A review by larabavery
Bowlaway by Elizabeth McCracken

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

2.0

The book was extremely well-crafted down to the letter, but also somehow one of the worst reading experiences I’ve ever had? It was like someone put a bunch of Jonathan Irving, Russell Banks, and Ann Patchett novels into a blender and then arranged the pieces into a book about bowling. Characters waltz in and out, demanding attention, only to never be seen again. Storylines are picked up and dropped randomly. Each paragraph is like an obnoxious musical theater kids constantly nudging you, asking you to acknowledge how clever they are, and the frustrating part is that they are really good, but you’re tired of clapping, and tired of reading about how great bowling is, and all your friends have been killed or abandoned in earlier chapters, and you just want it to end. I wish her well, and she is very good at writing sentences, but I will never pick up another book by this author in my life.