This was a book that started slowly and picked up speed like a boulder running down a hill, moving ever faster to the conclusion. The author's ability to use the language to characterize different cultural and economic groups was excellent; being able to place a character according to the shoes that were being worn or the drink they ordered. The setting in the New York City art scene didn't capture me, but as they moved into the vacation area it was easier for me to relate. I had difficulty initially getting into the story , but I'm glad that I didn't stop because about half way in I was on a roller coaster of a ride trying to figure out what crime, if any, was done, if anyone would be held accountable and if another crime was going to happen before the end of the book. I did find most of the characters difficult to empathize with; they are either self-absorbed because of their wealth and power or self absorbed because of their history and their desire to get to wealth and power by trying to 'fit in'. The book reminds you that everyone has secrets and trauma, being rich just allows you to hide it better. The final third of the book was difficult to put down, and I found myself wondering what happened to all the characters afterward. It seemed that the author might have benefitted from asking an attorney about certain events because I'm not certain that certain events would work the way they were presented.
I was grateful to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for writing an honest review. According to Amazon.com, Jessa Maxwell is the nationally bestselling author of The Golden Spoon, I Need You to Read This, and Dead of Summer. She is also the author and illustrator of five picture books for children. Her comics and cartoons have been published in The New Yorker and The New York Times and her writing has been published in Slate, Marie Claire, and many others. She now lives in Jamestown, Rhode Island, with her husband, two cats and three-legged dog.
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