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A review by nothingforpomegranted
Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer
challenging
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Merit is a mom of two who is desperate to return to work after taking time to pursue her art, failing to make much money, and feeling remarkably bored by her life as a stay-at-home mom. She is immediately and intensely intrigued by Jane, the elegant, intimidating, creative architect who hires her. Quickly, their productive working relationship develops into a deep friendship and maybe something more.
Truthfully, I hated all the characters in this book. Merit was so incredibly selfish with absolutely no remorse or even awareness of how her actions affected other people she supposedly loved. Cory, her husband, was an utter doormat, and I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to like him or not. He had plenty of sweet moments, and he and Merit seemed to have wonderful chemistry even two decades into their relationship with a healthy sex life despite a disappointing lack of communication and teamwork. Frankly, he was just bland, which made it much easier to mostly forget about him during Merit’s electric scenes with Jane. Indeed, if it weren’t for the distressingly casual approach to infidelity, I may have enjoyed the developments in Merit and Jane’s relationship, valuing the representation of middle-aged female protagonists with dreams, goals, desires, and talents. Instead, I was mostly disturbed by Jane’s brand of grooming and Merit’s utter disregard for the family she built, especially when the narration seemed to pity her for her confusion and indecision. Nevertheless, I was drawn to the story, and the book was well-written, with something of a dry, callous tone that kept me turning the pages even as I cringed.
Truthfully, I hated all the characters in this book. Merit was so incredibly selfish with absolutely no remorse or even awareness of how her actions affected other people she supposedly loved. Cory, her husband, was an utter doormat, and I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to like him or not. He had plenty of sweet moments, and he and Merit seemed to have wonderful chemistry even two decades into their relationship with a healthy sex life despite a disappointing lack of communication and teamwork. Frankly, he was just bland, which made it much easier to mostly forget about him during Merit’s electric scenes with Jane. Indeed, if it weren’t for the distressingly casual approach to infidelity, I may have enjoyed the developments in Merit and Jane’s relationship, valuing the representation of middle-aged female protagonists with dreams, goals, desires, and talents. Instead, I was mostly disturbed by Jane’s brand of grooming and Merit’s utter disregard for the family she built, especially when the narration seemed to pity her for her confusion and indecision. Nevertheless, I was drawn to the story, and the book was well-written, with something of a dry, callous tone that kept me turning the pages even as I cringed.