When You Read This by Mary Adkins is an epistolary novel told through E-mails and blog posts. I was worried this would make it difficult to “get to know” the characters, but Adkins does such a great job developing them through their writing. The novel centers around Iris, a young woman who has since passed away, and her former boss, and her sister. Iris leaves behind some dreams she wanted to fulfill, and those left in her life pursue them.
Despite being relatively positive under devastating circumstances, the book also is a reminder of how harsh the blogging world can be. The protagonist would often write a very deep and vulnerable blog post and the comments posted would be cruel or, worse, completely ambivalent to the writer’s pain.
I really liked this book. I cared about the characters, despite their flaws, and couldn’t wait to read what happened next. Adkins takes depressing subject matter and reminds us of the beauty of love, hope, and moving forward.
(Image from amazon.com)
A HOUSE WITH CHARACTER 