Review: The Cartographers (by Peng Shepherd)

My Rating:  4 stars

Peng Shepherd's The Cartographers is one of those books that surprised me in ways that I wasn't expecting.  I will admit that I probably would not have picked this one up if it had not been chosen as a book club read — mostly because I have little to no interest in maps (or anything related to it), plus I'm not really into books with magical realism because I don't really understand it, which means I will likely struggle through it and risk detracting from the reading experience.  With this book however, as soon as I started reading, I was instantly absorbed and quite honestly did not even think about the magical realism aspect until I got to those specific sections — and even then, the scenes didn't go completely over my head like I thought it would.  Basically, those scenes made logical sense to me in the context of what was happening in the story up to that point.  The premise itself was quite unique, the story overall was well-written, the plot moved along at a relatively fast pace, and the characters were well-drawn. 

This book captivated me, probably because I've never read anything like it.  I mean, I've read "genre mashup" books before, but this one was done in a way that felt so different, especially thematically.  There were elements of fantasy and magical realism (as already mentioned), but there were also mystery and intrigue, thriller-seque suspense, history and geography, contemporary realism, and even a dark academia and gothic vibe at certain parts. They're was also a literary bent to this with the setting of the New York Public Library, where much of the action takes place.  All of this came together in a mesmerizing, gripping story that I thoroughly enjoyed, even though this kind of book normally wouldn't really be up my alley.

If my review sounds a bit vague, it's definitely intentional, as this is the type of book where knowing next to nothing makes for the best reading experience.  Having said that, this one wasn't perfect by any means — I was actually able to figure out the ending as well as the various correlations between past and present quite easily, and yes, there were moments where I had to suspend disbelief a bit, but I was fine with that, since I knew going in that there would be some magical / fantastical elements to the story, so I was prepared.

I definitely recommend this one, especially if you're a fan of stories with magical realism.  This also made me curious about Peng Shepherd's other works as well.  Looks like I will need to check out her backlist at some point!

Review: Tomorrow in Shanghai (by May-lee Chai)

My Rating:  3.5 stars

While I liked this short story collection overall, the problem I had with it was similar to what I usually experience with short stories — the way the stories begin in the middle of an event and then break off suddenly, created a feeling of "incompleteness"  that honestly made it difficult for me to truly enjoy this collection the way I would a complete story or novel.  When I read a story, I'm pretty big on character development — which, for me, means being able to follow a character (or characters) through their journey and watching them grow and evolve in the process.  Unfortunately, most short story collections naturally lack in this area due to the short amount of time the reader gets to spend with the characters.  Oftentimes, as soon as I start to warm to a character, the story is over - the abruptness of it makes me feel like I've been left hanging and that I'm perhaps missing something. It's a feeling I never enjoy having, which is why short story collections are oftentimes a hit or miss for me (the ones where the same characters "show up" throughout the collection or where there is some sort of connection between all the stories usually work better for me).

With this latest collection from May-lee Chai, one of the things I really liked was the variety of the stories in terms of type and genre — there were ones that explored modern day issues realistically while others veered more into the science fiction and fantasy realm.  Having said that though, this became a detriment when it came to the stories that felt inadequately short, as it felt particularly jarring when I was suddenly being plucked out of one world and dropped into an entirely different one.  This was made all the more frustrating when it would happen each time the story started to get interesting (or, as mentioned earlier, when I was starting to warm to a character and wanted to read more about them).  By the time I got to the end of the collection, I felt dissatisfied and (I hate to say it) also a bit cheated.  

Overall, I felt like this collection had potential, and based on the premise of this being about the global Chinese diaspora, I was actually quite looking forward to reading it.  The content of the stories were good, but the overall feel was too choppy, causing this collection to fall a bit short in the end.  I think if Chai were to take these short stories and expand them to be more complete (like perhaps turn them into novellas?), that would've worked better, at least for me (I would definitely read them if that were the case).

