For the Love of Mary

I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley.

There's nothing I dislike more than a book—or a movie or any other type of media—that leaves next to no impression. This isn't a bad novel, it just felt so utterly bland to me that its positive elements barely stood out. As a coming-of-age story, it's forgettable with characters that aren't all that interesting or well-written. It felt like the author was blending a bunch of disparate sitcom plots together, and the result is over-the-top without the fun you'd expect from that. As a satirical look at religion and self-righteousness and church “culture” as a whole, it has a few scattered moments that stood out as clever. You can feel it building toward some smart observation or funny scene, but it sputters out before it gets there.

I don't think this is a very good book, but the worst thing about For The Love Of Mary is how unremarkable it is.