Like Happiness

I chose this book one day while browsing NetGalley because I was drawn to the cover, and the description of the story intrigued me. The book tells the story of Tatum Vega who in her 20s develops a relationship with a famous author, Mateo Domínguez, whose work she admires. When the book begins she is in her 30s when she is contacted by a reporter who wants to include her in an investigation against Domínguez, who has been accused of assault by another woman. The book mostly consists of Tatum writing a letter to Domínguez that details her experience in their relationship and how it has impacted her.

This debut novel has an interesting writing style. In much of the book, the author writes in an epistolary style that uses second person point of view, giving the story a very personal feeling. It seems that the author is intelligent and well-versed in art and literature. She sometimes shifts to Spanish or Japanese, immersing the reader a bit into the language of those cultures. My only wish is that she had more often provided translations for the things said in these languages.

The power balance in relationships is at the center of the narrative. Tatum is infatuated with an older, more established man. This relationship is unbalanced, and Tatum struggles to find her own identity and move forward with her life. The book also explores other important topics such as personal and cultural identity and sexual orientation.

While I enjoyed the writing style and found the characters to be well developed, there are some aspects that frustrated me. The pace of the book is sometimes too slow, and I found myself losing interest. I usually like a slow pace, but I found Tatum frustrating as a protagonist, so I did not relish living in her head for 300 pages. She has the advantage of an elite education, but wastes it for much of the story. I cannot connect with that kind of lack of ambition and drive. She is also a bit of a literary and art snob judging others for their lack of knowledge. The isolation she feels is often of her own making, so it is hard to feel sympathy for her.

Overall, I have to admit that this book is just okay in my estimation. It was good enough to continue to the end, but I am not likely to remember it months in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.