Received ARC from Blair Books via Edelweiss.

Review: A Map for the Missing (by Belinda Huijuan Tang)

My Rating:  4.5 stars

Belinda Huijuan Tang's debut novel A Map for the Missing is a moving story about family, forgiveness, identity, loss, and the weight of cultural expectations versus personal ambition.  

When we first meet Tang Yitian in 1993, he is a mathematics professor at an American university in California, where he has lived with his wife Mali for nearly a decade.  One day, he receives a phone call from his mother, who still lives in their ancestral family village in China, informing him that his father has mysteriously disappeared. Yitian is estranged from his father and as a result, he has not set foot in the village in 15 years — yet Yitian agrees to return to his child home home to help look for him.  When he arrives in China however, he feels like a fish out of water and has no choice but to seek out the help of his childhood friend (and his first love), Tian Hanwen, who is now a housewife to a mid-level bureaucrat. Together, they begin the search for Yitian's father, but along the way, they end up discovering truths about themselves and their families that change long-held perspectives about their lives.  Through a narrative that switches back and forth between the 1970s and 1990s, we eventually learn the characters' backstories and the link between their pasts that impact their lives in present day.

It's been awhile since I've come across a book that resonated with me on so many levels. Throughout the story, both Yitian and Hanwen struggle between pursuing their dreams and forging their own path in life versus following cultural expectations of filial piety that require them to fulfill their obligations to their families. This is a struggle that I'm intimately familiar with, which is why reading this book was quite an emotional experience for me.  Reading about Yitian's feelings of inadequacy in not being able to reconcile his ambitions and the trajectory of his life with his responsibilities toward his parents (regardless of how they treated him), I found myself nodding along in understanding and sympathy.  I was also able to relate to his experience returning to his hometown after so many years away, and the unexpected culture shock that made it difficult for him to navigate a world that used to be familiar to him.  This was actually one area that I felt the author did an especially great job with:  conveying the unending struggle that immigrants like us have with reconciling the meaning of "home" and feeling like a "perpetual foreigner" in both worlds.  

There's actually quite a bit to unpack with this novel — the themes of loss and forgiveness, reconciling past and present lives with future, social mores versus personal values, the price of ambition and trying to forge a better life for oneself versus the obligations of family and cultural inheritance — it's impossible to cover all aspects in such a short review.  With that said, I appreciate Tang's realistic yet deeply nuanced portrayal that quite honestly continues to give me much food for thought even now, several days after having finished the book.  

This was an absolutely worthwhile read — one I definitely recommend.  Of course, given the cultural elements, the experience reading this will probably be different for each person, but with the variety of themes it covers, I don't think it will be difficult to find something relatable in the story.

Received ARC from Penguin Press via NetGalley.  

Review: Carrie Soto is Back (by Taylor Jenkins Reid)

My Rating: 4 stars

The first Taylor Jenkins Reid book I read was last year's Malibu Rising. Overall, it was an entertaining book and I did appreciate what TJR was trying to accomplish with it, but unfortunately, I couldn't stand most of the characters (it wouldn't be a stretch to say I hated most of them), plus "the party" storyline (which I felt was written too OTT for my tastes) nearly derailed the entire story for me.  Not surprisingly, given this experience, I was definitely more than a little wary going into TJR's latest work, Carrie Soto is Back. We were first introduced to Carrie in Malibu Rising and while she was only in a few scenes in that book, her brash behavior and outsized attitude were enough to make her stand out (not necessarily in a good way, in my opinion).  I certainly didn't have the best impression of Carrie after that book, and for the first half of this one, I actually liked her even less (if that's even possible).  To me, Carrie was the epitome of the type of entitled, arrogant, self-absorbed character that never ceases to frustrate me — and yes, there were quite a few scenes where she was downright mean (and that's putting it nicely). To be honest, throughout most of the first half, there were so many moments when I was tempted to just throw in the towel and call it a day (it also didn't help that I'm not into sports at all, so all the tennis lingo and references went completely over my head) — what kept me going though was the writing, which flowed beautifully into a well-crafted, emotional story (with a satisfying ending).

