They're Going to Love You

Review assumes you have read the book.

Howrey has a writing style constantly approaching subtly, but the words almost never engage with it. Faraway phrases have an imitation of wisdom, but their meaning is plain. The repetition of phrases (“What's bred in the bone”, “All this wastage”) with clear meaning in the context of the novel counters the wispy style and weighs it down needlessly. This is definitely a trend in modern literary fiction. It is an attempt at integrating poetic qualities in clearer narrative form. But there is a reason poetry is difficult and the unpracticed often come off as trite.

Nevertheless, the plot is compelling. Carlisle switching between victim and evildoer within the main conflict is frustrating as a reader, but ultimately realistic. Family drama is complicated. Everyone can be in the wrong at different amounts, and familial relations can still be plagued by sins more commonly recognized in other connections - pride, greed, lust for example. Although, for someone who is profoundly affected by her ‘banishment' it seems unlikely Carlisle wouldn't put in the effort to contact her father. To give his wanted ‘explanation' before his death. I suppose there are two of the novel's themes in this regard. The first being the influence of others on ourselves. Carlisle is a mix of her father and James. The second is failure. Sometimes we choose to fail, to not resolve a twenty -year fight. And we often refuse to accept our choice of failure, denying reality.

A decent novel. All the ends are tied just not in the way you might want them to be. Unsatisfactory for us and Carlisle, but not necessarily unhappy.