A review by natalieba
Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead

emotional lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A messy family story that takes place over a wedding weekend in a posh beach town in New England. The writing in this book is so great - she does a brilliant job making all her characters so real (and as a result so unlikeable 🤣). And it all just keeps building, careening towards the end and I kept feeling like I needed to read with my eyes covered (“why is he doing that?!” “No! Don’t do THAT!”). It was just so well done. Did I like being in these characters heads for this whole book? Not really. But overall, I have to compliment the author on her ability to draw me in and make me want to see what in the world is going to happen to these (mostly) awful, flawed people.
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