I definitely was able to connect more with this story than TJR's previous one (even though I know absolutely nothing about tennis or the elite world of professional sports). I think the reason for that is because, in this case, there wasn't a huge, revolving door of annoying characters that detracted from the main story.  Instead, we actually get to see Carrie grow and evolve in different areas — from her oftentimes fraught relationship with her father/coach, to her romance with Bowe Huntley, to her business relationship with her agent Gwen, and most importantly, her attitude toward her sport as a whole as well as her fellow competitors.  These are the types of stories I enjoy the most:  where the characters are well-developed, often flawed and far from perfect, even largely unlikable throughout most of the story, but they grow in subtle ways that are most meaningful when we as readers get to journey with them from the beginning of the story to the end.  

This book made me excited to read TJR again, and while I look forward to her next book, I should probably also get cracking on her backlist works as well (almost all of which have been on my TBR for while already).  Hopefully I'll be able to get to at least one of her other books before the next new one comes out!

Received ARC from Ballantine Books via NetGalley.

Review: Mika in Real Life (by Emiko Jean)

My Rating:  4.5 stars





What a delightful read!  In her newest book, author Emiko Jean brings us a poignant yet ultimately uplifting story about a woman who, after experiencing trauma and setbacks in her life, goes on a path of self-discovery that helps her to overcome her insecurities as well as better understand who she is "in real life."  

Mika Suzuki's life can only be described as "a mess" — she keeps getting fired from job after job, her love life is in shambles after a bad breakup with her latest boyfriend, she has a strained relationship with her traditional Japanese parents whom she can't help but perpetually disappoint, and she lives in a messy house with a potentially cracked ceiling that belongs to her eccentric but lovable best friend Hana (who, by the way, may or may not be a hoarder).  Oh and she's also broke and, as much as she hates doing it, has to repeatedly borrow money from her parents for basic daily necessities.  It is at this time, when she is at the lowest point of her life, that she receives a surprising phone call that catches her completely off guard — the call is from Penny, the daughter she had placed for adoption sixteen years ago.  Penny wants to get to know her birth mother (which is something Mika secretly yearns for as well) and so the two of them start slow, with phone calls and video calls every couple days.  In her curiosity about Mika's life, Penny asks a lot of questions, but Mika isn't keen on letting her daughter know about the sorry state of her own miserable existence, so she decides to embellish the facts about her life just a little.  But one lie leads to another and soon, Mika has fabricated an entire life that is opposite of the one she is actually living.  When Penny tells Mika that she wants to fly to Oregon (Penny and her adoptive father Thomas live in Ohio) to meet her, Mika panics — but luckily, her devoted friends come to the rescue and help her turn the fake life she created into a reality.  Will Mika be able to sustain these lies throughout the entire visit or will things eventually blow up in her face?  More importantly, what will become of the newfound but fragile relationship with her daughter? 

I honestly didn't expect this story to grab me as much as it did.  I'm usually not tremendously keen on romances (which I erroneously thought that's what this book would be), but the more I got into the story, the more I realized that's not what the book is about at all.  Sure, there is romance (and in case it matters for some, heads up that there are a few "spicy" scenes in here, though they are very brief), but the crux of the story is actually about the complexities of parent / child relationships, especially in mixed race families, which, for me, gave the story unexpected depth and meaning.  In juxtaposing the various parent / child relationships within the narrative — between Mika and her parents Hiromi and Shige, between Mika and her biological daughter Penny, between Penny and her adopted parents Thomas and Caroline — Emiko Jean explores the complicated dynamics of parental love and how it not only can manifest itself in different ways, but also can be heavily impacted by culture and upbringing.   This made the story relatable on so many levels, but for me specifically, what resonated most was Mika's relationship with her mother Hiromi, the nuances of which, having myself grown up in an immigrant household with traditional Asian parents, I also struggled with at some point — for example:  the emotional distance caused by lack of meaningful communication between family members, the cultural expectation to keep silent about matters deemed "shameful" to the family, the pressure to be successful in both life and career in order to "repay" the sacrifices that our parents made in choosing to immigrate here, the feelings of inadequacy and never being able to live up to their expectations, etc.  There's also the exploration of how that relationship impacts Mika's relationship with Penny, and the struggle with understanding better where her mother was coming from but at the same time, wanting to forge a different path with her own  daughter.

