Intermezzo

That was a tough one to get through. I've always admired Sally Rooney for her ability to dissect complex human relationships. It's her hallmark—people bound by grief, seeking solace in one another. Intermezzo follows the same theme but, unfortunately, fell flat for me.

The story centers on two estranged brothers who've had a strained relationship for years. After their father's death, they're drawn back to each other, but their interactions are awkward and stilted, never resulting in anything meaningful. The plot deepens as they attempt to find companionship with their equally troubled girlfriends, but things never quite click.

Here's the thing: I don't expect grand, sweeping narratives in Rooney's work. Her books thrive on the interplay of dynamics between characters, not the plot. And while she delivered when it came to the brothers, the female characters felt severely underdeveloped. I couldn't connect to them, and their conflicts often felt disjointed or unconvincing.

To make matters worse, the book felt unnecessarily long. Cutting down on chapters or fleshing out the female characters more could have made a huge difference. As it stands, I left feeling disappointed.

If you're a die-hard Rooney fan, this might resonate with you more than it did with me. But for me, this was a miss.