A review by spaghettification
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly Mcghee

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Woah! This book was such a surprise for me! I picked it up on a whim and it turned out to be so good. Absolutely devastating, but good! Molly McGhee takes the concept of living under the crushing wheel of capitalism as a poor young person and portrays it so intimately and accurately that it's very easy to accept the sci-fi aspects as plausible and realistic because although they are fantastical, they are "in-character" for the systems in place in our world. In a lot of ways, it read like a modern Vonnegut to me! I'd call it a love letter to millennials but it would make for a very sad letter (I suppose though, some love letters are sad - this one definitely is). I also just love the characters, especially Abernathy, because they represent real people so well that they go beyond themselves. There are some slower moments and present tense isn't my favorite but still a glowing recommendation!

"Their lives are too compacted by work (or the search for work) to contain skin-care routines, yoga practices, self-maintenance, or pride. They wear uniforms of varying colors or, if they are not uniformed, they wear ill-fitting clothes that indicate thrift. Most of them carry weight around their gut. They look nice but outdated. These are Abernathy’s people. Immediately, Abernathy is filled with love for them."