Trust Exercise

One sentence synopsis... Written in three parts (with each new part upending the “reality” of the former) this experimental novel examines forms of trust - between students and teachers, lovers, parents and children, but especially the delicate trust required for readers to suspend their disbelief and let an author take them through a story. .

Read it if you like... the first part of this book is reminiscent of a poor man's Sally Rooney (which we later realize has been written poorly on purpose) but the twist is for fans of books that make the readers a participant in the story (think ‘Ship of Theseus' by JJ Abrams). .

Dream casting... I pictured Peter Gallagher as the charismatic theatre teacher Mr. Kingsley/Robert Lord (apologies to Sandy Cohen).

I never ever ever ever would have finished this book if it weren't for book club, because I hated (hated!) (HATED!) Part 1 of the book. Part 2 rocked and actually actively made up for Part 1. This is literally exactly the type of book that a lot of normal people hate but that wins literary awards and gets glowing reviews calling it audacious and spellbinding, etc., but don't let that stop you from giving it a shot.

It's been some days since I finished this book and I still keep discovering new ways in which it is meta.

The narrative about-face in the second part of the book is a neat trick, of the sort that makes you want to immediately reread the story, this time questioning everything.

I really appreciated the style too - it seemed like the author wasn't trying very hard, and only towards the end when they identity of the narrator is once again thrown into question did this make all the more sense to me.