While this book is about a young girl who is also an alien (or believes herself to be an alien), it's really a coming-of-age story with sharp, witty, sometimes painful observations about human beings. I did a hard cry at the end of this book and it's truly one that's stayed with me.
This is a story about a woman with a daughter who struggles with drug addiction and who, when her daughter becomes pregnant, ends up raising her granddaughter. It's not an usual story, and yet, Boyt covers it with so much empathy, so much warmth, such an ability to see and understand these characters, it's a revolution in tenderness. I falls into none of the traps of over-simplification or maudlin scene that usually accompany this kind of book. It's just wonderful.
'I was in the story, feeling everything. I cared about every character . . . She writes beautifully. It was a total pleasure' Philippa Perry, author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read
Susie Boyt writes with a mordant wit and vivid style which are at their best in Loved and Missed. When your beloved daughter is lost in the fog of addiction and you make off with her baby in order to save the day, can willpower and a daring creative zeal carry you through ? Examining the limits, disappointments and excesses of love in all its…
I've liked all of Liz Moore's books, but this one might be her best. I'm a sucker for any book that puts a bunch of teenage girls in a socially awkward situation because when it's done well, it's like reliving the best and worst of my teen years, only with even more pathos.
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE READS OF SUMMER 2024
“The God of the Woods should be your next summer mystery.” —The Washington Post
“Extraordinary . . . Reminds me of Donna Tartt’s 1992 debut, The Secret History . . . I was so thoroughly submerged in a rich fictional world, that for hours I barely came up for air.” —Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air, NPR
“Riveting from page one to the last breathless word.” —Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You
In this gripping, family drama, the past collides with the present in unpredictable ways. When her father's former lover falls down the stairs on Halloween, Maeve finds herself torn between protecting her mother and seeking the truth. As Maeve juggles caring for her aging, unpredictable mother while managing the demands of her own family, dark questions about the past arise. Did her mother really cause the accident, or is it just a tragic coincidence? And what will Maeve do with the truth when she finds it?
Rich with deeply intriguing characters, this novel explores the complexity of family loyalty, memory, and the haunting influence of long-buried secrets. In order to unravel the truth, Maeve must confront her own perceptions of the past, all the while trying to repair the fraught bond with her teenage daughter.
Suspenseful and emotionally charged, this is a story about the deep, unsettling rifts that can tear families apart. Perfect for readers who love darkly humorous, thought-provoking narratives that challenge notions of guilt, love, and the pull of the past.
