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A review by theoverflowingbookshelf
Impersonation by Heidi Pitlor
3.0
Heidi Pitlor’s new novel, Impersonation, follows a woman as she juggles work, caring for her son, and caring for herself as well. Set to be released on August 18th, this “timely, insightful, and bitingly funny story of ambition, motherhood, and class” takes a look at what life in America is like for one woman at this moment in time.
I loved the concept of a ghostwriter being the focus on the novel since it’s a profession not many people know about. However, what seemed to be a story of two women facing the same struggles actually is just a story about one woman trying to be the best mother she can be. I also was hoping for more interactions between Lana and Allie. Instead, all of the focus was on Allie and Lana is just seen through her eyes and it seemed borderline obsessive at times.
The narration quickly shifts from Allie’s writing to the past to the present which can cause a bit of mental whiplash at times. The book starts off slow and the direction of the novel is hard to navigate in the first two sections. It isn’t until the third and final part of the book that it becomes more fast-paced and palatable.
Additionally, I couldn’t really connect with the characters like I was anticipating. Maybe it’s because I’m not a mother myself, but I just found it hard to relate to being a middle-aged single mother struggling to raise her son well and comparing herself to those around her.
This novel also takes a very politicized stance on certain ideas, which I wasn’t really expecting. Topics like #MeToo Movement and the events leading up to the 2016 Presidential Election are brought up in terms of how Allie tries to portray Lana and how Allie wishes the country could be.
While this novel was interesting and might be a five star read for others, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. However, if you want to read a novel that digs deep into motherhood, feminism, and American politics, then I would definitely give this one a read!
*I received an ARC from Algonquin Books in exchange for my honest opinion.
I loved the concept of a ghostwriter being the focus on the novel since it’s a profession not many people know about. However, what seemed to be a story of two women facing the same struggles actually is just a story about one woman trying to be the best mother she can be. I also was hoping for more interactions between Lana and Allie. Instead, all of the focus was on Allie and Lana is just seen through her eyes and it seemed borderline obsessive at times.
The narration quickly shifts from Allie’s writing to the past to the present which can cause a bit of mental whiplash at times. The book starts off slow and the direction of the novel is hard to navigate in the first two sections. It isn’t until the third and final part of the book that it becomes more fast-paced and palatable.
Additionally, I couldn’t really connect with the characters like I was anticipating. Maybe it’s because I’m not a mother myself, but I just found it hard to relate to being a middle-aged single mother struggling to raise her son well and comparing herself to those around her.
This novel also takes a very politicized stance on certain ideas, which I wasn’t really expecting. Topics like #MeToo Movement and the events leading up to the 2016 Presidential Election are brought up in terms of how Allie tries to portray Lana and how Allie wishes the country could be.
While this novel was interesting and might be a five star read for others, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. However, if you want to read a novel that digs deep into motherhood, feminism, and American politics, then I would definitely give this one a read!
*I received an ARC from Algonquin Books in exchange for my honest opinion.