The Little Friend

So I’ve read both Secret History and The Goldfinch and v much enjoyed. Realized there was another book of hers I hadn’t read and happily settled down to read it. The first 400 or so pages of the Little Friend I enjoyed very much. It was lush, I had a real sense of place and time, etc. but around page 430 ish, around when she goes off to bible camp, I feel like it really lost its steam. Hely disappeared for the most part, which I get was part of theme but seemed unearned. Not enough backstory as to why he got so caught up in other stuff given his devotion in first two thirds.

I totally get that this book wasn’t really about the mystery of who killed Robin and it was character exploration but at the same time, the lack of resolution on that point really bugged me. I don’t know, I wanted to like this but the ending fell flat for me.

It didn’t resolve moms mental health, grandmothers guilt, dads cheating, Allison having similar mental health issues. Just so much left unresolved really.

And that’s not to say it needed to be tied up in bow or those issues fixed. Clearly the family wasn’t going to have a happy ending. But it feels unfinished to me.