The Reckless Oath We Made

With a heroine who sells pot and her own body, and a plot that includes hoarding, emotional abuse, the KKK and violent murder, The Reckless Oath We Made isn't an easy book to read. So I give Bryn Greenwood credit for making me overcome a lot of initial discomfort to keep going through to the (at least somewhat) hopeful ending.

It helps that it's easy to understand the factors that have led to our heroine Zee's self-destructive behavior; in fact, it's hard to believe she isn't even more damaged given her family history and economic situation. It's tempting to judge her choices, especially those that hurt others, from a white, middle class privileged position but she's doing the best with what tools she has, and her unwavering love and loyalty for her nephew Marcus helps balance some of her more unsavory behavior.

Then there's Gentry. When I read the synopsis of the book I was worried that he would be portrayed as one of those magical autistic characters who doesn't have any personality besides his autism and any purpose besides teaching the other characters A Very Special Lesson. But Gentry felt very real to me. Yes, he hears voices, stims, and speaks exclusively in a courtly middle English. Yes, he has appointed himself as Zee's champion without really knowing anything about her. But he has his own friends, a job, a hobby, as well as dreams and desires. He's not perfect but he's brave and noble and he shares Zee's sense of loyalty. He's one of the best characters I've encountered in years and I would love to be his champion.

Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that Zee and Gentry don't magically have all their problems solved by their relationship, but they are able to help each other in ways that make their situations a little less hopeless. Not a HEA but a very realistic positive ending to an unusual and memorable book.