This book is very similar in tone and content to Ng’s sophomore novel “Little Fires Everywhere”. Like “Little Fires”, it explores family dynamics and themes of race and belonging. It takes place in small-town Ohio and revolves around a mystery, introduced on page one that unfolds and reveals itself as the book progresses. 

I love the way Celeste Ng writes from the perspectives of different characters, always with such empathy and depth. As an author, she places you inside a family’s life, zooming in to individual family members, then back out, seamlessly, to reveal the impact of each character’s experiences and thoughts on the others. 

What knocked it down from 5 stars for me, was the almost disappointing lack of a thrilling, mystery element. This was hinted at and touched upon at times, but never really explored. What happened to Lydia could have been delved into a little more. The queer storyline with Jack was also barely developed. Jack’s character was fairly one-dimensional and his queerness/relationship with Nath could have been treated with as much care and detail as the rest of the story.