A review by gwendle_vs_literature
How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

This is a novel in the style of James Joyce’s Dubliners, with chapters that are really short stories, but which are all woven together through family connections, cross-story character interactions, and circumstance. 

It’s difficult for there to be strong character development because each chapter is a snapshot of a person’s life, or of a relationship, or of the ways people cope with loss and grief and catastrophe. But sometimes a character would warrant a mention in a later chapter and their growth would be evident, or at least implied, there. 

I highly recommend this book — it’s a well-crafted exploration of humanity, capitalism, harsh realities, and hope.