In addition to parent / child relationships and love in its different manifestations, the story also explores topics such as adoption, race and identity, interracial relationships, cultural expectations vs societal conventions, etc.  Even with the heavy topics however, the overall tone of the book was lighthearted and hopeful, with humor playing a significant role in the narrative.  In fact, that's one of the things that stood out the most for me — how Jean was able to strike such a perfect balance throughout the story between the serious and humorous elements without verging into melodramatic (not an easy feat with these types of stories).  I also loved the way the characters were rendered, especially Mika herself, who came across so realistically for me, with her insecurities and flaws and the various struggles in life that she has to deal with.  

This book surprised me in a good way and I'm really glad I read it.  Of course I definitely recommend this one, but with the caveat that each person's experience reading it will be different.  On that note, I also wanted to share this interview that Emiko Jean did, where she talks about her inspiration for this book — it’s a very insightful read: 

https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a40799854/mika-in-real-life-captures-a-complicated-portrayal-of-a-mother-daughter-relationship/

Received ARC from William Morrow via NetGalley.

Review: Daisy Darker (by Alice Feeney)

My Rating:  4 stars

Let me start off by saying that this review will be super short and super vague, as it's very hard to talk much about this book without giving something away.  To get the full experience of this one, it's necessary to go into it knowing as little as possible (and yes, that includes NOT reading the blurb if you can help it). Pretty much the only thing you need to know is that this is a murder mystery that revolves around the Darker family, who come together to celebrate the 80th birthday of family matriarch Beatrice (known as Nana throughout the story) at Sea Glass, her decades-old crumbling estate that is only accessible when the tide is low.  What happens from there, you will need to read the book to find out.



Having read all of Alice Feeney's books, there's no doubt in my mind that she has absolutely mastered the art of the plot twist.  Her newest work, aptly titled Daisy Darker, is yet another dark, twisty thriller that takes readers down the path of the unexpected, leaving us guessing every step of the way.  Similar to last year's hit Rock Paper Scissors, Feeney creates an atmospheric setting through the gothic-style,isolated "estate-on-an-island", though this time around, the house is as much a "main character" in the story as the Darker family that occupies it.  I'm not sure if it's just me, but each book Feeney writes seems to get creepier and creepier, though that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just something to be aware of for those who might be sensitive to such things.  

While I'm not a fan of dysfunctional family stories where every single character is deplorable in some way (to the point that I honestly couldn't bring myself to like anyone, even for a little bit), that didn't prevent me from being so absorbed in the story that I basically finished this in one sitting.  With that said, even though I did "enjoy" this one overall, I wouldn't consider it a "favorite" (that would actually go to Feeney's first and fourth novels, for me at least).  Even though not all of her books work for me (there's one in particular that left such a bad taste in my mouth that it almost turned me off to Feeney's works at one point), I still look forward to reading them  (mostly for the story, not the characters), but especially to see what twists she will have up her sleeve next!

Received ARC from Flatiron Books via NetGalley.

