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A review by arianelaxo
You Only Call When You're in Trouble by Stephen McCauley
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up.
I enjoyed this character study. Each of the main characters felt so real to me, imperfections and inconsistencies in all. The side characters, especially Fiona and Molly, were given enough backstory and context to understand their motivations. I struggled with certain aspects of the story - Cecily's romantic relationship that was lacking the depth we got in the familial relationships, and representation of an architect that felt researched but lacked early readers in the industry to flag the issues. But I adored the uncle who was a father figure to his niece, and the toll that role took on his life, and the idea of building a tiny house to your childhood specifications.
I enjoyed this character study. Each of the main characters felt so real to me, imperfections and inconsistencies in all. The side characters, especially Fiona and Molly, were given enough backstory and context to understand their motivations. I struggled with certain aspects of the story - Cecily's romantic relationship that was lacking the depth we got in the familial relationships, and representation of an architect that felt researched but lacked early readers in the industry to flag the issues. But I adored the uncle who was a father figure to his niece, and the toll that role took on his life, and the idea of building a tiny house to your childhood specifications.