A review by carlaabra
The Book of Why by Nicholas Montemarano

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

2.5

I thought the premise of the book had a lot of potential, and I really enjoyed the first half. Some parts had me close to crying. Writing style is nice w good but not excessive descriptions. The time jumps and very short chapters, almost like little anecdotes about the mc’s life, make for a pretty quick read. It also has the effect that the reader is trying to unite these disparate events into some semblance of meaning — much like what the mc tries to do in his own life. 
Second half fell flat for me. The “mysteries” are perfunctorily resolved but not fleshed out in any way. Perhaps that was intentional, for the reader to have to draw their own meaning from it. But it felt unfinished. 
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