Review: Kaleidoscope (by Cecily Wong)

My rating: 4 stars


This is a book I had to sit with for awhile to gather my thoughts before figuring out how to get my feelings across on it.  While it may not seem like it on the surface, there was actually a complexity to the story that, on first read, can be difficult to understand. Indeed, for the first third of the novel or so, I honestly wasn't sure where the author, Cecily Wong, was trying to go with the story. There was a lot of back and forth between time periods and snippets of things that happen in the lives of the Brightons — the interracial family at the center of the story.  Hank and Karen are hardworking entrepreneurs who launch a successful company named Kaleidoscope — a "rags to riches" story that catapults them into the upper echelons of society and allows them to realize their American Dream.  Their eldest daughter Morgan, beautiful and talented, is the head designer for the company and, in essence, is also the "star" of the family, beloved by both her parents as well as her younger sister Riley.  Smart and studious but lacking ambition, Riley knows that her place in the family (and in the elite world they've become a part of) will forever be eclipsed by her sister's "larger than life" personality.  Riley is perfectly content with ceding the spotlight to Morgan and retreating to the "support" role she has always played in the family — though the one thing that both she and Morgan both miss is the closeness that they've always shared since they were girls.  When tragedy strikes and the family's world comes crashing down as a result, the aftermath leaves Riley with more questions than answers — about herself, her sister, and most of all, her parents' ambition that has sustained the family's success over the years.

This is a nuanced story with a narrative that shifted around a lot — switching between time periods, between past and present, between character perspectives, between first and third person voices, even touching on second person voice at one point.  The segments of the story mirrored the various fragments of a kaleidoscope, where the pieces eventually come together to form a dizzying but arresting portrait of an ambitious family caught up in the throes of success and its impact on one daughter's personal journey toward meaning and understanding.   As I mentioned earlier, I found it difficult at first to parse the various fragments of the narrative, but when I figured out the direction that the author was trying to go with the story (around the halfway mark), I couldn't help but be awed by the brilliant use of structure and form. Stories that play with structure don't always work for me, but this one did for some reason, and I definitely appreciated the chance to experience something so interesting and different.

This was also a character-driven story where the portrayals of the four members of the Brighton family as well as the various people in their orbit were extremely important.  While none of the characters were particularly likable (which sometimes can be a dealbreaker for me in terms of positive reading experience), all of them were so realistically drawn that I found myself able to resonate with each one in ways that I didn't expect.  In this regard, I felt the author did a good job relating the struggles and inner conflicts that each of the characters went through, especially as it pertained to their relationships and how they interact with each other.

As this is a story that's very hard to describe without experiencing it for yourself, I don't want to give away too much here.  One thing I will say though is that this book is one of the few I've read in recent years that deftly explores the nuances of love and relationships in all its various manifestations and iterations, altogether in one story — i.e.: love that underlies a close bond between sisters;  love between parents and their children that drives certain behaviors and expectations; romantic love both within marriage and outside of it, and how one isn't necessarily dependent on the other; self-love that drives confidence and ambition but also how the lack of it can warp into pain and heartbreak, etc. 

I definitely recommend reading this one, though note that it won't be an easy read for sure (both in terms of subject matter and overall structure of the story).  Also, trigger warnings abound, with a few scenes where some of the descriptions were particularly graphic.  This is Cecily Wong's second novel and while I intend to go back and read her debut, I also look forward to seeing what might be in store from her in the future.

Received ARC from publisher Dutton via Edelweiss.

Review: Lessons in Chemistry (by Bonnie Garmus)

