A review by lcr16
They're Going to Love You by Meg Howrey

emotional reflective sad
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
A slow burn tragedy revolving around abandonment, the world of ballet, yearning to belong, and the ability to forgive. Carlisle grows up in the world of ballet. Her parents are separated, but both distinguished in the world of ballet. Her mother is preoccupied with her younger half-brother, and her father is dedicated to the survival of him and his partner, James, in New York in the midst of the AIDS crisis. It’s truly heartbreaking realizing Carlisle is no one’s favorite person, a visitor in her own family. The writing is lyrical and smooth, building up to an unraveling family. The author, Howrey, is a former dancer herself and it shows with the passion and emotion she brings to describing dance sequences to describe the emotional state of her characters. However, her strongest writing is when she slowly sits with the character’s darker emotions, particularly loneliness, grief, and betrayal. “A particular kind of glory that happens when we share our suffering and are seen… An exaltation. I’m loath to connect womanness with suffering, or suffering with greatness, but there it is.” 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings