A review by tjlcody
The Awkward Age by Henry James

3.0

Not bad. Dragged on a lot longer than it should have in a few places, which kind of damaged the sense of tension, but otherwise not bad.

I like this book kind of in the way I like [b: The Party|32620309|The Party|Robyn Harding|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496760152s/32620309.jpg|53207995] and [b: Do Not Become Alarmed|33155774|Do Not Become Alarmed|Maile Meloy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1482644401s/33155774.jpg|53849349], in the sense that some of the characters are TERRIBLE, but they're supposed to be that way. More than once I wanted to slap Julia and Gwen upside the head: Gwen was absolutely a self-absorbed little brat, and Julia trying to push all the responsibility for the
Spoilerpregnancy/relationship off on Nathan- who she calls a frickin' SEX OFFENDER, despite being barely a year older than Gwen
was disgusting.

Nathan and James have their own crap, but Julia and Gwen really got on my nerves. But much like those other two books I mentioned, their perspectives are not portrayed as the absolute Right. you're shown many perspectives, and as the saying goes, "the truth is somewhere in the middle".

Put it this way: More than half of this book, I would pause and picture this family doing a segment on "Dr. Phil" and gleefully imagined him ripping each and every one of them a new asshole.