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A review by withlivjones
Will There Ever Be Another You by Patricia Lockwood
challenging
reflective
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? No
2.75
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for sending me an e-ARC of this book to review! I really wish I had more positive feedback.
I was so excited to get my hands on this book because I absolutely loved No One is Talking About This, but I’m afraid this follow-up was rather a disappointment. Lockwood attempts to replicate the wacky stream-of-consciousness narration style that I enjoyed in her previous book, but the issue is that it isn’t fully rooted to any major event (like the birth of the baby in NOITAT), rather jumping from topic to topic, which made the narrative feel disjointed and without purpose. Sorry, but I’m really not interested in reading ten pages about the author’s experience at a metal casting class.
Something I did feel Lockwood did very well was writing the experience of brain fog as a result of long Covid. The feeling of being detached from one’s body and frequently confused does match the often confusing narration style, but the fact that it carries on for so long does make for a very frustrating read. I also enjoyed the chapters about the husband’s health scare and the author’s subsequent anxieties, and had that been the rooting plot point for the rest of the book, I think I would have enjoyed it a little more.
Overall, this was a disappointing read that I just didn’t get. If you’re a massive fan of no plot just vibes books, though, give it a try.
I was so excited to get my hands on this book because I absolutely loved No One is Talking About This, but I’m afraid this follow-up was rather a disappointment. Lockwood attempts to replicate the wacky stream-of-consciousness narration style that I enjoyed in her previous book, but the issue is that it isn’t fully rooted to any major event (like the birth of the baby in NOITAT), rather jumping from topic to topic, which made the narrative feel disjointed and without purpose. Sorry, but I’m really not interested in reading ten pages about the author’s experience at a metal casting class.
Something I did feel Lockwood did very well was writing the experience of brain fog as a result of long Covid. The feeling of being detached from one’s body and frequently confused does match the often confusing narration style, but the fact that it carries on for so long does make for a very frustrating read. I also enjoyed the chapters about the husband’s health scare and the author’s subsequent anxieties, and had that been the rooting plot point for the rest of the book, I think I would have enjoyed it a little more.
Overall, this was a disappointing read that I just didn’t get. If you’re a massive fan of no plot just vibes books, though, give it a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Child death