A review by clairebartholomew549
Liquid: A Love Story by Mariam Rahmani

dark emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is so charming and funny. Our unnamed narrator graduated with her PhD two years ago and has been struggling to find a job or relationship, and her Iranian and Indian parents desperately want her to marry someone. On a whim, she decides to go on 100 dates in one summer. But when her dad has a heart attack and she goes home to Tehran, her plans go awry and she has to reevaluate everything.

I enjoyed this book a lot, and the pace was great. Our narrator is incredibly witty, and her inner dialogue as she goes on different dates, tries to figure out her career, and continually rethinks her relationship with her parents is very interesting.  Once we get to Tehran, it at first feels like the narrative stalls, but then that time becomes the focal point of the story and propels so much of our narrator's character growth and realizations. There were times when it felt like the writing was a bit too obsessed with itself, but overall I thought this book's depiction of grief and of feeling like you don't belong anywhere was really artful and resonated with me. It's also unlike other books I've read, which is always fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!
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