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3.21 AVERAGE
3.21 AVERAGE
This book is incredibly unsettling. A white couple and their two teens take a vacation at an Airbnb outside NYC. The first evening the owners of the Airbnb, an older Black couple, show up unannounced with news of a blackout event in the city that suggests something more sinister. The "action" is focus on these two families in this one house. Tension is high - they're cut off from communicating with anyone or anywhere outside the house. They can't access news or information. The white couple is suspicious of the Black couple. The Black couple is frustrated by the white family's presence in their home during this unknown Event. The author does an excellent job focusing on the details - the minutiae - of the home, the food, the shopping list, the characters' bodies (and bodily functions), their thoughts, and etc. Details about everything except the Event, although we the readers get glimpses of the aftermath. Is it safe for the two families to trust each other? Are they in a safe place? I felt trapped. I don't know if this is a horror novel but I was uneasy and scared. But there are also moments of levity as the families get to know each other. It's great to read right now given the season and our self-isolation during our own Event. The book also offers interesting observations about race and class which influences the dynamic between to two families.
Thanks to Libro.FM and the publisher for a complimentary copy.
Thanks to Libro.FM and the publisher for a complimentary copy.
the post apocalypse mood is chef’s kiss and the omnipotent pov is nice and helps understanding what is going on
the sex scenes were not necessary though
3/5
the sex scenes were not necessary though
3/5
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I literally remember not much about this book tbh and it left me feeling like... okay. That was that.
I weirdly did not like any of the characters in this book, but still enjoyed it. Except for the part about the teeth falling out because that is one of my re-occurring nightmares…
This book is so good and also rather horrifying. It made me late to work, and kept me up reading late into the night, which is rare. Between the plot and the pointed omniscient narration, I couldn’t put it down. An book that evoked waves of dread while underlining really particular racial and class dynamics.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The story was part relaxing pastoral (so many lists of food and elaborate explanations of food - I want that brie and chocolate sandwich), part domestic drama, part horror, part thriller, and profound meditation on the primal, painful love parents have for our children. I was surprised by how many professional reviews talked about the focus on race and class, as I only saw that minimally; I saw a lot more on the pressure to perform a certain type of American masculinity and the shame that comes with not performing it correctly. I know some have said they thought Alam overwrote the book, but I loved his meticulous, exploratory prose (including a Sarah Ruhl-ian way of writing alternatives: "this, or this, or this"). There were moments of such intensity or sadness that I just wanted the book to end, but when it did, I missed it, although I don't think I want to be part of what came next. I didn't love the ending, but I think that's a flaw in my expectations, and not a flaw in Alam's choice. I appreciate writers who demand that we rethink those expectations on form.