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A review by makealongstorycourt
Exposure by Ava Dellaira
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
5.0
Wow.
This book is a beautifully sad depiction of the phrase “gray area.” It had me pondering if death itself is the gray area, or in fact, is the realm of grief the gray area? Does white represent life, black represent death, and the gray area in between is life after the death of a piece of you? You’re left living with grief; wanting to die but knowing you must live? Is that gray?
What about moral grayness? Can two things be true at the same time? How is objective truth determined if more than one perspective exists? Can a person make a mistake and not be a monster? Can a person’s past influence their perception of the present? If it’s all gray, what do we define as objective black and white?
Existential and moral grayness are the largest motifs in this novel that explores themes of grief, visceral love, and isolation. I think the title “EXPOSURE” speaks to the existential & moral grayness this book forces readers to explore.
Dellaira created a masterpiece, and I’m so happy to end my year with such a memorable and reflective reading experience. Her prose brought me to actual tears when she describes each character’s experience with grief. While the main plot was a slow burn, the subplot of parallel grief gripped me so much that the main plot line felt like an added treat that pushed this one to five stars for me.
While this one is profoundly sad, it is also cathartic. I will be thinking about this one & its portrayal of human morality for a long time.
Thanks to @zibbybooks and @netgalley for the digital review copy. EXPOSURE is available as of 9/10/24.
This book is a beautifully sad depiction of the phrase “gray area.” It had me pondering if death itself is the gray area, or in fact, is the realm of grief the gray area? Does white represent life, black represent death, and the gray area in between is life after the death of a piece of you? You’re left living with grief; wanting to die but knowing you must live? Is that gray?
What about moral grayness? Can two things be true at the same time? How is objective truth determined if more than one perspective exists? Can a person make a mistake and not be a monster? Can a person’s past influence their perception of the present? If it’s all gray, what do we define as objective black and white?
Existential and moral grayness are the largest motifs in this novel that explores themes of grief, visceral love, and isolation. I think the title “EXPOSURE” speaks to the existential & moral grayness this book forces readers to explore.
Dellaira created a masterpiece, and I’m so happy to end my year with such a memorable and reflective reading experience. Her prose brought me to actual tears when she describes each character’s experience with grief. While the main plot was a slow burn, the subplot of parallel grief gripped me so much that the main plot line felt like an added treat that pushed this one to five stars for me.
While this one is profoundly sad, it is also cathartic. I will be thinking about this one & its portrayal of human morality for a long time.
Thanks to @zibbybooks and @netgalley for the digital review copy. EXPOSURE is available as of 9/10/24.