All-Night Pharmacy

You know, I think I liked this book? Why am I not sure though?

I was very much engrossed in this book, reading massive chunks of it every time I did pick it up, and it read so easily, but I can't say that I was super compelled by it and that was the driving force. I think there was, oddly, just something comfortable about reading it.

I say oddly because, well, no character in this book strikes me as being in a comfortable place. The one only exception might be Sasha, but even then her conclusion leads me to believe she has some level of discomfort. Drugs, sex, relationships, this book is, frankly, quite trashy in many ways but I think what I liked about that is you see the trashy state the characters live in but not that they themselves are necessarily trashy. As the book went on the main character evolved and grew and I saw her strive to become more than the world she was born into, and I was eager to follow that.

I'm getting far too ahead of myself though. When I started reading this I was hoping to like it but I certainly got some yellow flags early on because I did not relate to the characters here at ALL. I quickly got over that, however, when the dynamic between the two main sisters was explored more, and when I learned about the narrator and what she was about. There was still plenty I simply will never be able to relate to, but I was able to garner sympathy for the cast and also really wanted to see a glimpse into this life I had no business being in.

The book is about generational trauma and that is abundantly clear. It's also about sisterhood and in many ways siblinghood and growing into your own person in spite of those close to you. I don't think it was especially concise nor poignant, but I enjoyed my time reading it. The biggest mar I will give this book is that the ending, while pleasant in its own way, was rather abrupt. It was all explained decently enough but that didn't make it any less abrupt I must say...I feel very mixed on this and frankly wish there was just a little more fleshed out before the final page actually turned. Alas, such is a life like this, I suppose.