Steve Dragswolf

From the very beginning, the characters in this book jump out as vibrant and authentic. They move the story along rapidly enough to enthrall but patient enough to absorb the reader into their world of boarding school in New Hampshire and the troubles they find themsleves facing. There are no heroes in this story. There are only humans faced with choices and consequences.

Murakami offers a refreshing, unromantic view towards the work of writing, revealing the difficulties and luck necessary in reaching the point of writing as a vocation. A lot of things have to fall in line for one to make it as a novelist, and not all of those things are in the hands of the writer. Regardless, Murakami's passion for writing is evident throughout the book and is contagious. Maybe the point of it all is to not focus so much on any dream of "success" but instead to focus on story itself.

Spare is full of interesting revelations of the modern-day British monarchy, ranging from their strange family dynamics to rampant racism to priviliged wealth and miscalculations. The book both humanizes and alienates all involved while revealing the difficulties Harry and Meghan have faced from the press and their families. It's interesting enough for those curious about the racism Meghan faced but still reads like a gossip magazine.