NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST, VOGUE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, NPR, ESQUIRE, AND KIRKUS “There’s some kind of genius sorcery in this novel. It’s startlingly original, hilarious and harrowing by turns, finally transcendent ...

Watkins has a good premise here and took it to a good place. By following a writer have a crisis after starting a family and returning to her old home to run away, we get a darkly fun ride watching a professor burn out visiting old friends, having an affair, and reconnecting with family. The writer's voice is terrific, and her insights are interesting and fun to follow. In particular, her meditation on her lost high school love, her thoughts on her own writing, and her observations on the casino and suburban life in Reno make a compelling read. We enjoyed watching this character fall to pieces in her wry and reckless way and the family drama as viewed through the narrator's father was powerful as a foundation for the story's action. In particular, the narrator's family dynamics do a good job of showing real rhythms and issues in alternate romantic relationships. The issue with the book is that Watkins spends a good portion of the book in a set of letters from the narrator's mother written to an unknown friend about how she met the narrator's father and then started the family, although in reverse time order. None of these decisions make sense -- why reverse order? who is she writing to? what is this adding to the story? Unfortunately, these sections felt unnecessary and detracted from the story as a whole. It's a good story overall, but that one misstep takes away from what otherwise is a fun and engaging trip.