Somehow Lucy's life ended up a bit of a metaphorical mess,
but she hopes to turn it all around when she's hired to clean up Marva's
literal mess. As someone who makes an exception to her "no reality
TV" rule for Hoarders (Intervention is the only other exception), Objects
of My Affection had an immediate appeal. Jill Smolinski expertly
contrasts the lives of Lucy and Marva by depicting how out of touch with
reality both are in completely different ways. Marva's faults are readily
apparent given the state of her house and increasing reclusiveness while Lucy's
are harder to see, especially since she serves as the narrator. When Lucy
states that her boyfriend dumped her by saying she had to make a choice between
him and her son, the reader takes her at her word only to find out the
boyfriend sees things differently. Lucy also has a hard time grasping
just how serious a drug problem her teenage son really has. The subject
matter is heavy, but Smolinski writes with a humorous approach that keeps the
novel from being depressing even when it takes a bit of a morbid turn with one
of Lucy's discoveries in Marva's cluttered home.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Touchstone.
5/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Touchstone.
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I liked her earlier novel, so I've been waiting for this one to come out!
ReplyDeleteThis was the first time I'd read Jill Smolinski, but I'm definitely going to check out The Next Thing on My List because this one was great.
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