Lead Review

• Book: All Adults Here
• Location: New York State
• Author: Emma Straub

Review Author: Tina Hartas

3.5*

I imagine the author captures small town East Coast America very well in this novel, the friendships, the feuds, the rallying round and the indifference. There is humour, there is great observation of human interactions and dialogue, and there is one family around whom the novel circles. The book opens as 68 year old Astrid Strick witnesses a road accident in which a woman, whom she has never particularly liked, dies. Astrid is widowed and has grown up children who all – inevitably – have their idiosyncrasies and issues. This is their story in the aftermath of the death.

On the back cover there is mention that this novel is ideal for fans of Anne Tyler; THAT Elizabeth Strout rates it; and Ann Patchett believes the world will love it. Indeed I am a fan all three authors. The writing here is really good, it is big-hearted as it says in the blurb and it is worth reading for that. For me, however, the story drifted between family members and never ultimately felt cohesive. It felt very much that the author had a list of elements that she wanted to include in the narrative and they were going to be shovelled at the reader in great spades come hell or high water. I didn’t mind that so much because the writing flows, the author really is gifted, but for me it was hard to engage with the characters who felt quite lightweight as the narrative bobbed between them.

Overall this is a story that felt like a train journey: it continues on its way, it stops at stations, you can observe some interesting aspects of station life and architecture with piquant vignettes, then the whistle blows and it continues on its way without really reaching the terminus station. Perhaps I just prefer stories that have a beginning, middle and end.

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