Book Review: Heart the Lover

 

Finally. I really enjoyed this book. I read Lily King’s last book, Writers and Lovers, and I really enjoyed that one too. There were some biographical similarities between the main characters and I really thought it  might be a prequel for about the first half of the book. (It's not.)

Even though it begins with a love triangle as the foundation for he plot, it doesn’t seem to be focused on romance so much as it is on the coming-of-age aspect.

The book jumps ahead several years and I became very invested in whether the characters are able to have a particular conversation. (No spoilers.)

 

King is especially good with dialogue. She manages to do that thing which is very difficult for writers, which is to make dialogue that is both interesting and believable. It is so easy to do one or the other and so hard to do both. She creates characters that are very original and specific and they talk about fascinating things passionately.

 

When I find myself stuck writing-wise, I try to read something good. This is the first book I've read in awhile that makes me want to write. 

Book Review: Writers and Lovers

 

If you're a writer, you'll get the way this main character thinks. Casey has been working on her first novel for years, scraping by as many of her writing peers desert the dream for more sensible careers. She is struggling with a recent heartbreak that has her questioning her  own judgement and the loss of her mother, which has shaken her to her core.

Writers & Lovers is set in Boston in the nineties, but manages to feel somewhat timeless. Casey's drive to be  published may make more sense in a time period when writers had a better expectation of making a living with their art. The story includes a romantic dilemma, but I appreciated that it was not the main focus. It's simply a normal part of her complicated life.

Lily King creates a flawed character you easily root for and a compelling story that keeps you turning the pages, eagerly. I look forward to reading other novels by this author.