Mary Pauline Lowry

Oh my goodness, this book is an absolute delight! I lost track of the amount of times I laughed out loud. Normally I struggle with epistolary novels, Mary Pauline Lowry is so skilled at creating vivid characters, and Roxy's voice is totally capable of carrying the story through these (mostly) unsent letters to her ex-boyfriend/roommate.

At the beginning of the book, Roxy is almost a caricature of a millennial hipster, a mostly vegan almost full-time Whole Foods deli-maid with artist's block, struggling to make ends meet to support herself and her dog (Roscoe) and cat (Charlize Theron). In her first letter, Roxy complains:
"I was already in a funk last night that it was summer solstice and I had not gathered with an interesting coven of female friends to celebrate the longest day of the year with a series of elaborate rites. Rather, I'd been moping around in my room, trying to find solace in the poetry of Alice Notley and a pint of vegan ice cream, and wondering why it is I spend so much time home alone."
She's not always successful maintaining her vegan diet or bringing love, friendship, and art into the world, but she sure does try, invoking the goddess Venus, using crystals and tarot to guide her. I feel like I should be annoyed by this, but I find it all too relatable.

It seems like a lot of the reviewers so far have been totally turned off by Roxy's immaturity and selfishness, which does drive a lot of the decisions she makes throughout the novel. But Lowry performs her own bit of magic here in the way Roxy grows by the end. Roxy isn't let off the hook either; she's surrounded by a rich cast of supporting characters, all of whom are complex in their own ways. Even if Roxy brushes it off at the time, her friends and coworkers don't hesitate to call her out for her behavior. If those squicked out readers had stuck around, they would have also witnessed one of the best character arcs I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

There is much to love (or hate) about Roxy, and she has so much to learn. One of my favorite parts of her journey is her horror at the gentrification of Austin, TX. Roxy writes:
"Traffic down to the Hike and Bike Trail was hideous, the skyline full of cranes. I counted seven, each one building another towering upscale downtown condo that will soon be packed full of douchebags arriving from San Francisco and LA. Those D-bags may be in search of authenticity or the real America, but they will each contribute to diluting the essence and soul of this town that means everything to me. Oh how I wish I could do one tiny something to preserve this place that I love!"
Honestly, I GET it. As someone currently living in the fastest growing city in the US, the way Roxy bemoans gentrification is all too relatable. And while I don't picture myself ever going the route she does to try to combat the soulless, corporate spread, there is so much to admire in everything Roxy achieves in the end.

There are so many topics Lowry covers with humor, deftness, and compassion: loneliness, gentrification, addiction, mental illness, feminism, friendship, becoming an actual adult while still holding on the childhood dreams... It's a wild, hilarious, ultimately heartwarming ride. I cannot overstate how dearly I love this book!

(Note: The quotes are all from an uncorrected ARC, so they may change upon publication.)… (altro)

Books told through letter format can go either way for me. Unfortunately, the narrative combined with this writing style just didn't hold my attention. I also really struggled to connect with the main character because of some of her language choices.

While the summary sounded appealing and quite cute, I ended up finding it over the top and cringe-worthy. It ended up distracted me more than anything else and I had to put this one down after struggling through the first quarter of it. Some of my favorite #bookstagrammers loved this one, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.… (altro)

Actual review 3.5⭐ rounded up to 4.

I love a book that makes me laugh and this one made me laugh...A LOT! This is a story told in letter format. Roxy starts by writing a letter to her ex boyfriend turned roommate giving him the rules that he will have to follow if he is going to live with her. And from there the author takes you on a fun hysterical ride!

Such a fun, easy read! A little predictable in spots, but I was able to overlook that, because of how the book was written.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.… (altro)