A review by shelf_inspiration
Bewilderness by Karen Tucker

4.0

4.5 Stars

See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram

“Once upon a time there was magic, there was music, and then: nothing. Even now, years later, there are days when the world is little more than an empty scraped-out bag.” - Bewilderness.


Irene, a lonely nineteen-year-old in rural North Carolina, works long nights at the local pool hall, serving pitchers and dodging drunks. One evening, her hilarious, magnetic coworker Luce invites her on a joy ride through the mountains to take revenge on a creepy customer. Their adventure not only spells the beginning of a dazzling friendship, it seduces both girls into the mysterious world of pills and the endless hustles needed to find the next high. Everything is wild and wonderful until Luce finds a boyfriend who wants to help her get clean. Soon, the two of them decide to move away and start a new, sober life in Florida—leaving Irene behind.

Thank you to NetGalley , Catapult , and Karen Tucker for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Wow what can I say about this book! Bewilderness is the story of the friendship between Irene and Luce as they live in their small mountain town, and are caught in the hold of opioid addiction. The friendship between them is one of love, co-dependence, and even danger as they battle between sobriety and drug use. I really liked how this book examined friendship through the lens of addiction and how they impact one-another. This is a heartbreaking, graphic read but it is written so well. I felt that it accurately depicted addiction and the multitude of ways that it can impact someone’s life. I would recommend this book, especially for those who have read and enjoyed books such as “Marlena”, books by author Ellen Hopkins, or movies such as “Thirteen”.

Release Date: June 1, 2021