A review by sarahflorimonte
The Candy House by Jennifer Egan

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Genre: 🖋️Fiction/Sci-Fi

Recommend: ✅

I don’t even know where to start with “The Candy House”! It was truly unlike any novel I’ve read. Almost every chapter takes place from a different POV, in a different time and a different format. The story surrounds the invention of a technology called “Own Your Unconscious”, which allows people to upload all of their memories for you, or anyone else you chose, to access and watch a will. 

Because the stories were so varied and written so differently, I found myself more invested in certain sections then others. But, in general I found the premise so intriguing the the connections the characters have with each other so interesting and well formed. [As a side note, there is one story centered around a 13-year old girl that is SO TRUE to my lived experience at that age that I was laughing out loud.]

In many ways this was similar to “The Measure”, my favorite book of last year, in the way the stories and chatters were woven together. But, this book was more *out there* and harder to get though. 

I really did enjoy it! Lastly, this was the first book I’ve read that causally mentioned the Pandemic a few without being about the Pandemic which made it feel very real and lived in. 

You’ll like this book if you love:

✅Multiple POVs

✅Long Time Spanning Stories

✅Books Taking Place in Near Future