A review by minimicropup
Scrap by Calla Henkel

dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

The is so entertaining and intriguing, especially if you enjoy character-driven chaos! 
Hold off on this if you haven’t read Gone Girl but plan to soon. There are spoilers for that book in this one. 
 
Energy: Neurotic. Misunderstood. Adrift. 
 
🐕 Howls The moments when the mystery took a back seat to Esther’s character development and reflecting on her choices, but it was still interesting. 
 
🐩 Tail Wags The mix of literary fiction and mystery. Story is both entertaining and heartbreaking. Fun main character to follow (she’s insufferable yet oddly sympathetic). Captivating and cringe-worthy character development. Piecing together the puzzle alongside the MC while she jumps to conclusions without thinking things through. Unexpected bittersweet ending. 
 
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set mainly in Asheville, North Carolina.
Perspective: A book binder artisan tries to reconnect with a friend at a post-art show dinner without success. Instead they are stuck at a table with someone who really wants to hire them to craft a family scrapbook. 
Timeline: 2018 
🔥 Fuel: Emotional investment. Unreliable narrator. Intrigue and secrets. Multi layered plot. What was the incident at the studio? Why is there so much secrecy around the scrapbook our main character was hired to make? Why is she so invested in this family? Is her client okay? 
📖 Cred: Semi-realistic/plausible
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Barn studio. True crime podcast on Bluetooth speakers. Tortilla soup. Report cards. Family photos. Eggshell white paper. Burner phone. Oil paint. Honey buns. Gone Girl. Rose quartz. 
  • Obsessive, morally grey main character chaos
  • True crime commentary and stories
  • Unexpected sidekick
  • Mysterious family history and drama
  • Commentary on true crime, law enforcement, wealth, consumerism, and need
  • Character driven stories 
  • Was there even a crime? 
  • Literary cozy mystery amateur sleuthing
  • Sprinkling of popcorn thriller energy
  • Infiltrating the inner circle sneakiness
  • Thrown in the story, tagging along with the main character first person
 
Content Heads-Up: Alcohol (intoxication, hangovers). Loss of parent (as preteen; as adult). Alcoholic parent. Car crash (fatal; recall). Intoxicated driving. Anti-police sentiments (character opinion). Infanticide (implied). Psychopathy (child; implied). Loss of child (infant; SIDS). Loneliness. Long term relationship break-up (unexpected). Infidelity, betrayal (descriptive recall). Mass shooting (school; off page recalls, brief). Adult/minor sex, non-consensual sexual images. Suicidal ideation. Home invasion, threats, drugging (brief). Domestic abuse. Emotionally distant parent. Obsession, obsessive thinking. Cancer (lung; brief discussion).
 
Rep: American. Dutch ancestry, Croatian, Armenian and Pakistani heritage, and Polish peripheral characters. Cis. Lesbian. Olive, ivory, pink, and ambiguous skin tones.
 
📚 Format: Library Digital
 
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