Mike’s review
The plot isn’t the plot and the actual plot would be 100% spoiler. But…Woman comes home to find boyfriend dead, attacked by dogs. Her three rescue dogs covered in blood, she locks herself in bathroom and calls cops on her dogs. In death, more is revealed about the man. He isn’t entirely who he said he is. Every lie reveals more about the tangled life/death of her fiancé.
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I would absolutely put my dog down rather than leaving her in solitary confinement forever.
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The instant placement into scenes is jarring and takes time to figure out where I am, who I’m with (still not sure who Katie is), but I like that it wastes no words. May like it more because I’m being overly verbose in my own writing now. Brevity must be impossible in a collaboration (this was written by two people–Amy Hempel and Jill Ciment–A.J. Rich being their together-pseudonym).
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Hard to allow a reader to see the twist coming and still have the reader say “Fuck you” when it happens.”
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Basically read in a single plane ride, which is one of the most perfect ways to read a book.
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Kind-of spoiler alert for after the next line break.
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Like the day after I read this I fucked a person who said she was going to tell her other lover about it for his pleasure and I freaked the fuck out after just reading about Billie’s power play/trip over Bennett. So, what are the ethics of that? Can you involve Person C verbally in Person B and A’s sex life without Person C’s consent? Is that a form of sexual assault? Why is it that the only time I’ve ever asked a real question in these things, it’s hidden behind a spoiler warning where possibly no one will read it? For the record, I will absolutely let you tell your boyfriend I fucked you.
The Heart of Literature 