My Rating: 5 stars

This was such a unique story and an absolutely delightful read!! Elizabeth Zott is a character I will remember for a long time, but she wasn't the only one that made this story work so well…the rest of the characters — Calvin, Frask, Madeline, Harriet, Walter, Wakely, and the character I adored the most, Six Thirty (Elizabeth's dog), were all essential in creating a special kind of chemistry that made this book such a fabulous read! From the very first page, I was hooked and found it tremendously difficult to put the book down. To be honest, when I first read the premise for Bonnie Garmus's debut novel, I was a little apprehensive given the story's "science" theme (I usually don't do too well with overly "science-y" books) — but I actually didn't need to worry, as this ended up not being a book about "science" per se, but rather, a story about two scientists and the chemistry that ensues when they meet and fall in love. Yes, this is a love story, but not in the traditional sense (it's definitely not a romance); this can also be considered historical fiction, as it is set in California in the 1960s and comments on the social conventions of the time, but even here, the timeline blurs a little — with its exploration of male- dominated workplaces, sexist attitudes towards women, the inclination in a patriarchal society to suppress women's achievements and relegate them to the household without the ability to ever stray outside those lines, the idea that women are not allowed to be their own individual selves and must get "permission" from the men in their lives for every little thing, etc. — the story is both timely and resonant to modern times as well (especially in light of our country's recent encroachments on women's rights). The debate over religion in the story, while a bit more subtle, was also reflective of the debate in society at large.

The other unique aspect in this book was the humor, which I felt was rendered brilliantly throughout the entire story — this, admittedly, was one of the things I loved most about the story (aside from the characters of course). I love books that are funny without deliberately meaning to be, but at the same time, are also poignant and emotionally resonant without veering into melodramatic. This one combined both wonderfully, and to great effect.

And the characters, I can't say enough about them! Mad and Six Thirty stole my heart from the start (in fact, I adored Six Thirty to the point that, immediately after finishing the book, I felt a great urge to get a dog of my own and teach it to understand 900+ words, lol!). Elizabeth is a character I greatly admired — whip-smart, capable, confident…the type of woman who is not afraid to stand up for her rights, even if it means being cast out and shunned. I loved Elizabeth's straightforward personality and how oblivious she was to what others thought of her: some of my favorite scenes were the ones where the men who were trying to "put her in her place" found themselves going absolutely apoplectic when she didn't react the way they expected (for me, these scenes alone were "worth the price of admission", lol)! I also loved Harriet and wish I had a neighbor like her (and yes, her "curiosity" notwithstanding). I could go on but I will let you read the book and get to know these characters for yourself.

And with that, yes, I wholeheartedly recommend this one, no doubt about it! This was a book I didn't know I needed right now and while the writing wasn't always perfect, the endearing characters and engaging story more than made up for it. I sincerely hope that Bonnie Garmus writes another novel and if she does, I will definitely be there for it!

Review: It All Comes Down to This (by Therese Anne Fowler)

My Rating:  2 stars

Therese Anne Fowler is a "new to me" author whose books I've heard good things about but never got a chance to read.  When I heard she had a new book out and I happened to get approved for an ARC, I figured now would be as good a time as any to acquaint myself with Fowler's works. Now having finished this book, I'm thinking I probably should've started with a different book of hers, as this one turned out to be a huge disappointment.

While the premise had sounded interesting, I quickly discovered, a few chapters in, that this book would be different from what I originally expected.  To me, the basic gist of this book could be summed up this way:  a bunch of privileged, self-centered people endlessly try to justify the foolish (and at times downright stupid) life choices / decisions / actions that they may (or may not) regret making.   None of the characters were likable (and that's putting it mildly) — nearly every character was whiny to the point of grating on my nerves and the more they complained about their messy lives (and even messier relationships), the less sympathy I had for any of them.  The only character I was able to tolerate (and probably the only character I didn't find annoying) was 10-year-old Arlo— unfortunately, his scenes were too few and far between.

In terms of the writing — well, let's just say that it left much to be desired.  There were way too many instances where scenes and dialogue were drawn out unnecessarily in what I would call "stating the obvious" type of writing ("he picked up the newspaper, opened it, read it, folded it back up, put it back down" — not a direct quote, but it conveys the general idea) — which, of course, is the type of writing I absolutely cannot stand.  

