Review by reading_rainbow_with_chris - Wayward

reading_rainbow_with_chris 's review for:

Wayward by Dana Spiotta

1.0

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

“Wayward” by Dana Spiotta
Middle-aged mother Sam is having a mid-life crisis, characterized by buying an old house on a whim, leaving her husband, and working to discover more of who she is with a new group of social justice warrior girl friends. Meanwhile, her daughter Ali is going through a similar crisis at the age of 16, her story not in parallel to Sam’s but meaningfully juxtaposed. On the whole, I wish I had more redeeming to say about this read. Although Spiotta has an interesting voice and I appreciate the way this story features the mid-life crisis of a woman in the way men’s stories get featured all the time, I can’t help but feel there was nothing bringing me back for more. Neither Sam nor Ali as the primary characters face any real stakes. Even as Sam moves out on her own, her ex keeps giving her money, negating the financial challenges she would encounter as a newly single woman. There were so many strands of ideas going every which way, it was hard to figure out what tied it all together; the title offers a hint but a novel on such a broad theme feels unfocused. The shooting of a young man of color became a prop for Sam’s narrative and eventual resolution, but was never actually resolved or explored in the way it deserved. The tipping point for me was the presence of a grooming, predatory relationship that is acknowledged by both mother and daughter, but never bears out in any meaningful way. It was as if Spiotta was saying “This is just a mistake Ali is making; it’s all part of growing up” without any critical consideration of the power dynamics at play. In short, this book had promise to be so much more, but it lands as haphazard, weightless, and uncritical.

It’s always possible I’m missing something as an individual reader. However, my gut reaction to this book: pass on this one. There’s more meaningful narratives featuring women and girls out there with a more critical voice on the issues faced by the marginalized

Content Warnings