Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of this debut book by Kate Broad, with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Imani Jade Powers. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!
Rachel Fiske is a young woman who has just graduated from high school and needs a summer escape plan. She heads to Greenwich CT to help her aunt recover from an injury and to help care for her young daughter. Her aunt and uncle are distant though, and Rachel still feels lost until she gets to know Claudia, her young cousin's nanny, better. But when a tragedy occurs, Rachel must make a choice.
This is a slow, character study novel, a coming of age book taking place in 1999. Rachel is portrayed as a naive young woman and seems to let life happen to her, as opposed to taking charge of it. Her home life is messy, with a sick younger sister, her high school friends turned their back on her, and she's just not feeling comfortable anywhere. Claudia gives her a glimpse of a different kind of life for a bit. None of these characters are really likable, but you'll still feel for them and feel the nostalgic pull of just not knowing how to fit into life. I liked how there was some foreshadowing of a tragedy throughout the book, with hints about a trial to add some tension into the narrative. Definitely a discussion of wealth and privilege, status, and racism. The audiobook production was immersive, and I enjoyed going back and forth between the two formats. Can't wait to see what will be next from this author.
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