the narrative across. This grated on my nerves throughout the novel, but I have to admit that it was fun to read nonetheless. The story itself... equal parts entertaining and infuriating. The only character I found remotely tolerable and redeemable was Bee; everyone else sucked, especially Bernadette herself. All I really saw in her was a very mentally ill woman who was unhealthily attached to her child and had an incredible amount of sheer dumb luck. The answer to the title question should really have been "therapy"—but rhen, of course, there would be no story.

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A fun easy read! I liked the combination of emails, letters, narration, etc - we got to experience a variety of distinct voices in the telling of the story. The tone came across to me as whimsical and a bit absurd, but it was done well and was still engaging. I found the pace a bit odd at times, since the whole premise of the book is Bernadette's disappearance (it's in all the synopses and the title!) but it took longer than I'd expected to get to that point. Still, it was fresh and fun to read throughout. There were some sincere moments amidst the silliness, but neither tone felt out of place.

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