A review by emilyinherhead
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind by Molly McGhee

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It is better to feel dread often, rather than always—isn’t it? Abernathy has already resigned himself to the trade off. He forgoes his fanancial instability and constant anxiety and instead accepts a shitty boss who he, somehow, both hates and empathizes with. What worker hasn’t made the same sacrifice?

Jonathan Abernathy is a young man who is deep in debt and willing to do almost anything to get out, including accepting the bizarre job of “dream auditor,” which involves entering other people’s dreams and identifying troubling elements for removal. But, though the stated goal of this work is to reduce the dreamers’ anxiety and increase their productivity, the actual result of Abernathy’s employment can only be described as chaos and, frankly, horror.

Through a surreal and dream-like story, Molly McGhee examines the real-world issues of poverty, burnout, and the American system of debt. Her writing creates a constant sense of unease and fear, even while much of this novel is simultaneously quite funny. I wildly cycled between feeling bad for Abernathy, despising him for being so clueless, and wishing I could shake him and give him a hug. The way McGhee lays out “what could have been” had Abernathy only acted a bit differently in a given situation, and then goes on to detail what he actually does and how it goes, is devastating.

This novel left me with a horrible feeling of dread, but I loved it. If you’re into weird books, pick this one up.