Talking at Night

"Wow!!! One of my top 5 favorites ever. So beautifully written. Cannot believe this is her debut novel! You need to read this!! Reminded me of Normal People meets Love Rosie, which is the perfect combination. I’ve never felt so many emotions from a book. Highly highly recommend! "

"I loved this story. It's a sad and painful journey for both main character. I will be reading this again."

"Very melancholic character-driven story that flows in a way that makes it hard to put down."

"dnf at 46%<br/>part of this is that I'm slumping, the other part is that I felt very distant from the story based on the writing style. It's a good story and for that I would have pushed through, but I can't find it in me to make the effort to read much of anything right now, least of all force myself to push through with this third person, present tense writing style"

"4.5 Stars Rounded to 5<br/>Cover 1 Star. (I would not have bought this in a bookstore.)<br/><br/>WWTQ: What are the vibes of a story told through an Instagram sepia filter?<br/><br/>Answer: Lovely and Mystical.<br/><br/>I read this in 2 days. It's really very, very good, with a few flaws. The author's approach to punctuation is Faulkner-esque (note, I hate Faulkner), so be warned. It takes a while to get used to, but once it settles, it's a beautifully written story. <br/><br/>It watches two people from a distance grow up, through a hazy filter. The narrator isn't especially close to either character but whimsically reports on them as they move through their lives, almost like we're observing through a foggy lens. The result is the reader isn't close to the characters or their motivations (which are complex and convoluted, sometimes described in detail and other times in loose metaphors) making it difficult to discern what is important and what isn't.<br/><br/>Because everything is vaguely written, there are times when I was genuinely confused, mostly about logistics. Time jumped around and I often was left wondering how these people survived day-to-day. There were months where I don't think* either of them worked - since they were both away from their job? And Rosie changed careers without going to school? Or maybe she went and I missed it. This didn't distract from the story, but it does ask the reader to suspend practicality, a bit. <br/><br/>Where I think the book didn't work so well is the relationship between these two people. We're told they're deeply and hopelessly in love with each other, and perhaps that was true when they were children, but even then it seemed unlikely. I didn't really believe they'd be friends, much less soulmates. I think the crux of their relationship was that they were sort of tied together by tragedy, and suffered from significant mental illnesses. It's toxic, and their relationship is unhealthy. <br/><br/><spoiler> Rosie never chooses Will. She chooses everyone, even 'society' over him in her pursuit to be "good." Will takes it and accepts he's not worth it, and comes back again and again. It's pathetic, not romantic. Rosie is a selfish coward. I hated that Will dreamed of seeing the world and the farthest he got was a few hours' drive and convinced himself that was enough.</spoiler> <br/><br/>I was never rooting for them as a couple or even as individuals, rather I was just curious to learn where the story went and comfortable in the lyrical world the author built. <br/><br/>Definitely Recommend.<br/><br/><br/> <br/>"