A review by lorimichelekelley
The Financial Lives of the Poets by Jess Walter

4.0

Audible edition: This is a story about a middle-aged couple who hit bottom financially, and the stupid decisions they make to try to recover, and then how it all falls apart. But while that sounds boring, it is anything but. The narration by the main character Matt is fast and witty, kind of like a hyperactive kid all giddy about his topic. The poetry is corny, but sort of endearing because you're rooting for the guy but at the same time shaking your head at how effed up his reasoning is. And that's another thing that makes this such a good story - it gently shows how tiny stupid decisions can lead to big fallout, but at the same time, that sometimes the fallout isn't such a bad deal after all. It just helps to put things into proper perspective, if only for a time...