Meg Wolitzer’s literary novel The Interestings begins in 1974, and flashes ahead to modern day, following a group of friends who met at a performing arts camp. This is a novel that runs on ideas rather than plot; it’s a ponderous character study told in the third person that provides a deeper look at what makes us human by exploring themes of love and friendship, and being viewed ad special or talented versus being average and ordinary. Wolitzer looks at the haves and have-nots, and the privileges and responsibilities money brings. Readers who enjoy writers who look to offer insights into social order and behavior will like Wolitzer. This is a book for fans of Jeffrey Eugenides or Jonathan Franzen.
Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes, is a well-written, approachable novel of unconventional love and letting go. Told in first person narration, mostly from the point of view of a 20-something young woman named Lou, Me Before You is a dialogue-driven story with well-developed characters you feel as if you know in real life. Readers who believe in the transformative power of love and like to watch unlikely relationships unfold will enjoy this story of an emotionally damaged but optimistic girl who takes a job as a caretaker to an attractive, successful businessman/adventurer who has been left a paraplegic by a devastating accident. Keep the box of tissues handy. Hand this book to those who enjoyed The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick or The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
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