The Things We Wish Were True

Link to purchase from Amazon

Title: The Things We Wish Were True
Author: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing, 290 pages
Publication Date: September 1, 2016
Genre: Literary Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Second book of the year was also pretty good... that means I'm 2/2 for 2017 so far!

Things that I liked:

• The characters were pretty relatable and familiar, the author does a good job of making you feel at home in this neighborhood in the south, even if this isn't where or how you grew up
• Based at the beginning of summer, this is kind of a cozy read that makes you feel that summer-happy warm feeling inside; the characters spend copious amounts of time at the neighborhood pool together and do all of the things that make one long to go back to a childhood summer. Being that I read this during the first week of January, it was a welcome setting.
• "They ran out the same gate through which they'd entered, forgetting that spider ever existed. Later I would think about that spider, wondering what its message to us might have been and how it might have made a difference if we had all paid attention." This is the final sentence of the first chapter of the book, and in context, it is a simple yet profound thought to start the story. This is likely the reason I continued to read (and at the pace that I did), and although the entire book wasn't stuffed full of mind-blowing moments, the author earned my respect and garnered my attention from the get-go. 

Things that I didn't like:

• Honestly, there isn't much to list here. There were a few moments that felt over the top and not as natural or realistic as the rest of the book. A couple of the characters do things that one just doesn't find believable. Although these types of people can and do exist in real life, they aren't likely to all land in the same neighborhood at the same time.... it just felt like some nuggets of the story could've been toned down, slightly adjusted to be more plausible, or left out altogether. Again, this wasn't the overarching theme and I wasn't altogether disappointed, just a note to say that there are imperfections that I noticed but wasn't deterred by.

This book is basically a glimpse into the lives of several families living in your average suburban neighborhood. You have all of the usual personalities: there's the nosy empty-nester who is always available to help her neighbors, but does seem to be a little too involved in matters that aren't actually her business; there's the poor family that doesn't necessarily belong; the broken family that is going through the nasty divorce; the "perfect" family, the new family, etc, etc. Each character is relatable in a different way, and Whalen does a good job of showing us who they are and what makes them tick.

Because the majority of the neighbors have lived in such close proximity for so long, there is obviously a constant thread of neighborly drama that unfolds throughout the book. As I mentioned above, there are pieces that feel contrived and a little too far-fetched, BUT, with maybe just another hundred or so pages, I feel like she could've cleaned this up and made it all work. The ending of the book is great and fulfilling, but in retrospect there were parts that I feel like were left hanging and could've used a little more closure.

Is this a book I would recommend? Yes! The one thing that I dislike about ebooks is that you can't hand it to a friend and tell them to read it... more than once I have re-purchased a hard copy of a book for that reason, and I won't be surprised if I eventually buy this one for someone. I did really enjoy it! Whalen tells a great story, and I have her other books on my to-read list. 

On a scale of 1-5, this is probably TECHNICALLY (in my opinion) a 4.5. I'll round it up to a five because it was a good read, even with some of the exaggerated aspects. Hopefully I'll be able to read Whalen again soon, I'm really wondering if she is a one-hit-wonder or if she is actually going to be a favorite of mine.