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Book Review of Arrowood: A Novel

Arrowood: A Novel
reviewed on + 46 more book reviews


In my opinion, this reads more like a YA novel than adult "literature". The main character's parents seem to be in their mid-forties. The main character herself (Arden) is in her early twenties, but acts like an irresponsible teenager. In Arden's defense, that was sort of the point -- she never moved past the disappearance of her sisters, and therefore was emotionally stunted and immature. Still, it's hard to sympathize with her when she spends days lounging around in her pajamas, not working, eating spaghetti-Os and pop tarts, thinking about what a victim she is. (The drunken episode at the keg party was the icing on the proverbial cake.) I didn't find much about her to like. I sort of wanted her to grow the hell up.

But despite a rather unlikeable protagonist, I found the story itself intriguing. The narrative is compelling and well-written. I guessed the truth about the twins' disappearance pretty early on, but it didn't necessarily diminish my enjoyment of the book. Probably would have been a five-star read if I hadn't spent so much time wanting to slap the main character.