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evergreensandbookishthings 's review for:
Made for Love
by Alissa Nutting
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Made for Love was my Evergreenreaders book club pick for March and it was all my fault we read this WILD novel (or ‘thanks to me’ depending on one’s point of view). Although, I did give three selections to choose from - yet it seems no one could resist the cover and what indeed sounded like a wild ride. And I’m glad I read it! I think the rest of the club is too, whether we enjoyed the reading experience or not. It is rife with inside jokes for us now and laugh out loud material to dissect, which is one of the reasons I put it on the list!
This story of a woman running away from her psychopath husband who has implanted her brain with a chip to monitor her thoughts, while she hides out with her father and his sex dolls, (also there is a subplot of a man who is turned on by dolphins) is full of dark and satirical comedy. I haven’t guffawed out loud at a book in a long time. (If you have read this book, all of the stuff with Dolphin Savior had me cry laughing.) The plot also had me turning pages wondering what crazy sh*t was going to happen next, and the ending goes full pedal to the metal. But there is also a lot to unpack about how we interact with trauma, groupthink, technology and media.
I know I will think about the themes in this book for a long time and NEVER forget it! In the book the main character recalls a time when she went to an art museum with her mother and says:
This story of a woman running away from her psychopath husband who has implanted her brain with a chip to monitor her thoughts, while she hides out with her father and his sex dolls, (also there is a subplot of a man who is turned on by dolphins) is full of dark and satirical comedy. I haven’t guffawed out loud at a book in a long time. (If you have read this book, all of the stuff with Dolphin Savior had me cry laughing.) The plot also had me turning pages wondering what crazy sh*t was going to happen next, and the ending goes full pedal to the metal. But there is also a lot to unpack about how we interact with trauma, groupthink, technology and media.
I know I will think about the themes in this book for a long time and NEVER forget it! In the book the main character recalls a time when she went to an art museum with her mother and says:
“what’s it called when you’re looking at something, I mean staring at something, like how we are doing, but not at something pretty? That’s the whole reason to stare usually, right? Because something is beautiful. What about when something isn’t nice to look at but you’re still looking at it and thinking and stuff?”
The mother goes on to say that is REALITY, and I’d venture to say that also includes art - the provocative variety of which category this novel certainly falls under. It will undoubtedly be one of the most interesting television adaptations in recent memory, out next month on HBO Max. If anyone else has read this book, I would love love love to hear your thoughts on it! And if you plan to watch the show.