Impressive ... A truly delightful story ... It took me a few pages to latch onto the arrhythmic, almost jazzy flow of the novel, but the stylistic turbulence is appropriate for a life so thoroughly upended ... Maggie is unfettered by allusions to current events and so comes off as almost timeless ... That perennial quality also shines through in the narrator’s determination to become 'someone who can separate her life from her family’s and still survive.' It’s maybe not the easiest or cheeriest lesson to learn, but it’s an invaluable one that Yee shares with aplomb in this heartfelt debut.
Intelligent and playful ... This tight little novel...with its resentment-tinged wit (reminiscent of Heartburn by Nora Ephron) has truth woven into every paragraph. I’d go as far as to say it’s the best divorce novel I’ve read for years.
Despite its heaviness, author Yee’s novel knows to embrace the hopeful and heartwarming, such as the protagonist’s relationship with her best friend. A beautifully crafted debut that isn’t afraid to guffaw in times of darkness.
