A review by jerigayle
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Rating this book is challenging for me. I don’t feel I lean toward liking it or disliking it. The writing is excellent, but the characters lack depth and feeling. The book is narrated from all the different characters’ perspectives, mostly in the third person, except for Duchess’s first-person sections. The main story revolves around three boys sentenced to a work farm—one released, the other two escaping—intertwining their lives with Billy and Sally, along with a few other minor characters. Emmet is striving to be better for his brother, Billy. Billy and Sally are positive influences on all three main characters. Duchess seems to unknowingly be following in his father’s footsteps, and Woolly only seems to be along for the ride. However, the lack of character development or growth made it hard to connect and empathize with any of them or their experiences. Readers who enjoy literary historical fiction would still enjoy this book because of the writing.