Rating: 4/5
What It’s About:
Blindsided by her mother’s sudden death, and wrecked by a recent love affair, Casey Peabody has arrived in Massachusetts in the summer of 1997 without a plan. Her mail consists of wedding invitations and final notices from debt collectors. A former child golf prodigy, she now waits tables in Harvard Square and rents a tiny, moldy room at the side of a garage where she works on the novel she’s been writing for six years. At thirty-one, Casey is still clutching onto something nearly all her old friends have let go of: the determination to live a creative life. When she falls for two very different men at the same time, her world fractures even more. Casey’s fight to fulfil her creative ambitions and balance the conflicting demands of art and life is challenged in ways that push her to the brink.
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The Review
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like Writers & Lovers. There were many elements and topics that I loved about this book. First, Casey’s age was appealing to me because it is so close to mine. I could relate to her character and liked that she didn’t quite have her adult life figured out. Many people struggle to find their way through adulthood and it was nice to see that in a book. The transition between college and life after college is hard. Even the most basic adult things like student debt, housing, and healthcare can be difficult to navigate without a support system.
Being transported to Boston, MA in 1997 was also an adventure. I kept picturing the movie Good Will Hunting in my mind lol. I need to watch that again soon. Even though I was elementary age in the 90’s, things in the book still brought on nostalgia for me. Casey’s shifts at the restaurant where she worked were also some of my favorite scenes. The author did an amazing job creating the hustle and bustle of a restaurant.
Another element I enjoyed was the inclusion of mental health. The author created an introspective view of Casey’s mind, which is filled with grief, anxiety, stress and so much more. Besides the internal emotions, the author also showed Casey’s physical reactions and sensations to experiencing her various emotions. I liked seeing Casey’s methods of regulating what she was feeling, even if they weren’t always successful. People of all ages struggle with knowing how to work through emotions and it should be discussed more in society.
The only negative comment I have for Writers & Lovers is the pacing. There were moments in the book that were slow and it felt like the story wasn’t going anywhere.