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A review by daramillz
Like a House on Fire by Lauren McBrayer
4.0
This was a fast-paced and enjoyable read for me. I found Merit’s soul searching relatable and realistic, even if some of the other elements were a little far-fetched. Jane, while a fun character who does gain more depth as the story goes on, starts off as this hyper-glamorous ideal that seems a bit over romanticized. Think Meryl Streep’s Devil Meets Prada character, but with more swearing and even more sexual magnetism. I appreciated the woman power vibe and how their relationship begins with an intense friendship focused on their mutual passion for their work, and I found the architecture details one of the most interesting parts of the novel…I would have been okay with more of it, actually!
Many reviews I’ve seen talk about how irritating and awful Corey (the husband character) is, but I thought their relationship struggles were very realistic, especially for people who married so young without really knowing much of the world outside their relationship. They’ve become too normalized to each other, depending on each other at the expense of actually developing a relationship that nurtures and grows them both as individuals. It’s an exhausting situation for both because they’re no longer really “seeing” each other and are not attuned to each other’s needs. He tries to be there for her in important ways, even if it’s not always what she wants or needs. My biggest bone to pick with the book is that the way it ends completely skips the part where they have to actually reckon with the fallout of their marriage — of course we’re all cheering for her to find her happily ever after with Jane, but the way that the book gets her there does feel a little like a cheat.
Overall, it was a solid piece of contemporary fiction all around, and one that will definitely resonate with the hoards of women who’ve come out of two years of reflection in quarantine with newly-found understandings of their sexuality
Many reviews I’ve seen talk about how irritating and awful Corey (the husband character) is, but I thought their relationship struggles were very realistic, especially for people who married so young without really knowing much of the world outside their relationship. They’ve become too normalized to each other, depending on each other at the expense of actually developing a relationship that nurtures and grows them both as individuals. It’s an exhausting situation for both because they’re no longer really “seeing” each other and are not attuned to each other’s needs. He tries to be there for her in important ways, even if it’s not always what she wants or needs. My biggest bone to pick with the book is that the way it ends completely skips the part where they have to actually reckon with the fallout of their marriage — of course we’re all cheering for her to find her happily ever after with Jane, but the way that the book gets her there does feel a little like a cheat.
Overall, it was a solid piece of contemporary fiction all around, and one that will definitely resonate with the hoards of women who’ve come out of two years of reflection in quarantine with newly-found understandings of their sexuality