Basically, I could not get into this one at all — many of the scenes (in fact, the plot in general) felt contrived, the characters were frustratingly whiny, the writing felt stilted and rudimentary — so much so that each time I put the book down, I dreaded picking it back up again.  I did end up finishing this one (I'm the type of reader who finds it extremely hard to DNF a book once I start it), but not without A LOT of skimming through nearly 50% of the book.  While I don't intend to write Fowler off based on this one experience, I'm not necessarily in a rush to read another book of hers yet either, as I need some time to get the bad taste from this one out of my system.  

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Review: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (by Gabrielle Zevin)

My Rating:  4 stars

I'm not a video game fanatic by any means, but I have definitely played my fair share of video games growing up. Even though nowadays, I don't play video games as much as I used to, I still play enough to keep myself informed about the various gaming trends out there, mostly due to my nephew being an avid gamer.  Overall, I would consider my interest in gaming-related stuff to be moderate, so the fact that Gabrielle Zevin's newest book is about gaming, by itself, wouldn't necessarily make this a "must-read" for me.  Rather, what attracted me to this book were the following (in no particular order):  1) the timespan, which covered most of the 1990s through contemporary times, some of which mirrors the time period of my youth (though admittedly, the 1980s was a huge part of that as well);  2) the setting, with a large part of the story taking place in Los Angeles, which is where I grew up (and where I still live);  3) the intricately complex premise as described in the plot summary, which essentially promised that this story would be about much more than just gaming (which was indeed true!) and that it would be different from anything I've read before (also true!); 4) I'm a sucker for nostalgia and it was pretty obvious, even before reading this book, that there would be plenty if that throughout the story;  5) this is by the same author who wrote The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, which is one of my favorite books of all time.  In the end, what ultimately drew me in and kept me reading were all of the above, yes, but also, the characters, who were all so realistically rendered — it was hard not to empathize with Sam and Sadie and, given all they go through, root for them even during those times when they made frustratingly horrible decisions.  Oh and of course, there's Marx, who plays such a critical role in both Sam's and Sadie's lives — these three characters, their trials and tribulations, form the heart of the story, though if I were to choose a favorite character, it would probably be Sam's grandfather Dong Hyun, whom I adored despite his brief appearances throughout the story.

In addition to the brilliant writing as well as the wonderfully drawn characters, another aspect that makes this book stand out is its unique structure — there are segments that switch between different points of views and perspective, as well as scenes that take place in the gaming world and also in the real world.  While it was a bit difficult to keep up with at times, the journey to the end was well worth he effort, in my opinion. This is one of those books that needs to be experienced to be effective, which is why I'm keeping my review deliberately short as well as vague.  This is also a book that's very hard to categorize, as there is a little bit of everything in here — there are aspects of multiple genres in here, from historical to contemporary to romance (though as the premise suggests, this is not a typical love story), with subtle hints of science fiction and nonfiction elements sprinkled in throughout.  There is humor and warmth in the story, but there is also tragedy and heartbreak — though most impressive for me in terms of the structure is Zevin's ability to incorporate such a wide range of current affairs and social issues into the story, but in a way that didn't feel contrived or overwhelming.  I felt that the story overall was way more complex than her previous works, plus the emotional elements were also well done, though for me, this one was a bit less poignant and resonant than The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, in my opinion at least (that book made me cry multiple times as I was reading it!).

While you don't need to be a gamer to enjoy this one, I do feel that having some familiarity with the gaming world does make a difference in that it enhances the reading experience (at least that's what it did for me).  I loved the bit about the trick for getting Mario on top of the flag, (where was this tip 30 years ago when I was obsessed with playing Super Mario Bros?  LOL!) as well as the various other references to games that I was familiar with (whether through playing those games myself at some point or hearing my nephew and his cousins / friends talk about them).  Given everything that has gone on the past couple years, I was definitely happy getting the chance to relive those fun, nostalgic moments of childhood, even if only for a short while!  Even if you're not into gaming, I still highly recommend reading this one, as the story on its own goes deep — though some parts do take a little bit of patience to get through, but to me, the journey was worth it in the end.

Received ARC from Knopf Publishing via NetGalley.