A review by pineconek
Trust by Hernán Díaz

challenging emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This book was far out of my comfort zone. Finances/business largely disinterest me, and I doubted I'd sit through a book focused on rich people's experiences of the financial crash of 1929. 

This book is structured to tell the story 4 times, through 4 difference lenses and with 4 different sets of motivations. I won't spoil the experience beyond that, because finding out the details of who is narrating the story and why is half the fun. I did however take a long break when reading this book, pausing after the first section and not reading the other three until a month later. This unintended pause (caused by my mismanagement of library loans) accentuated the experience, and I would highly recommend taking breaks between sections to let them percolate. 

Trust touches on some great themes that kept me engaged: family secrecy, hidden talent, ambition, mental illness, loss, anticipatory grief, betrayal (in family and in love), a belief in one's own righteousness, and a fight for controlling the narrative. 

Recommended if you're interested in a slow paced story exploring the above and are willing to emotionally invest in a book that ultimately leaves things somewhat ambiguous. The audiobook cast did a wonderful job bringing this story to life. 3.75 stars on SG rounded up to 4 on GR.