“When I am in need of recognition, I usually just turn to books, where words, now immobile, are safe and private, inviting a different sort of intimacy.”
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I like that we almost immediately know that Naomi is a little bit crazy, and the body of the novel corrects the assumption about why. This cover honestly made me totally underestimate this book – it’s way more serious and well written than I had assumed. 

There are a few quite extreme and devastating traumas that have formed Naomi, and Barasch wrote them so well. I liked the parallel between the story Naomi was writing and the one I was reading and how closely Barasch treaded to breaking the 4th wall. There were a few moments where Naomi’s voice was clearly the author’s thoughts. 

Barasch created a really interesting dynamic of questioning how much Rosemary knew and if she was just playing out the story to see where it went between them. I liked that Caleb served less as a full person and more as a vehicle for learning more about Naomi and creating the link between Rosemary and Naomi. Not  hyperfixating on their relationship but rather who Naomi was in the relationship was really powerful. 

I wasn’t expecting to be as moved by this book or its conclusion, but I found it to be beautiful and immensely heartbreaking, and a little bit hopeful.