A review by inconsiderate
The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan

1.0

Although the eponymous essay resonates with a certain valedictorian profundity, the rest of the book felt tacked on, almost as if the author was writing to meet a deadline, and wasn't given enough time to really solidify the ideas she was trying to establish. Which makes obvious sense, as this book was cobbled together from rambling essays and half-realized stories which were gathered up after her death. I am confident that if Marina hadn't died when she did, these stories could have been refined into something truly brilliant. On the other hand, one could argue that without an early death, these stories would have never reached us at all. But would that have been so bad?