A review by pbraue13
We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates

3.0

Like most of Joyce Carol Oates books this novel is a sprawling, almost gothic, beautifully written book that is almost overwritten. It's a look at the changing dynamic of a family after a tragic event and my gosh a good chunk of this book I was angry. If there was a gold medal for Bad Parenting the matriarch and patriarch of the Mulvaney clan would win it - that's all I will say about that. But it was also fascinating and Oates' prose is fascinating and fun, but also sometimes meandering and pointless at others. At some point I believe she lost the plot, possibly around the point she goes into detail about a cat's kidney problems for several pages. 3/5 stars