A review by asourceoffiction
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler

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? Yes

3.0

I was initially drawn to this story by the writing. I loved the unreliable first person, and Rosemary herself frequently points out that her memories are affected by what her family tells her. Mysteries in her childhood were intriguing and I was excited to learn more about what really happened when her siblings disappeared.

To an extent, some of these revelations didn't disappoint. The twist, such as it is, actually comes pretty early in the book - to the point I spent the end almost looking for another one that didn't come. Learning more about Rosemary's past fleshed out her story and definitely helped me connect emotionally. All of her family are interesting characters, all fundamentally flawed and muddling through the best they can.

Unfortunately, for some reason I found myself drifting through the middle section when Rosemary is in college. I understood her connection to Harlow but really didn't care about Harlow as a character. There were moments that would bring me back but something definitely disconnected me from the story. I found my way back by the end (which I really liked), but it seemed slightly disjointed.
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