Contemporary fiction
Four and a half stars
Eddie Reeves's father has committed suicide and she is left reeling in the aftermath, surrounded by questions that can never be answered. Her father was a brilliant photographer, full of life and inspiration and love. What could cause him to leave everything behind? Distancing herself from her friends, she soon becomes acquainted with one of her father's old students, Culler Evans, who reveals things about him that she never knew. With his help, she tries to uncover explanations, but their attraction grows and the relationship takes a dark turn. Eddie is shaken from grief but she needs Culler's help, and she must decide what she is willing to do for answers, and if they are truly worth knowing.
Courtney Summers is one of those authors I hate. I hate her for the way she touches subjects so deep in so few words, for how she captures the rawness of emotions so beautifully, and basically for her outrageous writing. She has been one of my biggest inspirations, and I am so envious of her talent. Her style is very distinct, very abstract and fragmented. This adds a powerful imagery to her writing. You become so engaged with the story and characters, so consumed in their emotions and struggles. Eddie's loss, not just of her father, but of herself, paints the whole novel, and there is an incredible connection between reader and character. Summers is so talented at developing her characters, making each one unique and giving you such a strong sketch of their personality. The relations and tensions between them are magnetic, explosive, beautiful. You are drawn in. And although the conflicts in her writing tend toward the dark, they are lightened by moments of laughter, joy, discovery. It's just a magical novel about death and friendship and letting go.
Just read it already.
“This is awful. This is so hopeless. We're all lost in different ways, so how do we even help each other find our way out. We won't. We can't. We'll just stay lost forever.”
Also recommended: Some Girls Are and Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
Courtney Summers is one of those authors I hate. I hate her for the way she touches subjects so deep in so few words, for how she captures the rawness of emotions so beautifully, and basically for her outrageous writing. She has been one of my biggest inspirations, and I am so envious of her talent. Her style is very distinct, very abstract and fragmented. This adds a powerful imagery to her writing. You become so engaged with the story and characters, so consumed in their emotions and struggles. Eddie's loss, not just of her father, but of herself, paints the whole novel, and there is an incredible connection between reader and character. Summers is so talented at developing her characters, making each one unique and giving you such a strong sketch of their personality. The relations and tensions between them are magnetic, explosive, beautiful. You are drawn in. And although the conflicts in her writing tend toward the dark, they are lightened by moments of laughter, joy, discovery. It's just a magical novel about death and friendship and letting go.
Just read it already.
“This is awful. This is so hopeless. We're all lost in different ways, so how do we even help each other find our way out. We won't. We can't. We'll just stay lost forever.”
Also recommended: Some Girls Are and Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
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