I was excited by the blurb of this book. I love a random plotline, and this promised that to me. The story is told in multiple voices, over different times, and it swings a little around in time before it finds its footing.
I did not like the book as a whole, but there are parts that are done well, and if other readers like those parts even more than I did, they will really enjoy the book. The story is told in a sequence of interviews. The date, time, and interviewer all hold the key to the actual information trying to get through to us.
The core of the narrative, the event(s) that all the interviews circle around, happens in 2022 Toronto. It addresses the post-pandemic situation (although now having reached 2022, I do not know how much of it will feel plausible). That is about all I will say because the twists and turns that the narrative takes is the main reason I saw it all the way through, hoping for that aha moment. There were some that were close, and the writing made it interesting. Some voices were more distinct than others; a few swore more frequently and unnecessarily than the others.
Overall, it is an intriguing concept that did not entirely work for me. This is a completely personal issue, and I think people willing to try ‘different’ storylines should give it a shot. The central point that had me reacting this way is a thing I cannot mention because it involves one of those twists that I thought might work for a lot of people. I just felt there was too much of one thing.
I almost gave up at one point, but I am glad I read it to the end because the why of a larger question was addressed only towards the very end, and a huge chunk of the book made more sense only after that reveal!
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
Superfluous Reading 