George and Lizzie

I'm not opposed to quirky books or unlikable characters and although I've seen both charges leveled against this book, those aren't the reasons for my 2 star rating. My problem with George and Lizzie was that neither George nor Lizzie seemed like real people to me, so I never cared about the outcome of their relationship. None of it rang true, especially Lizzie's “Great Game” and her emotionally absent psychologist parents (I'm so sick of that trope; and do your research Ms. Pearl, worshiping B.F. Skinner went out of fashion long before Lizzie's fictional birth year). The flash forward detours for the Great Game “participants” added nothing to the story except display Pearl's knowledge about football. I think the author is trying to say something about marital love that supports and grows over time, as compared to the passionate love of short-term affairs, but she chose an awkward vehicle to deliver the message.