Ghost Town by Tom Perrotta

 

Ghost Town by Tom Perrotta

I feel like this was a Kevin Wilson idea written by Tom Perrotta. I always love a new Perrotta book, so it was satisfying from that angle, but I feel like the weirdness and drama could have been pushed a bit more. 

Overall, I think there wasn’t much to the story, it was pretty character-driven, but we also weren’t allowed to get too close to the character, so I feel like this was kind of a jumping-off point for my imagination to do the rest and make it more interesting.

With all that said, I do still love Perrotta's writing style, so there's that. But I wish there was something more here. When I first read the synopsis, I even texted a fellow Perrotta-fan friend and said I was worried it was just the same story told again. It brought to mind some of his earlier books, like Bad Haircut and The Wishbones. She replied that isn't that what we do as writers? Which... yes. And Kevin Wilson himself even said that in a workshop I took with him last December - he said he's just telling the same story until it's out, until it feels right. But I feel like he does push the limits to make things even stranger than you'd think they'd be.

I think Perrotta was dabbling in magical realism but maybe didn't trust himself to explore it more... or maybe wasn't sure his readers would accept it? Or maybe he didn't even want to take it there - I shouldn't assume anything about the process. However, I do think it would have benefited a lot if he just pushed it to its max instead of leaving it so lacking, it didn't make enough of an impact to really resonate with me.

Have you read this book? What do you think about it?

A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano

 

A Good Hard Look by Ann Napolitano

I saw a giveaway for this book on Instagram and thought it sounded fascinating, so I entered, eager to read the book. But when I added it to my Goodreads list, I saw it was already published and had just gotten a facelift! So I got it from the library and dove in.

This book instantly transported me back in time to Milledgeville. I loved getting a peek inside Flannery’s life, and I love how everyone's lives twisted together. This book is the epitome of literary fiction to me - getting to know everyone at a leisurely pace and letting it build until it all unwinds. It gave me Tom Perrotta vibes in a way.

I've read other Napolitano books (Dear Edward - 3* and Hello Beautiful - 4*) that I liked, so I'll definitely keep reading more by her. But I think the thing I liked most about this book was the historical fiction angle. It reminded me a lot of Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor - one of my favorite reads this year. Cantor also has other historical fiction/alternate history books that I really loved, so I'd recommend her if you like A Good Hard Look.