I love books that play around with structure and conventional narratives, so I was fairly confident going in I would like this quite a bit. It jumps around in time and place, occupying different family members in a complicated and fraught family. Slowly giving more context to events eluded to or talked about as it progresses.

It explores some heavy themes and feels deeply rooted in interrogating our notions of selfhood as it pertains to our history, and it does so quite effectively, in my opinion. It certainly feels less accessible to the average reader, but it’s a trade off that works. The more you stick with it, the more, literally, everything makes sense. Making the first bits of the novel the most difficult to situate the reader is a bold approach. Some people will be turned off. For me, it was just the right amount of challenge. I like it when a book assumes you’re alright working for your meal. It’s certainly a tightrope act doing so, but it is also tried and true satisfaction, given how many canonized books take this approach.

This manages to be pretty deeply affecting despite hopping about, also a hard task. I recently tried to read Cloud Cuckoo Land and it felt so rootless I just didn’t care about anything that was happening. Chapters here vary in length, but never outstay their welcome while still preparing you for a transitory journey (after the onboarding of the structure initially, of course).

I think, had the voice resonated with me a little more this might have been a five star read. It does everything I’m looking for in a book. I tend to be more interested in structural elements, typically. But the X factor every time seems to just be an elusive quality where the prose hook you or not. I kept reading and enjoyed doing so. But neither can I say I was engrossed. But if this is a debut, what an achievement already. The refinement of prose should come along with the next book; I hope there will be a next! All the really difficult craft work is already so compelling. I definitely recommend it.