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A review by marshalls_library
The Book of X by Sarah Rose Etter
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Book of X by @sarahroseetter adds to the growing list of books by and about women that I cannot relate to, but am nonetheless captivated and moved by.
Main character Cassie (like her mother and grandmother) are born with knotted stomachs that forever brand them as misunderstood outcasts. This condition affects Cassie's relationships with her family, other women, (disastrously) men, and most importantly herself.
The knot can be taken literally as an actual condition, or metaphorically to explore Cassie's emotional struggles. Given the broader world Etter creates where Cassie's family owns a local meat quarry where meat is literally mined for like coal, as a reader you're left to sus out the larger meaning behind the beautiful and surreal story that Etter tells.
The Book of X is beautifully written, devastatingly sad, and refuses to adhere to labels or genres. There are similarities between this and Etter's second novel, Ripe, but both stand confidently alone. I absolutely cannot wait to see what she does next.
Main character Cassie (like her mother and grandmother) are born with knotted stomachs that forever brand them as misunderstood outcasts. This condition affects Cassie's relationships with her family, other women, (disastrously) men, and most importantly herself.
The knot can be taken literally as an actual condition, or metaphorically to explore Cassie's emotional struggles. Given the broader world Etter creates where Cassie's family owns a local meat quarry where meat is literally mined for like coal, as a reader you're left to sus out the larger meaning behind the beautiful and surreal story that Etter tells.
The Book of X is beautifully written, devastatingly sad, and refuses to adhere to labels or genres. There are similarities between this and Etter's second novel, Ripe, but both stand confidently alone. I absolutely cannot wait to see what she does next.