Start Without Me

Imagine a couple dysfunctional families, Thanksgiving Day, and a concealed pregnancy resulting from infidelity, and you've got Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman.

The story happens over the course of one day, which happens to be Thanksgiving. Two strangers meet in a hotel bar, and from there, their stories intertwine as they attempt to navigate the day with their families. Our main characters, Adam and Marissa, both have a large reason why they're not looking forward to going home to their families. For Adam, his alcoholism (now in recovery) made him estranged from his family. For Marissa, she's pregnant by an ex – not her husband.

I don't want to give away much, but the day just goes nuts. To put it bluntly, shit hits the fan.

If you're a fan of dysfunctional family stories like The Nest, you'll probably like this one. It's crazy, but it's also really filled with heart at some points, which I appreciated. The writing style was straightforward yet detailed and expressive, which made it a good, quick read.

For my full review, visit http://www.literaryquicksand.com/2017/10/review-start-without/