A review by sleaterkenneth
Arcadia by Lauren Groff

emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I really loved this, I loved Lauren Groff's writing style, I loved and connected to Bit in a way I feel like I rarely do with male narrators. It was practically perfect until in the last quarter when a global pandemic was introduced and it was so much like COVID (SARS-like, quarantine etc.) that I just wanted to finish the book as soon as possible. It wasn't even a major-point just something happening in the background of the plot but it did suck to read about! I understand how a global health threat could mirror the threat of war in the 60s/70s and I think it would be so clever and well-done if we weren't LIVING THROUGH IT! Literally not LG's fault she wrote this in 2012 and I'm reading it now and wow do I wonder how she feels about the current state of the world! Literally UNFAIR that the book ends
with the president saying that the pandemic is over thanks to people basically respecting quarantine and the power of modern medicine
but I will be reading more of LG's work! I think she is so talented, I'm just bitter that this near-perfect book wasn't pure escapism like I desperately need. 
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