A review by johndiconsiglio
His Favorites by Kate Walbert

2.0

I’ve never read Walbert before. She has a reputation as an insightful feminist writer. This not-a-short-story, barely-a-novel is disappointing. Its power imbalance tale—troubled 15-year-old boarding school girl & predatory male teacher—feels depressingly familiar. (Are #MeToo books done already?) I like the time-means-nothing structure. But considering the page count, she devotes a lotta real estate to Autumn Fest parades & prep school landscaping. Maybe the abuse is so painful that she’d rather focus on anything else—and I do mean anything else. Maybe that’s the point. Or maybe her heart just wasn’t in it.